Hey, I'm Jason Carter – Founder of RareToyHub
One forgotten Matchbox car from my 1980s childhood. One garage sale in '98. One rabbit hole that eventually became this blog.
How One Forgotten Matchbox Car Sparked RareToyHub
My name is Jason Carter. I grew up in Warren, Michigan in the 1980s, and like most American kids back then I was obsessed with toys. Hot Wheels and Matchbox tracks all over the basement, LEGO space bases taking over the bedroom, G.I. Joe on covert missions, He-Man duking it out with Skeletor on the stairs… you know the drill.
A few years ago I was scrolling eBay late one night and a Matchbox Superfast "Crash Car" – the one with the rotating front that flips when you smash it – popped up. I had that exact car in red as a kid; it was one of my all-time favorites. Pure nostalgia made me check the sold listings and I almost dropped my coffee. A mint one had just gone for over $800.
That single moment changed everything. I suddenly remembered the boxes – dozens, maybe hundreds – of toys I had stashed in the attic of our old house. When my folks sold the place in 1998 and moved to Florida, everything up there either went with the house or hit the curb on trash day. An entire childhood collection worth tens of thousands today – gone forever. It still stings.
Instead of just kicking myself, I went full detective. I started hunting down every toy I ever owned. The numbers were nuts: a 1985 Transformers Jetfire in box? $3,000+. A vintage Talking Dalek? Still big money. Even a humble Weetabix send-away Space 1999 Eagle pulls serious cash. And the real money is almost always right here in the USA – that's why everything is quoted in USD.
I quickly realized thousands of people my age still have their old collections gathering dust in attics, garages, and storage units, totally clueless about what they're sitting on. That's when I launched RareToyHub in 2025 – a straight-shooting resource for 70s, 80s and early 90s toys with real sold prices from eBay USA and the big auction houses.
These days I live out in the quiet outskirts of Boise, Idaho – think pine trees, big sky, and deer wandering through the yard. I run the site from the home office with the wood stove crackling, laptop on my knees, and a fresh pot of coffee always brewing. Between posts I'll strum the guitar for a few minutes or hit the garage gym, then dive right back into auction results from across the States and beyond.
Sometimes it's bittersweet – I'll write about a toy I loved and watch it hammer for $6,000 and feel that familiar punch in the gut. But mostly it's just pure fun cracking open these time capsules and sharing them with people who remember them as vividly as I do.
Welcome to RareToyHub. Grab a coffee, throw on some 80s tunes, and let's go treasure hunting together.
What Makes This Toy Special?
Full dissection: every variant, rare color, accessory, box variation, and hidden feature that turns a $20 toy into a $2,000 grail.
Why Collectors Want It
The exact reasons hardcore collectors will pay insane money – rarity, nostalgia, condition quirks, production errors, everything.
Fun Facts
Bizarre back-stories, banned chemicals, celebrity owners, TV appearances – there's always something completely wild.
Is This the Ultimate…?
How it ranks against the all-time holy grails in its category – and whether it deserves a spot on the podium.
Hunt, Hold or HODL?
My honest no-BS verdict: sell now while it's hot, keep forever for the memories, or wait for the next boom.
Worldwide eBay Listings
Real-time completed & active sales pulled from eBay worldwide (US, UK, Germany, Japan, Australia… everywhere the rare stuff appears).
Toys I Actually Owned as a Kid (and now kick myself over)
Corgi 313 Ford Cortina GXL Launch Edition
Recent sales: $800–$1,200
Mine was blue and very well-loved.
LEGO 6481 Construction Crew (Light & Sound)
Sealed: $1,800–$2,400
The lights still worked when I packed it away… in 1990.
1972 Philips CE-1402 Chemistry Set
Complete: $800–$1,100
Smelled awful, stained everything – now a collector's holy grail.
My Promise to You
Every single price you see is a real completed sale from eBay worldwide or a major auction house. Every fact is triple-checked. Every post is written from my office with the wood stove going, dog snoring nearby, and fresh coffee always within reach. No corporate fluff, no made-up numbers – just one 80s kid sharing the toys we all loved.
New deep-dive every week (sometimes twice when I really lose track of time).
Got an Old Toy Gathering Dust?
Send me a photo – even if it's battered and missing half its parts. I'll tell you exactly what it is, what it's worth today anywhere in the world, and whether you should sell, keep, or frame it.
Show Me Your Treasure!