Your Old Stuff is Worth Ca$h!
May 23, 2017
Worth can be relative. But items that don’t seem worth much to you can be worth a lot to someone else! (One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, right?) So, you know that childhood paraphernalia in your basement that appears worthless? Well, look again! Those old knick-knacks and vintage toys might have more than sentimental value!
Here’s a look at a few items that look like trash but under all that dust, are really hidden treasure.
Old Cereal Boxes
We tend to throw out stale, expired food and the container it’s packaged in. But would you believe old cereal boxes are valuable – some with a capital “V”? Take for example, a Wheaties NFL Champions box that lists on eBay for $10,000. Surprised? Even a 1962 box of Post Toasties is worth almost $2,000. We don’t suppose you have one of those laying around – but a quick look around that digital marketplace shows scads of other vintage food containers have hefty price tags, too!
First Edition Books
At the top of the pile is The Hobbit, the book that launched an entire fantasy fiction genre. There were 1,500 first edition copies published in the UK and they’re now worth about $65,000! And it’s not just 80-year-old books that are worth a fortune – newer books also sell well. The first edition of a Harry Potter book by Joanne Rowling (before J.K. became her moniker) recently sold for $37,000 – and it wasn’t even signed!
Comic Books
Most vintage comic books like Batman, Superman and Little Lulu seem to be worth only $5 to $250, but there are a few exceptions, like the 1945 Terry Toons editions, which are selling on eBay for more than $2,000. And there are several others that could reap an even bigger harvest for an owner in that digital marketplace!
The Original Game Boy
Lots of people have an old Game Boy, but few have the original 1992 version of the device, especially the one bundled with Tetris (a puzzle video game bundled into the original Game Boys). Lightly-used models go for a few hundred bucks, but mint-condition Game Boys will fetch upwards of $1,500! Mental Floss lists another 22 toys that are worth more now than they were in the 70s. Way more!
VHS Tapes
Did you throw out all your VHS tapes, like most people we know? You were right to toss them in most cases, but cult classics and first editions of Star Wars, King Kong and Beauty and the Beast could net a whopping $2,000 to $20,000 on eBay!
Upside Down Mason Jar
Upside down Ball mason jars were made between 1900 and 1910 and doubled as a coffee grinder dispenser. The short production window makes the value of these jars about $1,000. And the rare violet Columbia mason jars fetch around $400. By mistake, manganese was added to the jars and created the purple tint, but manufacturers found the color was so popular, they began selling them in 1905.
Weather Vane
If you have or can find an authentic 19th century weather vane, cut from a single piece of iron and rusted in all the right places, it could fetch between $5,000 and $7,000.
Yo-Yo Quilt
Homemade quilts are one of the most sought-after items by antique appraisers. In the 19th century, quilt-making was a common hobby and quilts from this period can be valued around $5,000. You’d have to take your quilt to an expert to be sure, but a yo-yo quilt, made from hundreds of cotton circles of fabric sewn together into a coverlet. Antiques Roadshow’s Marsha Bemko told Town and Country Magazine it was a popular style in the 1930s when the Yo-Yo toy was popular.
Southshore: Worth Every Penny!
Access to a boatload of recreational options near the lakeside community of Southshore adds inestimable value to the new homes here! Tour the brand new models from Richmond American Homes and Century Communities! The beautiful new ranch and two-story homes in this master-planned community are priced from the upper $300s to the $700s.