People often stow away items and forget about them. Many of us have ventured into the attic and looked around at the collectibles gathering dust without realizing that many of those bygone items could be valuable. Maybe our families held onto keepsakes for their sentimental value, or perhaps it was too difficult to part with them. Either way, you might want to spend a few hours going through those dusty boxes—some of those items could be worth thousands of dollars.
“There are some unlikely items in people’s attics that can turn out to be valuable,” says Nicolas Martin, flea market expert and founder of Flea Market Insiders. “The odds of finding something valuable in your attic are much higher than winning the lottery!” So, you might want to take the time to sort through the collectibles in your attic to find some of these forgotten treasures.
How to Know If a Collectible Has Value
You can find out if an item is potentially valuable by doing an online search as your first step. Do some research to learn what would be a fair price for your item, says Martin. “Online valuations via Google, eBay, and the like provide useful feedback on quality and resale potential. But appraisals can also secure insurance and satisfy curiosity,” he says.
Talking to experts and certified antique appraisers will help you verify the value of an item so that you can get the highest price available if you choose to sell it. Martin says that Pyrex cookware has sold for $4,000 for one bowl that had the coveted “Lucky in Love” heart and four-leaf clover design. Unless you know what to look for, you might not realize that certain items could bring in a lot of money. But it’s always a good idea to follow Martin’s advice and research whether an item has any value as a collectible antique or not. What you find might surprise you!
Vintage Perfume Bottles
Perfume bottles are a popular item for collectors. There is a whole organization devoted to antique perfume bottles called the International Perfume Bottle Association. Vintage atomizer perfume bottles and Victorian bottles with elaborate designs can sell for hundreds of dollars. Czechoslovakian fragrance bottles from the Roaring ’20s and the Great Depression are also in high demand.
Original Barbies
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Go to eBay to see how much an original Barbie doll is worth; they can fetch astonishing prices in the low five figures. Barbies in their original boxes tend to get a higher value than those that have been opened or played with. So, if you find your grandma’s 1950s Barbie doll in great condition in your attic, you might be able to sell it for thousands of dollars at an antique auction.
First Edition Books
The first edition of a book is special—and not just for the author. If you find first-edition books of classics or best sellers, you can sell them for thousands of dollars. The rare first edition of Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales has gone for more than $15,000 on AbeBooks. And the first edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (1998) was recently priced at $6,500 on eBay. Books that are in like-new and excellent condition and that have author signatures also have high value for collectors.
Pyrex Cookware
Although it was originally created by Corning Glass Works in 1915 and later rebranded as Pyrex, most people refer to these baking dishes as Pyrex regardless of when it was made. Pyrex used to be the brand of choice for cookware. Now, it is worth a lot of money for those in the antique collectible scene—and it recently saw a major resurgence after it went viral on TikTok. While almost any vintage Pyrex item could appeal to collectors, the most in-demand Pyrex pieces come from the late 1940s to the ’80s. The better the condition of the cookware, the higher the value.
Vintage Comic Books
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Before streaming television, there were comic books. These serial graphic stories told visual tales of superheroes, aliens, high school kids, and detectives. You can check the Comics Price Guide to get started on valuing any comic books that you find in the attic. According to GoCollect’s Most Popular Comic Books List, the Amazing Spider-Man issue #300 has sold at prices ranging anywhere from $250 to $1,000.
Old Technology
Vintage phones, typewriters, and electronics can all fetch high prices in the antique market. At The Old Phone Shop, Western Electric phones sell for hundreds of dollars. Do you have old computers lying around in the attic? Apple’s original Mac computer sells for around $100 to $300 on eBay—but has been known to sell for as much as $900,000. And don’t overlook the technology of the early aughts: A factory-sealed, first-generation iPhone sold at auction for a whopping $63,000.
Old Photographs
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Those black-and-white and sepia photographs that you can find in boxes and old albums in your attic can also be worth a lot of money. People love to collect vintage photographs of former eras because it’s a great way to connect with history. Original photos of famous people or iconic cars are in demand, but photos of unknown people can still fetch a good price.
Silver Flatware
Maybe Ariel from The Little Mermaid was onto something when she held the “dinglehopper”—or, fork—in such high esteem. Your silver spoons, forks, and knives in the attic could be very valuable in the antique marketplace. The Round English by James Robinson Sterling Silver Flatware Set (179 pieces), for example, sells for $32,000 on 1stDibs, an online antique and fine art marketplace. You’ll first want to verify if an item is real silver, and silver flatware that wasn’t mass-produced tends to be more valuable. Certain designers and manufacturers also fetch higher prices.
Costume Jewelry
This might come as a huge surprise, but there is indeed a market for old costume jewelry. One of the most popular antique costume jewelry brands is Bakelite, an early plastic resin that could be easily molded and polished into beautiful bracelets, brooches, and beads. Bakelite jewelry came out in the 1920s but saw a rise in popularity in the 1930s and 1940s. How much are they worth? Well, a vintage Big Butterscotch Egg Yolk Natural Amber Oval Bead Necklace is priced at $1,299 on eBay (other pieces are only selling for $25 to $50). If you find costume jewelry in your attic, research its designer, maker, and dates to find out if it could be worth something.
Musical Instruments
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If you know anyone who’s a musician, then you know how much high-quality musical instruments cost. Guitars and pianos can sell for high amounts of money in the antique marketplace. You’ll want to research the type, make, and model of your instrument to find out its potential value.
