Wonder which toy or other collectable from your birth year is worth a fortune today? The answer may surprise you. Read on to see.

Boomer bookworms may want to check their attic for dusty old copies of The Hobbit. A fourth impression copy of the first edition of Tolkien's much-loved classic is worth up to $6,000 (£4.4k) in mint condition.

Lionel is famed for its model railways and the 675 locomotive, which was launched in 1947, is especially sought after. Collectors will pay up to $1,000 (£737) and sometimes more for a working specimen.

This fun B. F. Goodrich pedal car was the number one request in many a letter to Santa during the late 1940s. Rust-free models, which are few and far between, command high prices at auction, fetching anything up to $3,750 (£2.8k).

Reproductions of this Japanese wind-up tin robot abound, but the original 1949 specimens are scarce and valuable – a real-deal postwar Atomic Robot Man with its box realised just under $1,000 (£737) in an eBay auction in October 2017.

Staying with Japanese toys, this tin racing car by Yonezawa, Japan's leading postwar toy maker, is a favourite among collectors. A #8 version from 1950 is worth up to $2,000 (£1.5k) in good condition.

Guitar collectors will part with ridiculous sums of money to get hold of the most desirable vintage instruments. This stunning 1951 Fender Broadcaster went for $16,650 (£12.3k) on eBay in December 2017.

Topps Mickey Mantle #331 is hands-down the holy grail of baseball trading cards. In November 2016, a mint condition example from 1952 realised an astronomical $1.13 million (£834k) at a Heritage Auction sale in Dallas. Yes, you did read that correctly.

Moneyed sci-fi geeks were falling over themselves to bid for this 1953 toy ray gun when it came up for auction on eBay last November. In the end, the ray gun went for just over $1,700 (£1.3k), a snip at the price.

An absolute must for any serious Levi's collector, the typical mint condition pair of first edition 501s from 1954 is worth upwards of $2,000 (£1.5k). The iconic jeans feature the big 'E' on the red Levi's label.

Born in 1955? Bet you wish you got a stash of Superman comics for your first Christmas. Higher grade copies of Action Comics Superman #201 go for around $3,400 (£2.5k), and sometimes more at auction.

Tonka trucks sold like hot cakes during the 1950s. The rarer models are, as you'd expect, the most valuable. They include this tricky to find 1956 aerial ladder fire truck, which sold for $1,000 (£737) on eBay in December 2017.

Another seriously in-demand trading card, this particularly pristine example of the Topps Basketball Bill Russell #77 card from 1957 realised over $23,000 (£17k) at a PWCC Auctions sale in Oregon last November.

Tin toys manufactured by Western German toymaker Tipp & Co during the late 1950s are held in high esteem by collectors. Last November for instance, this Silver Racer toy sold for $2,400 (£1.8k) at auction.

Barbie debuted in 1959 and the glamorous doll was soon flying off the shelves. While not overly rare, the best originals can fetch up to $28,000 (£20.7k) at auction. As a guide, first-edition Barbies feature holes in the bottom of the feet, which are absent on later models.

In 2017, this Japanese-made Batman & Robin plane, which is modelled on a vintage Douglas DC-8, sold at auction for a cool $7,000 (£5.1k), mainly on account of its rarity – only two are known to be in existence.

Plenty of 1960s kids were gifted Matchbox toys, but very few would have been lucky enough to get the Magirus Deutz Crane. Super-rare, mint condition specimens now sell for up to $13,000 (£9.6k) a pop.

Vintage Strat-O-Matic board games are extremely collectable. A 1962 example went under the hammer for $1,600 (£1.2k) in November, despite missing several pieces. Complete, mint condition versions are even more valuable.

If you grew up in the 1960s, here's hoping you were gifted a first edition copy of Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are. A mint condition example recently fetched $25,000 (£18.4k) at auction.

One of the quirkier items of Beatles memorabilia, this shampoo was a must for fans wanting to copy the Fab Four's famous hairstyles. Now hard to come by, a rare boxed example sold for $3,800 (£2.8k) at a Heritage Auctions sale in November.

Ideal's Comic Heroine action figures are highly collectable. They include this Supergirl action figure from 1965, which is worth around $1,500 (£1.1k). Boxed mint condition specimens are even more valuable.

Another Japanese-made Batman-themed toy, this Yanoman Bat Tank was listed on eBay last October and ended up selling for a not too shabby $7,000 (£5.1k), despite showing signs of rust and minor damage.

Though the Supergirl action figure from 1965 is valuable enough, the Ideal Comic Heroines Wonder Woman figure, which was launched in 1967, commands higher prices at auction, selling for up to $5,200 (£3.8k).

If you were fortunate enough to have been gifted a Schwinn Stingray bike during the Swinging Sixties, let's hope you held onto it. The orange version for instance is worth up to $3,000 (£2.2k) in good condition.

Aurora made some of the most popular model kits of the 1960s, and the company's U.S. Navy Sealab III was coveted by many a child. These days, collectors will shell out $1,000 (£737) for a factory-sealed example.

Merch from Sid & Marty Kroff's Pufnstuf TV show attracts surprisingly high prices at auction. This mint condition doll, which has retained all its bits and pieces, recently sold for a hefty $1,000 (£737k) on eBay.

Remember getting this for your fish tank in the 1970s? Rocking bags of retro appeal, this rare Creature from the Black Lagoon aquarium figure is worth up to $2,000 (£1.5k) boxed and in mint condition.

With their psychedelic maxi dresses and hippy hair, Kenner's Blythe Dolls scream early 1970s. Boxed dolls in good condition are on the rare side. When they come up for auction, they can sell for up to $2,500 (£1.8k).

If you recall receiving this Mego Superman action figure for Christmas 1973, get searching for it now. A pristine boxed example realised just under $1,400 (£1k) in an eBay auction last October.

