These Once Common Everyday Objects Could Be Worth A Small Fortune Today

Everyone has a pile of old stuff that used to be a commonly used item that’s just collecting dust in a drawer somewhere. Whether it’s an old piece of technology, games you no longer play, or any other bits and bobs, chances are you’re keeping it around in you’ll need it one day “just in case.” Usually, this day never comes, and you end up just accumulating things over the years. However, some of these items may have gotten valuable over time, so it’s worth checking to see if you have any of these things lying around that could be worth a good chunk of change. Start looking now!

Game Boy

The Game Boy was first released in 1989 and became an instant hit with kids all around the world. Every child at the time knew what it was like to beg their parents for one. Now you can’t purchase these in stores, but they can be found online. Game Boys sell for anywhere between $750 to $2000. A completely unopened Game Boy sold for $4000 on eBay.

Antique Cookie Jar

These antique cookie jars are worth some serious dough if you know what to look for. On Antiques Roadshow on PBS, evaluator Reyne Hirsch shared that a vintage cookie jar in the shape of a famous cartoon character can be worth up to thousands. A Little Audrey jar was sold for $3400 on eBay in August 2019.

Vintage Perfume Bottles

Perfume bottles that were made in the 1900s were quite elegant and ornate. These vintage bottles are worth quite a lot these days, with some selling for $8500. Eric Silver, an evaluator on Antiques Roadshow shared that these also sell very well at in-person auctions.

VHS Tapes

When was the last time you touched a VHS tape? It’s probably been at least a few years if not decades. Of course, now we all rely on streaming platforms, so any VHS tapes left in your house have been untouched for years. Some of these are actually quite valuable, with some Micky Mouse & Donald Duck VHS tapes selling on eBay for $1499.

Vintage Band T-Shirts

Vintage T-shirts are having quite a moment now, and vintage band T-shirts are especially valuable. For example, this Nirvana In Utero T-shirt was made for crew members on the tour recently sold for $7000. A Beatles T-shirt from the Yesterday and Today album, which was banned, was listed for a staggering $20,000!

Kugel Christmas Ornaments

Christmas ornaments are a seriously valuable item to have on hand according to Eric Silver. Some antique sleds can sell for $100, glass blown ornaments can be worth thousands. Kugel ornaments are the most valuable. The German ornaments date back to the 1840s through the 1940s sell for even up to $18,000.

Vintage Lunch Boxes

Lunch box collected Thad Reece shared that vintage lunchboxes can be worth up to ten thousands their original value. The most valuable include the 1963 The Jetsons lunch box that cost $1650, a 1962 Dudley-Do Right lunchbox that cost $2200, and a 1953 Superman one that went for $13,000.

Pokémon Cards

In the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Pokémon Cards were an absolute craze. Of course trading the cards was the main objective, but collecting them was the smart move, since so many of them are worth thousands nowadays. In 2019, a first edition Charizard 1999 sold for $13,000. A PSA Mint card from the Tropical Wind Trophy in 2001 sold for a massive $500,000.

Vintage Advertising Signs

Before TV and Internet ads were around, physical signs were the only way for advertisers to market their products. These vintage signs are now the valuable items themselves, like a Coca-Cola sign that sold on eBay for $5700 in 2019.

Apple iPod 1st Generation

A lot of us have cycled through many iPod generations over the years, tossing aside the old once we purchased the new. If you had a 1st generation iPod and have held on to it until now, you could be in luck. In 2019, an old iPod sold for $2200 on eBay. A first generation iPod that still works and in good condition could sell for $16,000.

Old CDs

In the 1990’s, CDs were the latest and greatest in the world of music technology. Now, about 30 years later, they’ve become a vintage collector’s item, with some CDs being worth thousands of dollars. A 1993 signature series by Michael Jackson or a 1998 EP by Coldplay are worth about $1500 each.

Boy Scout Badges

Boy Scouts worked hard in order to earn badges, and for those who held on to them all these years, they could pay off. According to Collectors Weekly, some Boy Scout badges have sold for $1170. The older badges are always worth more. Certain badges from the 1930s and 40s have been listed on eBay for $4500 per badge.

