Movie goldmine: the most valuable merch you might have at home

There’s no secret that when it comes to Hollywood, there’s money to be made and with a search of the attic, some of that money could be yours too.

So you know whether you’re sitting on a goldmine or not, we asked our experts here at LoveAntiques.com for a list of the most valuable movie and TV memorabilia.

The best news is that all items on the list are products that were released commercially and easily available in stores at time of release. Therefore, if you were a big fan of any of the TV shows or films with merchandise included in the list below, the chances you may have one of these items stored in your attic are pretty high! 

The top 15 most valuable items members of the public may have are:

1. Batman - 1940’s Batman No.1 comic: £157,680 (conversion made at time of writing)
2. Ghostbusters -1985 VHS release, sealed/never opened: £1,800
3. Star Trek - 1976 Mission to Gamma VI playset: £1,600 
4. Jurassic Park - 1997 The Lost World, Mobile Command Center action figures: £1,500
5. Toy Story - 1996 Mr Mike voice recorder: £1,300
6. Star Trek - 1968 lunch box with Thermos: £1,000
7. Lion King - 2010 Set of 6 Lion King figures by Swarovski: £1,000
8. Real Ghostbusters (cartoon series) - 1986 ‘Ecto-plazm’ pot: £725
9. Mission Impossible II - 2000 Oakley ‘Romeo’ sunglasses: £700
10. Monsters Inc - ‘We Scare Because We Care’ promotional t-shirt: £650
11. Jurassic Park - SkyCaps hologram POGS (full set): £650
12. E.T - 1982 alarm clock; £550
13. Kill Bill - 2003 advanced poster: £450
14. Avatar - 2009 poster: £430
15. Finding Nemo - music light up snow globe: £250

Are you looking for some future movie goldmines? Our experts suggest;

• Looking out for items from big brands, such as LEGO or Hot Wheels. These brands have so many releases and limited edition products, which tend to be taken out of circulation quickly. Always remember the less items produced means they’ll be more valuable!

• Avoiding anything that is branded as ‘collector’s edition’. These items are often expensive as it is tapping into the fact that people love to collect. The probability of the prices increasing is low as owners are unlikely to get rid of the items.

• We recommend buying ‘limited market’ goods, like items made for specific countries or regions (Asian market vs European vs North American) are generally worth more when sold elsewhere.

• Buying items that are easily recognisable from promotional posters or adverts/trailers are always an easy win. Great examples include the original Avatar poster or first edition items like the Batman comic.

Edd Thomas, antiques and collectibles expert at LoveAntiques.com, said,

“Whether it’s for ‘business’ or pleasure, collecting movie merchandise is always great fun and can be worth a pretty penny in years to come, especially if it’s well preserved and in its original packaging.

“It also makes for a fantastic side hustle if you have these items at home, perhaps stuffed in the attic collecting dust. There are tons of movie fanatics out there desperate to get their hands on some of these collectibles, so collecting and investing in movie merchandise can be very lucrative indeed.”

Image Credits:

Batman Fandom - Wikipedia

Ghostbusters - vhscollector.com

Star Trek - alienactionfigure.space

Jurassic Park - hakes.com

Toy Story - polybull.com