Children from the 1980s are now in or approaching their 30s and 40s, which means a lot of nostalgia for books from their younger years.
If you have those books--particularly first edition copies--you may be sitting on collectibles worth hundreds of dollars.
Below are the top 3 money-making first edition books published in the 1980s.
1.
"Jumanji" first edition, published in 1986.
This is one of the two books by Chris Van Allsburg which made it to the top of the list of 1980s most valuable books.
"Jumanji" is actually harder to find in any first edition fine condition.
This story was made into a motion picture with Robin Williams in 1997 that captured even more interest for kids of all ages.
With an erupting volcano, a live lion, and 12 destructive monkeys, the kids in the story are lost in a world of fantasy.
The reason this story captured so many imaginations in the 1980s was the result of a social phenomenon in the U.
S.
--kids were suddenly home alone for extended amounts of time as both parents went to work.
This first edition often fetches $200+ in good condition.
2.
"Polar Express," also by Chris Van Allsburg, is another first edition book that is worth $150 to $200 in excellent condition.
This book and film gained even more praise and attention than Jumanji.
However, because its first run was printed nearly 5x more than that of Jumanji, it is generally only valuable if it is really in perfect condition.
"Polar Express" is a magical tale of a young boy whisked away by Santa Claus on an adventure to the North Pole.
Tom Hanks' vocal performance in the film made it a cultural icon of the early 21st century.
As such, the book's value continues to increase.
3.
First edition copies of the first "Where's Waldo?" book by Martin Handford continue to rise in value, because they are extremely hard to find.
They are regularly found in book stores at $100+ for excellent condition copies.
Later books in the series are much more common, and thus less valuable--however, they occasionally sell for $20 to $30 in good condition.
The Where's Waldo? story is one that works for all ages in all parts of the world.
Without words and featuring scenes from every country and culture, the distinctively dressed Waldo continues to bring happiness to all as he takes his world-wide hike.
Go look through your collection today to see if you have these books.
Not only will the stories make you smile, but they may earn you a few extra bucks to help ease your financial pain during this financial crisis.