From designer collaborations to forgotten childhood favourites, some plush toys have skyrocketed far beyond their original price tags – and turned into serious investment pieces for their owners. Whether it's thanks to scarcity, nostalgia, or social media hype, brands like Labubu, Steiff, and Disney have seen rare models command eye-watering resale values.

Using the latest sales and listing data from resale platforms such as eBay and StockX, we’ve rounded up 10 plush collectibles that prove soft toys can bring in hard cash. Read on to discover which cuddly creations are now worth a small fortune...

All dollar amounts in US dollars

Kicking off our list is the 1930s Knickerbocker Mickey Mouse plush. The oldest collectible on this list, it's famed for being the first Mickey plush produced under the official Disney licensing. Retailing for just a few cents or up to $1 at the time, the most valuable models are the 15-16‑inch pie‑eyed editions – especially those with original painted pie‑eyes or pressed fabric faces and intact clothing.

The biggest variable when it comes to resale price is condition, the ability to survive the attrition of nearly 100 years of wear. In September 2022, a 10″ Knickerbocker Mickey Mouse doll, complete with cloth outfit and lithographed face, sold at a Pook & Pook auction for $225 (£165).

Restored or damaged examples have shown up on collector forums and Facebook groups for under $200 (£147), with less pristine pieces sometimes fetching under $100 (£74). But there's no doubt collectors will spend a fortune on such a tangible relic of Disney’s early commercial era. 

When Snuffles debuted in 1980, it was a simple plush bear with a distinctive crescent‑moon design, retailing at around $20 (£15) in department stores and gift shops. But among the more than 120 styles Gund has released over the decades, it’s the limited-edition 1980s cream‑coloured mohair Snuffles bear that has become the holy grail for collectors. 

With only 400 of this particular model ever produced, pristine examples of the cream mohair Snuffles are extremely hard to find. However, a later release from 2003, limited to 1,000 pieces, featuring beige mohair, has fetched prices ranging from $300 to $400 (£220 to £295) for near-mint examples on eBay.

At a Toy Fair display in 2010, a one‑of‑a‑kind presentation model of the toy featuring white alpaca fur, Tahitian pearl eyes, and a 10‑carat diamond necklace was estimated to be worth roughly $10,000 (£7.4k).

In 1995, Ty Inc. released Peanut the Elephant as part of its growing Beanie Baby empire. But a simple production error – swapping the intended light blue fabric for a deep royal blue – accidentally gave rise to one of the most coveted collectibles of the 1990s craze.

Legend even has it that Peanut's desirability saved the brand from record-low, business-breaking sales. Initially sold for just $5, the cuddly toy has earned some people a small fortune on the secondary market over the years, but does it still hold true today? 

According to sell2bbnovelties, editions that meet the condition requirements will be bought for $600. However, the highest confirmed sale price for the cuddly companion occurred earlier this year, with a mint-condition example fetching $700 (£515).

At present, asking prices for authenticated Royal Blue Peanuts on eBay exceed $1,200, though those are listings rather than confirmed sales. So if you’ve got the right shade of blue, it's worth digging out Peanut the Elephant, as you could make a serious return on that initial purchase. 

In 1997, just months after Princess Diana’s tragic death, Ty Inc. released a special edition Beanie Baby in her honour. Named Princess, the royal-purple bear featured a white rose on its chest and a poem stitched onto its tag.

The bear initially retailed for a modest $5 to $7, roughly $10 to $14 (£7 to £10) today, with proceeds going to the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund. But due to the fusion of 90s Beanie Baby fever, royal sentiment, and a tightly limited release, it didn’t take long for its resale value to shoot through the roof.

Extremely rare variants, often referred to as 'ghost versions', are listed for hundreds of thousands of dollars on eBay. However, there is no credible evidence of legitimate sales anywhere near those figures.

In fact, $50 (£37) is the top price that reputable Beanie Baby buyer site, sell2bbnovelties, offers – as long as it's in mint condition, contains PVC pellets, and was made in Indonesia. The highest confirmed sale price for an authentic Princess Diana Beanie Baby is $175 (£130), recorded on December 22, 2024, for a mint-condition bear featuring production error variants, according to 90stoys. 

