Roman Samborskyi / Shutterstock.com
Most of us won’t ever discover a treasure fairly just like the sweater that when belonged to legendary soccer coach Vince Lombardi, which a Knoxville, Tennessee couple purchased at Goodwill for 58 cents and resold for $43,000.
However cheer up. There’s nonetheless some huge cash to be constituted of the common-or-garden objects that encompass us each day – even from belongings you would possibly name junk.
After three many years of thrift buying, dumpster diving, and reselling, I’ve discovered and offered some true oddities. Listed below are some shocking issues you may sell for more money.
1. Dentures
Sotnikov Misha / Shutterstock.com
Sure, you learn it proper. At a flea market in 2019, my brother purchased a set of used false enamel for $1. He instantly offered it on eBay for $75.
Consumers for this merchandise fall into two classes: curiosity collectors and individuals who simply cannot or do not need to pay $900 to $1,200 for a brand new set of choppers.
2. Outdated avenue maps
Jacob Lund / Shutterstock.com
Street maps are widespread with artisans and collectors of oil and fuel memorabilia. Older playing cards with daring graphics sell significantly properly, as do playing cards from defunct firms like Conoco and Skelly.
3. Ugly Christmas sweaters
evrymmnt / Shutterstock.com
Mark your calendars: Each November, on-line gross sales of ugly Christmas sweaters begin to surge.
Capitalizing on Individuals’ penchant for foolish garments, firms like Tipsy Elves make new sweaters which are deliberately ugly. However don’t be concerned, used ugly sweaters additionally sell nice and thrift shops are filled with them.
On this class, stickier is best. Christmas-themed sweaters adorned with sequins, ornaments, ruffles and garlands are offered at high costs. Every vacation season, I sell 10 to fifteen ugly sweaters on eBay for about $30 every.
4. Sea Glass
BlueOrange Studio / Shutterstock.com
In case you stay on a coast, hit the seaside. Surf-tumbled sea glass is a scorching commodity amongst jewellery makers and artisans.
Purple, orange and amber sea glass are significantly widespread. I noticed 11 items of pink and orange sea glass offered on eBay for $170.
5. License plates
Leene / Shutterstock.com
That pile of outdated steel license plates in your storage is price cash. One summer season, in a cleansing frenzy, I liquidated 25 plates for $30 on Craigslist.
Consumers use license plates to brighten man caves, create artworks, and construct cool birdhouses.
Though there’s a marketplace for all steel plates, critical collectors pays a premium for items which are older, in good situation, and from non-contiguous US states (Alaska and Hawaii).
6. Vintage glasses
Diego Cervo / Shutterstock.com
Your great-grandmother’s wire-rimmed glasses are in all probability gold crammed, which is price between $20 and $40. Search for the abbreviation “GF” (Gold-filled) preceded by a karat ranking.
Gold or not, basic cat-eye glasses from the Nineteen Fifties additionally sell properly. Retro fashionistas pay $30 to $50 for elaborate ones.
7. Classic resort keychain
From Dragon Photographs / Shutterstock.com
Readers of a sure age will keep in mind the diamond-shaped plastic resort key fobs (additionally referred to as keychains or keychains) from the Nineteen Sixties and 70s. At this time they’re a kitschy collector’s merchandise.
Although collectors will high the invoice for keychains from well-known locations like The Dunes in Las Vegas, do not low cost the roadside dives. Anticipate every keychain to sell for $5 to $15 on eBay or Etsy.
8. Driftwood
Shen Stone / Shutterstock.com
Giant items of driftwood are utilized in landscaping, furnishings making, terrarium design, and taxidermy tasks. Simple shapes fetch $10 to $15, whereas bigger, extra fascinating shapes can fetch $30 and up.
A phrase of warning: earlier than amassing driftwood on public land, test with native officers. Many areas prohibit the elimination of pure supplies.
9. Historical Keys
file404 / Shutterstock.com
Principally product of iron or brass, vintage keys are in vogue. Designers use these rustic gems to create jewellery, artisans flip them into wind chimes, and collectors body and show them.
