Collectors from all over the country pay top dollar for rare toys, so the toy association roadmen like McCurley go from Buffalo to Chicago and beyond to find the toys. Not every toy is hot for collectors, and McCurley said the prices reflect the fluctuations of the market, as toys become either hot commodities or a dime a dozen. Beanie Babies are not in demand, McCurley said. A toy's age is not the only factor, either. Newer toys from the 1970s in the original packaging might be worth more than something 50 years old.
Pop culture is big, too.
The golden egg is a mechanical bank of an old lady who lives in a shoe. Like I said, collectors want it, and they'll pay. But if we don't see it and see what it will bring, the person who has it might never know.