The rarer Hot Wheels cars are highly sought-after, and collectors will pay through the nose for the most scarce models. These include the Blue Rodger Dodger from 1974. Only seven were made and each one is worth at least $8,000 (£5.9k).

Legendary stunt performer Evel Knievel had his very own range of merch, which included his eponymous Canyon Rig. A mint example of the set, which comes with a pick-up truck, camper pod and more, went for $1,600 (£1.2k) on eBay in 2017.

Another Mego World's Greatest Super-Heroes! action figure you wish you found under the tree and never opened, this rare Riddler from 1976 is worth up to a massive $2,500 (£1.8k) boxed and sealed.

The world's first mass-market video-games console, the Atari 2600 was launched in 1977. Though millions were sold, very few factory-sealed models remain, and these days collectors will pay $1,000 (£737) for a sealed, boxed specimen.

One of only 20 examples, this boxed Luke Skywalker action figure from 1978 fetched $25,000 (£18.4k) at a Sotheby's auction in 2015. The figure was part of Japanese designer Nigo's enviable Star Wars collection.

Remember getting one of these cheap throwaway candy dispensers? Pez collectors can't get enough of them and the most desirable examples realise thousands of dollars at auction these days – this 1979 Mickey Mouse version is worth up to $7,000 (£5.1k).

Back to old school Stars Wars merch, which tends of course to be super-valuable, this boxed Kenner Empire Strikes Back Boba Fett's Slave 1 Spaceship recently went under the hammer for no less than $1,500 (£1.1k).

The more obscure vintage Lego sets have appreciated handsomely over the years, and make for savvy investments. This Fire Station from 1981 recently sold at auction for just under $1,000 (£737).

The best-selling computer of all time, the Commodore 64 debuted in 1982 and sold in the millions. Although existing copies are ubiquitous, boxed mint condition models go for up to $1,200 (£884) on eBay and similar auction sites.

A-Team merch sold by the truckload throughout much of the 1980s. The toy version of the van from the TV show regularly realises $200 (£147) at auction these days, and the rarer 1983 version can go for up to $700 (£516k).

One of the most popular TV shows of the 1980s for kids, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe inspired an enormous range of action figures and other toys. This She-Ra action figure set was recently listed on eBay for $4,000 (£2.9k).

He-Man rival show ThunderCats spawned a competing line of merch during the 1980s. The most desirable piece for collectors is the Thunderwings Lion-O action figure. A mint condition example in its box is worth up to $8,000 (£5.9k).

Released in 1986, the American Girl Molly Doll was retired in 2013, and fans of the brand will part with silly sums of money to add one to their collection. Boxed Molly Dolls in mint condition from the 1980s realise up to $5,000 (£3.7k) at auction.

My Little Pony Rapunzel was a mail order-only model, but it isn't super-rare, and there's a chance you may have one somewhere if you collected the dolls back in the day. This particularly pony fetches up to $1,000 (£737) at auction these days.

The first Air Jordan to rock the clear air bubble and Jumpman logo, Nike's third version of the iconic basketball shoe was released in 1988. Collectors will pay a premium to bag a pair in good condition, sometimes shelling out as much as $3,000 (£2.2k).

More than 30 million units of Sega Genesis console, known as the Sega Mega Drive in Europe, were sold during the 1990s, but the original Sega Genesis 1 is rarer and an unused model in its box went for just under $2,100 (£1.5k) on eBay in 2017.

Millions of 1990s kids owned a Nintendo Game Boy and while used models are ten-a-penny, factory-sealed original Game Boys from 1989 or 1990 are worth up to $1,800 (£1.3k) each these days.

You may find this hard to believe, but hardcore Transformers collectors will part with thousands of dollars for a factory-sealed Optimus Prime action figure from 1991. Not long ago, a pristine example sold on eBay for just under $8,000 (£9k).

The ultimate piece for Lucy Locket fans, the Carry N Play Dream Home was released in 1992. These days, the in-demand toy carries a premium, and aficionados of the brand will pay anything up to $570 (£420) for a boxed example.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles merch was everywhere in the 1990s, and much of it isn't worth an awful lot of money today, but the less common action figures achieve sky-high prices at auction, including this rare Scratch figure, which sells for up to $1,100 (£810).

The rarer Super NES games are majorly in demand. This almost impossible to find Flintstones game from 1994 recently sold for $2,000 (£1.5k) at auction, and other obscure titles command even higher prices.

They include the revered Mega Man X. A cult classic, collectors will fall over themselves to snap up a copy, especially if it's in mint condition. In fact, a factory-sealed example sold for $5,100 (£3.8k) on eBay last November.

As rare as hen's teeth, this unique white and red Tamagotchi from 1996 sold for $3,000 (£2.2k) at auction last year. Limited edition Tamagotchis are the most valuable, but even the more common mass-produced virtual pets can sell for a few hundred dollars a piece, as long as they're in good working order.

One of only 500 copies printed by Bloomsbury, a first edition of JK Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone book sold for a staggering $81,250 (£60k) at a Heritage Auctions event in Dallas last September.

Millions of Beanie Baby toys were sold during the 1990s and while most of them are worth very little, the more unusual examples can go for thousands of dollars at auction. This rare Peanut Royal Blue Elephant Beanie Baby is thought to have a value pushing $5,000 (£3.7k).

This out-of-production board game debuted in 1999 to coincide with the release of Stars Wars: The Phantom Menace. Highly sought after, mint condition copies of the game are worth up to $1,000 (£737) today.

Original Pokemon trading cards can be worth jaw-dropping sums of money. This Dark Charizard card from 2000, for instance, has a value approaching $1,000 (£737), and other more obscure cards are even more pricey.