Final summer season I offered a number of vintage keys at a flea marketplace for $3 every. On-line consumers pay $10 to $15 for a single, distinctive key.
10. Giant pine cones
Serenko Natalia / Shutterstock.com
Correction, mother and pa: cash grows on timber.
I’ve 5 massive pine timber in my backyard and sometimes I gather and sell the most important pinecones which have fallen.
Decorators use pine cones as textural accent items. Vacation fans use them to make wreaths and embellish tables. I’ve seen jumbo cones (9 inches or bigger) promoting for near $9 every on Etsy.
11. Discontinued Merchandise
Castleski / Shutterstock.com
When my outdated favourite moisturizer, Advanced 15, was discontinued, I turned to eBay in a determined try and hoard each final drop of the stuff. To my dismay, tubes of my as soon as $8.99 moisturizer have been promoting for practically $100 every!
The lesson? Some merchandise have a fiercely devoted following. Earlier than throwing something away, test costs on-line.
12. Outdated espresso cups
Simona Pillolla 2 / Shutterstock.com
Do you’ve got a cabinet filled with espresso mugs? Verify the values earlier than decluttering.
Sure Fireplace-King mugs are extremely wanted by collectors. Specifically, search for items constituted of frosted glass (a kind of opaque white glass) depicting characters from the Peanuts comedian. Relying on their rarity and situation, a few of these mugs fetch a whole bunch of {dollars} on eBay and Etsy.
Fireplace-King additionally made mugs out of jadeite, an opaque inexperienced glass. Of specific value are heavier jadeite items from Fireplace-King’s line of restaurant ware. A single jadeite cup can sell for $35 to $40.
13. Trendy paper cash
Dean Drobot / Shutterstock.com
Sure, your cash is price cash. Trendy payments with fancy serial numbers can sell for greater than face value.
Verify your pockets for payments with:
- Strong serial numbers: all digits are the identical (44444444)
- Repeater serial numbers: Digits within the first half of the quantity repeat within the second half (40014001)
- Conductor Serial Numbers: Every digit is one quantity higher or decrease than the final (23456789)
- Serial numbers which are very low (00000110) or very high (99999979).
14. Outdated Annuals
Duplass/Shutterstock.com
Yearbooks attraction to a few audiences:
- Collectors of well-known memorabilia search outdated yearbooks for well-known names and signatures.
- Graduates from a specific college purchase yearbooks to attach with their historical past.
- Artists of all types use yearbooks to search out outdated pictures and commercials.
The values differ relying on the 12 months and faculty. I as soon as offered a group of 4 not so spectacular yearbooks for $18, and I noticed a 1953 high college yearbook that includes Sandy Koufax’s commencement photograph sell for $230 on eBay.
15. Rotary Telephones
evkaz / Shutterstock.com
Although your grandkids in all probability do not know methods to use it, that rotary cellphone stashed within the attic is cash’s price.
Collectors pay a premium for working telephones in vivid colours like orange, pink, mint inexperienced, and blue. I as soon as noticed a darkish blue rotary desk cellphone sell for $180 on eBay.
16. Outdated pictures and postcards
Maria Dryfhout / Shutterstock.com
Is there a shoe field filled with outdated snapshots and postcards hidden below your mattress? It is likely to be price a couple of bucks.
Classic pictures are used as residence decor accent items and integrated into artworks. Postcard collectors (sure, that is a factor) pay a premium for vintage playing cards that includes iconic moments in historical past, well-known ocean liners, or Halloween-themed pictures. I noticed a 1911 Halloween postcard sell on eBay for $189.
17. Typewriter keys
WichitS / Shutterstock.com
Able to throw away that outdated Smith Corona? First save the keys! Vintage handbook typewriter keys are reused by jewellery makers, mosaic artists, and scrapbookers.
Just a few years in the past I eliminated 55 keys from two badly broken 1940’s typewriters. I offered the lot on Etsy for $35.
Disclosure: The knowledge you learn right here is at all times goal. Nonetheless, we generally obtain compensation while you click on hyperlinks in our tales.