Rare and collectable toys have been going for record prices over the last decade or so, as the toy market has really taken off.
The auction house Christie's has seen collectors paying top prices, from the black Steiff teddy bear which fetched £91,750 to the rare 1950s Masudaya Machine Man sold for £29,900 and the rare A. Marque Bebe doll dated 1913 which sold for £56,500.
If you spent £100 on Dinky toys in 1985, your investment would have likely quadrupled in value over 15 years, putting other investments in the shade.
But experts warn that investing in toys is a risky business, and never recommend collecting as an investment, as it has never proved 100% reliable.
The most valuable toys now are those which were bought to be played with, and just one or two survive in good condition. So it's still worth looking through the attic for that unwanted gift still in its box from three decades ago which might just make your fortune.
What to look for
Some toys are worth a fortune. Early American cast iron money banks and good quality dolls and teddy bears can all fetch prices exceeding £50,000. Dinky cars and Hornby trains are often worth large sums: a rare pre-war Dinky H. G. Loose promotional delivery van fetched £4,600 at Christie's. Even the Dinky toys you paid three shillings and six for 40 years ago could now be worth up to £500.
A dusty attic is a good place to start, and if you are looking through the attic of Lord and Lady Somebody who were well off in the 1900s, your chances are quite good.
But the collectors' market is fickle, and something that seemed worthless a few decades ago may now be in real demand. Even the experts say it is difficult to predict which modern toys will fetch the best prices in a few decades' time.
And though plastic toys were once held in low esteem, the market for early Sindys, Barbies and Action Men is now growing - especially in their original boxes, and with the ephemera such as clothes and accessories. Of course, early Star Wars' toys are also worth a packet.
While sought-after toys in good condition can command high prices, their value varies greatly. Factors affecting the price include age, rarity value, whether there is a market for a particular item, and above all, condition. While a mint condition toy in its original box can be worth a fortune, a battered and bedraggled version is not.
Your local toy and antique fair could be a place to pick up a valuable collector's item, thoughthere are a lot of fakes around. Toy collecting is a good hobby because you meet lots of interesting people, but don't invest everything in it. And do your research before you start. If you know what you're looking for and you have a good eye, you should do well.
Collecting modern toys
So will the Beanie Babies and McDonald's toys of today be worth a fortune in years to come? Perhaps not. Though waiting 30 years is the key: Christie's have just started selling 1970s toys.
Others toys are a better bet. The omnipresent Teletubbies might just become collectors' items in mint condition, because people don't really think of them as collectables, and just a few will survive in good condition.
Rarity and demand ultimately determine the value of a toy, as collectors pay high prices for a toy they simply have to have.
Perhaps the best investors are businessmen: the Japanese businessman who paid a world record price of £110,000 for a teddy bear knew what he was doing - the publicity he won for his newly opened toy museum was worth millions. And although that mint boxed Barbie or Dinky may just be worth a fortune some day, the experts warn that there are safer ways to invest.