Aside from a high-profile collaboration with Steiff, Louis Vuitton has produced just one teddy bear of its own. The exclusive ‘DouDou’ Teddy Bear arrived in 2005 and retailed at $9,000 ($14.8k/£10.9k today) upon release and was limited to only 500 pieces for VIP customers.

The most valuable version is the original 2005 Monogram Velvet DouDou, designed by Marc Jacobs and later reissued and reimagined in 2020 by the late Virgil Abloh. Both versions feature a soft monogram velour with tan leather collars. 

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Collectors value the 2005 original DouDou the most, and pre-owned listings on Farfetch and 1stDibs regularly exceed $17,000 (£12.5k) to $20,000 (£14.7k). However, the price is known to dip depending on quality. One example sold through Christie’s New York in December 2024 for $2,268 (£1.7k). 

The Build-A-Bear 2008 Pumpkin Kitty OG Halloween Orange Plush Toy debuted in September 2008. It arrived as a seasonal novelty item, selling for around $35 ($52/£38 today). At the time, buyers who picked up the not-so-spooky soft toy had no idea it would become a collectible. 

Shortly after, the original 2008 OG version – later renamed Pumpkin Fun Kitty – was retired by Build-A-Bear and never restocked until vault reissues in 2023 and 2024. 

Today, mint-condition original OG Pumpkin Kittys can fetch anywhere between $140 (£103) and $495 (£364) on eBay, depending on quality and seller confidence. Used examples typically sell for $110 to $180 (£81 to £133), still several times over the original retail price. 

Before the Labubu craze, Jellycat toys held the spotlight, driven by the millennial nostalgia mill and a TikTok-fuelled resurgence that turned several retired plushes into must-have collectibles. One standout, the Dixie Bashful Bunny, emerged during this revival and quickly claimed its place as one of the rarest and most valuable Jellycats ever produced.

Launched in 2010 with a retail price of around $20 (£15), Dixie features dusky pink fur and the trademark Jellycat Bashful design. After being discontinued within a year, she gradually vanished from store shelves but has made a comeback on resale sites like eBay. 

In 2023, a mint-condition Dixie sold for a staggering $3,127 (£2.5k) on eBay – more than 150 times her original price. Such sky-high sales are rare, but recent listings still see Dixie changing hands for between £300 (£220) and £600 (£440). Other plushes in the beloved Bashful series also command impressive premiums on the resale market, including Phoebe, Eddy, Paloma, and Sherbet.

With new generations discovering Studio Ghibli for the first time – and longtime fans cherishing the nostalgic characters of their childhood - there’s an enduring market for collectibles from Japan’s most iconic animation studio. When the Porter x My Neighbor Totoro Large Plush launched in October 2022, it was no exception.

Retailing at $210 (£155) through Porter’s exclusive channels, the plush formed part of a wider collaboration with Ghibli. But this wasn’t just another cute character tie-in; the plush was constructed with premium materials and sold out almost instantly. 

Today, that limited-edition plush can sell for up to $510 (£375) on platforms like StockX and eBay. However, its availability on the resell market is becoming spectacularly sparse, with prices likely to rise.

Unlike most collectibles whose value rests on age, limited production runs, or historic significance, Labubu dolls have rocketed to cult status on a different fuel – viral social media buzz and celebrity endorsements. Released in 2023 with a retail price of $115 (£85), the Labubu The Monsters x Vans Oldskool Monsters Forever Vinyl Plush Doll quickly became one of the most sought-after collectibles on the plush toy market. 

Styled with mini Vans sneakers, a Vans hoodie, and a baseball hat, the tiny grinning monster has morphed into a skatepark-ready streetwear mascot and plush enthusiasts around the world can't get enough. 

However, it wasn't just the adorable streetwear that caught the eye of collectors, it was the extremely limited availability. Sold via exclusive online drops and select in-person events, the skating doll quickly disappeared from shelves, only to resurface on resale sites at astronomical prices.

To date, the highest confirmed sale clocked in at $7,240 (£5.3k). 

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