Old Coins

Coin collecting has been the face of collector’s items for years, and with good reason. You can earn a serious chunk of change from these coins. Former Rare Collectibles dealer Jeff Bidelman from Pennsylvania found a 200 year old stash of coins that were worth $200,000. Not bad for some spare change!

Weathervanes

Of course, we doubt that you’ve used a weathervane recently, so it’s safe to say that these have gone out of fashion. However, they used to be pretty commonly used, especially on top of barns. Nowadays, 19th century weathervanes go for up to $7000 on eBay. In 2006, a Native American weathervane was sold at a Sotheby’s auction for a staggering $5.84 million.

Polly Pocket Toys

Polly Pocket toys were all the rage in the 1990’s, and the older sets have become way more valuable than their original price. Some have even been listed on eBay for $1900. The accessories are also valuable, like a Polly Pocket pencil case that was sold for $810 on eBay.

Costume Jewelry

Costume jewelry is often tossed away without a second thought, but some antique pieces of costume jewelry can be quite valuable. Italian designer Elsa Schiaparelli designed pieces that are now worth $2000 or more at auctions and $5000 online on eBay.

Tiffany Lamps

Tiffany Lamps were the most popular light fixtures for a long while. While you might think of old school eateries while looking at them, they can be quite valuable. Some lamps range in value between $4000 and even up to $1 million! If you do have a Tiffany Lamp on hand, definitely get yourself to an appraiser.

China Sets

A lot of people associate china sets with their grandmothers, but the fact of the matter is a lot of these sets can be very valuable. If you’ve got some stashed in boxes somewhere in the house, it’s time to see if they’re worth anything, as some china sets have been sold off on eBay for $5000.

Cuckoo Clocks

Cuckoo clocks used to be all the rage when it came to clocks in the home. They were first introduced to the world in Germany in the 1730s and remained popular for years. Now the resale market for these clocks is impressive. In 2019, some cuckoo clocks were priced at $2000 on eBay.

Old Stamps

Another classic collector’s item is the stamp, with stamp collection being one of the most popular and even lucrative. One stamp collection was sold on eBay for a staggering $90,000 in August 2019. Next time, we won’t be judging anyone for collecting these little things.

Rocking Chair

In the 1700s, rocking chairs were very popular to have in the home, and were often used to help lull babies to sleep. However, you’ll be jolted awake when you hear that some old rocking chairs from the 1950’s through 1970’s can be valued at about $5000.

Boom Boxes

The 1980’s ushered in the era of boom boxes, as they were one of the first pieces of technology that made music portable. Of course, now there are many more ways to bring your music all around, now boom boxes are more of a novelty item. On eBay, a Sharp GF-999 Stereo Boombox was sold for $3000, and a 1988 Lasonic TRC-975 Ghetto Blaster Boombox went for $8250.

Trunks

Trunks were once very commonplace, but many of us associate these kinds of trunks with pirate films, with the trunks being full of treasure. The treasure itself is actually the trunk, as according to Eric Silver, a French fashion house trunk can fetch several thousands of dollars. Other trunks that date back to the 1870s can fetch up to $700.

Typewriters

Of course, nearly all of us use computers for all of our typing needs, but typewriters have come back as a novelty item and become popular once again. Of course, they’re very popular with antique dealers. According to Branford House Antiques, a Hooven Automatic Typewriter went for $7500, while a Malling-Hansen Writing Ball, which is considered to be the best, is worth up to $100,000.

Signed Yearbooks

High school yearbooks are a great way to look back and remember old times. If you happened to go to high school with a celebrity and have access to a yearbook with their photo, that yearbook will be quite valuable. A yearbook with a photo of James Dean was sold for more than $10,500. If the yearbook is signed by the famous person, it’ll be worth even more.

