by Kimberly Munsey-Carlton

Created on: May 07, 2008   Last Updated: February 09, 2012

I was an antique dealer for many years before I discovered the joys of being a toy dealer and collector. Thanks to being blessed with a son who was passionate about the toy industry and could identify every weapon from every remote character in any series I became part of one of the best worlds of collecting. Toys! Amazing at it seems that a child's play thing can be very valuable, just as with high end antiquing, toys quite often need evaluated and appraised whether for resale or insurance purposes. Finding the right resources for that evaluation is imperative. I have seen many people make financially poor decisions in hiring appraisers for their antiques and it is just as important to find the right appraiser for your toys.

Whether you have amassed a single piece from your childhood or an entire collection you bought as an adult, take a little time and carefully choose your appraiser. References are imperative. Verifying whether they are a general appraiser of toys or a specialist in one category, such as action figures or dolls, is important. Experience or knowledge of the type or types of toys you need judged is a necessity for accurate appraisal since that appraisal is in fact someone's opinion based on their knowledge and experience. While some toys have shockingly high value, most have a reasonable pricing and may only require you tracking them on websites such as e-Bay to get a good idea of their market value. You must find an appraiser who actually knows toys and is not just a general antique appraiser. In a word, the appraiser must not only know toys but must respect them as a valuable collectible.

Understanding the difference between an appraisal of your toys for resell and an appraisal for insurance purchases is important so that you can have a valid expectation of what your appraisal will entail. The difference between the pricing is as different as wholesale versus retail pricing. There is a current market value, i.e. what is e-Bay selling it for today, and there is a replacement value, which is the highest market value paid. Of all collectibles toys seem to also evoke the most emotional response. Remember that sentimental value to you does not constitute sentimental value to the appraiser. That said, toys may be the only items that sentiment on the buyer's part can actually influence the rise of said values.

Toy values fluctuate as reproductions or re-releases appear, such as in the case of Care Bears. If you had the Monkey, Pig, Cat or Dog Care

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