When we were young, we loved our toys because of the happy times we spent with them. But as adults, the thrill of collecting toys comes with the chance to make a lot of money. It turns out just about everyone has that one toy they're nostalgic about, and true collectors will pay a lot to get their hands on that special piece.

If you threw out all your old action figures or dolls, you might kick yourself after reading this list and seeing just how much they could be worth today.

There's no guarantee - the market is always changing, and you need to keep your toys in good condition - but if you still own one of these classic toys you could be sitting on a gold mine.

1. Hot Wheels Cars

Other toys are worth more, but if you still own a large Hot Wheels collection it's worth checking for some rare cars. Unique variants in the main set of the popular toy cars can fetch hundreds of bucks among collectors. Check for the 1970 Red Baron, because there are lots of errors and variants that could make it worth more.

2. Original Transformers Toys

There have been dozens of sets of these popular toys, but the original set of transforming robots could be a lottery ticket in disguise. The first generation of Soundwave figures can easily sell for over $100, while a full set of the original robots in good condition can easily break $40,000.

3. Beanie Babies

We've written before about how these adorable plush toys are worth a bundle these days. Even if you don't have any of the rare or limited edition toys, you could be in luck. Some Beanies, like Claude the Crab, have errors on their tags that drive up their value.

4. LEGO Trains

LEGO sets are popular, trains are popular, it seems like these toy sets were a match made in heaven. Even recent sets sell on ebay for hundreds of dollars, but if you have a retro LEGO set from the 80s tucked away you could easily sell it for a few hundred dollars.

5. Stadium Events For the NES

Remember playing this back in the 1987? Probably not. The game was recalled and re-branded as World Class Track Meet, making Stadium Events the rarest game for the original NES. Nobody knows exactly how many copies are out there, but the game has sold for more than $35,000.

6. Mego Pocket Super Heroes

Before action figures could talk or use their kung-fu grip, these simple toys that could bend at the waist were popular. You could originally buy both Marvel and DC heroes for just $1.66, but with the slew of popular movies a Mego hero in good condition can sell for over $100.

Click the next page to learn how much your Pokemon cards and Star Wars figures are worth today!

7. Pokemon Cards

Now don't get excited, not every single card in your collection is worth a fortune. Pokemon cards were big sellers in the '90s, so only the rarest of the rare are worth digging around in your crawlspace to find. In fact, the most valuable Pokemon card of all is too rare to even hope you could find it.

Only six of the Illustrator card were made, and each was given out as a prize for a special contest.

But, if you happen to have a holographic Charizard card from the original series hiding somewhere, you could easily make $100 with it.

8. Star Wars Action Figures

When Kenner released their line of toys inspired by the hit sci-fi films, toy collectors and kids everywhere went ga-ga for their great quality. If you're one of the 20 people in the world with an original Luke Skywalker doll still in the box, you can name your price for it.

A Japanese collector named Nigo sold his entire set of the figures for $450,000.

9. Masters of the Universe Eternia Playset

This toy is a big deal, literally. Sold for a whopping $83.97 back in 1986, the huge set comes with more than 50 pieces, including a motorized cable car that glides between the huge towers. Even incomplete sets of this mammoth toy sell for hundreds of dollars.

10. Lord of the Rings Figures

Before it was a multi-billion dollar media empire with video games and Oscar-winning movies, The Lord of the Rings was just a fantasy book series with a cartoon musical movie adaptation. The original 1978-79 toys based off the series are each worth hundreds today.

11. Garbage Pail Kids

Of course we all loved these gross collectible cards, but who could've guessed they were worth anything? The market for these has died down a little, but cards like "Adam Bomb" once sold for thousands. Look for foreign cards, which sometimes feature different art from the regular printings.

12. Original Furbys

Furbys were big sellers when they were released in the '90s, so there's no shortage of them on the market today, and you can still buy a classic Furby for under $100. But if you have a sealed box, especially containing a Furby with a popular design, prices can stretch as high as this ebay listing.

13. Happy Meal Toys

We all had our favorite line of toys from the fast food restaurant, but some are worth much more than others. There's a big market for Nintendo toys and also - of course - the line of special national Beanie Babies. Were you smart enough to save any?

Do you still own any of these great toys? Share this post if you remember them!