Vintage Comics

Vintage comic books are another classic collector’s item, and with good reason. Any parent who was upset about their child spending a lot of time collecting these can relax because some vintage comic books are worth tons. An original The Incredible Hulk comic book went for $320,000 at a 2014 auction.

Original Star Wars Toys

The first Star Wars film was released in 1977, launching an empire of sequels and merchandise. A lot of action figures and toys were made in anticipation of the film’s release, and these original toys are now quite valuable. An original Luke Skywalker is worth up to $25,000, and a Falcon Millennium toy is up to $3000.

American Girl Dolls

American Girl Dolls were a staple of childhood for anyone growing up in the 1980’s and 90’s. These dolls are now worth quite a large amount of money, with a Samantha dolls being sold for $4200 on eBay. A lot of the other dolls are also worth a lot, even if they are not in their original packaging.

Video Games

Of course, video game consoles are ever evolving, but the older ones have now transitioned into being collector’s items, and some older consoles like PlayStation and Nintendos can be worth quite a lot. Game cartridges are also worth hundreds, and some of them are even worth up to thousands of dollars.

Cell Phones

It’s pretty crazy to think just how much cell phones have changed over time. Remember when cell phones didn’t have access to the internet at all? Now, these older “brick” cell phones could be worth quite a lot. For example, a DynaTAC 8000X from 1983 was sold for $550 on eBay in 2014. With that money, you could get yourself a brand new smartphone.

Antique Guitars

Vintage guitars get more valuable the older they are. If you find yourself with a with one of these older guitar models, you might have a fortune waiting for you. A 1953 Fender Telecaster is worth up to $10,000, while a Gibson ES-175 was sold for $5500 on eBay.

Happy Meal Toys

Many times, kids would drive their parents crazy to take them to McDonald’s for a Happy Meal, and a big reason for this was the toy that came with the meal. A lot of older Happy Meal toys are now worth hundreds of dollars despite being part of a pretty inexpensive kids’ meal back in the day.

Flip Clock Radios

Flip clock radios used to be a part of everyone’s home, but of course, cell phones have replaced this item as well. If you somehow still have one of these in the house, it could be worth a few hundred dollars. A Panasonic flip clock radio was sold for $300 on eBay.

White Furby

The Furby talking doll were once immensely popular during the 1990’s. While a lot of people thought they were incredibly creepy, now these can be quite valuable. The white Furby is especially valuable, with some being worth up to $800.

Vintage Soda Crates

Soda used to be delivered in these wooden crates, which have become very popular in the vintage world. The ones with brand names stamped on the side are worth several hundred dollars, which is pretty nice considering they’re just wooden crates. The Coca-Cola crates from 1948 sold for $199 on eBay.

Vintage Handbags

Designer handbags can be very expensive new, but vintage ones can be worth even more. For example, a vintage Chanel bag that’s been kept in good condition can be worth $3000. Those that are more used and worn in can still go for several hundred dollars, however.

Polaroid Cameras

A lot of younger people may not recognize what this is, or only know it from the original Instagram icon. However, not that long ago, these cameras were immensely popular. The older cameras are very valuable, like the 1960 Polaroid 120 that has sold for $430.

Beer Cans

You might be kicking yourself for throwing out your old beer cans because shockingly, a lot of them are worth quite a lot now. Jeff Lebo, a beer can collector, has a collection of nearly 87,000 cans that have a value of $1.6 million. American beer brands’ cans from 1935 and 1941 are the most valuable.

Vintage Postcards

Before cell phones were so common, sending post cards was a very popular way to communicate. A lot of vintage post cards are very valuable, especially Christmas ones. Single post cards go for between $10 to $50, but signed postcards can go for way more. A Christmas card that was signed by both King Charles and Princess Diana sold for $4400 at an auction.

Cereal Boxes

Old cereal boxes might have been tossed aside when the cereal was gone, but those who held on to them were on to something. Unopened boxes that have been kept in good condition sell for up to $1000. A Nabisco Shredded Wheat box from 1960 is worth $1000, and funnily enough, a Kellogg’s Sugar Pops box from 2009 is worth $1600.