Household Items That Are Now Classed as Antiques and Sell for Big Money



Household Items That Are Now Classed as Antiques and Sell for Big Money

Fans of Antiques Roadshow will know that ordinary items you have laying around your house could make you very rich one day and that one man’s trash could be another man’s treasure. Sometimes a simple baseball card or an old sign can be worth thousands of dollars, and in some cases, even millions. Attics, basements, and yard sales can have some hidden treasures just waiting to be snatched up. Keep scrolling to see what some of the most expensive antiques are, and to see if you have some of these hiding in your very own home. You never know, you might just be sitting on something worth thousands of dollars.

Old Baseball Cards


Baseball cards are real collector items, and for those who like to have complete sets from each year, then some of these are pretty prized. Mickey Mantle was one of the best players the New York Yankees has ever had.

He played a variety of positions, mainly the first baseman and center fielder. In 1952, a baseball card of him was released and is now extremely rare to find amongst collectors. Each card is worth close to $3 million, and if you have one, it can be worth something no matter the condition.


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The First Barbie


Barbies, which were first released by Mattel in 1959, were an immediate success. Little girls were clamoring to have one of these dolls as a part of their toy collections. Barbie creator Ruth Handler wanted to create a doll that appealed to the masses and wasn’t large like a porcelain doll.

Barbie herself was actually the nickname for Ruth’s daughter Barbara. It is hard to find a Barbie still in the box, but if you manage to find one of either the blond or brunette, Barbie first released, they can be sold for about $10,000 at auction. Some people try to collect every Barbie released.
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Polly Pocket


This pocket-sized toy could fit in a child’s pocket or backpack, and be taken out for hours of fun. The little Polly dolls could be moved around in fantastical worlds, which kept children busy. They first became popular in the 1990s and were made by Bluebird Toys.

Eventually, the company was bought by Mattel, who then began to mass-produce the popular toy. The original Polly Pockets are the real collector’s item. Each one is worth just under $500, and they don’t need to be in their original packaging to be bought by collectors. A gently used toy can be worth some serious money.


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The Lego Death Star II


Even when these awesome lego sets were released they were sought after, but today if you have a complete set it can earn you thousands. The Lego Death Star II was released in 2005 as part of the ultimate collector’s edition.

With a new generation of star wars fans to captivate, Lego initially predicted record sales. However, despite many kids demanding these toys for Christmas, the sales were not as predicted and the line was discontinued. This is why these sets are so rare and sought after, and collectors seek them out so that they complete their collections.
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Old Cellphones


At some point in time, we all have a few old cellphones piling up around the house. While most of us don’t think too much about our old phones, collectors interested in old pieces of technology are slowing looking for more and more of the older phones to add to their collections.

So the next time you find an old phone in a draw, you may want to check online to see if anyone is interested in buying it. You know what they say, one man’s man’s trash is another man’s treasure!
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Gremlins Lunchbox


If you had a gremlins lunchbox when you are a kid you may want to look out for it. Today collectors are willing to buy these old lunchboxes for big bucks. The lunchboxes sell for even more if you also have the matching thermos.

It’s not just Gremlins boxes, but also the He-Man, GI Joe, and Carebears sets that are big sellers. YOu never know, your childhood lunchbox could end up earning you a nice junk of change if you can sell it online.
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My Little Pony


These toys were a big hit with little girls in the ’80s and today they are very popular amongst collectors. If you still have a pony stashed away it can earn you a fair bit of money. However, the rarest of all the pony’s is Mimic the Twinkle Eye Unicorn.

Mimics small production line meant that today these cute little ponies with gemstone eyes are the hardest to find and any collector looking to have a complete collection will pay thousands for one.
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A Tiffany Lamp


Tiffany lamps are beautiful. They have stained glass inserts in jewel tones, and have the ability to light up any room. Many people like to have these lamps grace their studies or living rooms. They are the kind of antiques that catch the eye and make people wonder just how much was spent on each of them.

As they are such collectors’ items, they are by no means cheap. An original lamp handcrafted by Louis Comfort Tiffany is worth upwards of $1 million. In some cases, they can even be worth around $3 million for rare patterns.
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First Editions


Books are one of those items that can be read over and over again. First editions are something very special, though. They are the original releases of some of the most beloved titles in the world, like Wuthering Heights or A Tale Of Two Cities.

These first editions are what book collectors want to have on the shelves of their libraries. Due to this, they are often worth a lot of money. Some first editions can sell for around $500,000, or around $50,000 for some less well-known titles. The trick is to find these novels in small bookstores around the world to avoid these hefty price tags.
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Christmas Decorations


It seems like anything old can be a collector’s item. Christmas ornaments are no different. Glass ornaments are commonplace now, but in the 1500s, they were not. Only one factory in Germany made these delicate ornaments back in 1550.

Since those first glass ornaments, lots of other factories began to produce them, and now families that celebrate Christmas have a few of these on their trees. These earlier ornaments are worth the most, and Christmas aficionados are sometimes willing to pay about $18,000 for them.
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VHS


Before the creation of the Blu-Ray and DVD, there were VHS tapes. These tapes could be fast-forwarded and rewound but not the way we do it now.

The spools of the film would always need to be rewound when you were finished watching the video; otherwise you could not start it again. Some VHS tapes are items that VHS collectors want, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is one of those tapes that can be bought for more than $5,000.
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Piggy Banks


Children around the world have been using piggy banks as a way to save coins that they collect from their chores and the tooth fairy. Some of these piggy banks are so unique, or from specific parts of the world that have made them special items that people like to collect.

Piggy banks that are porcelain and hand-painted tend to be worth the most. If you find one, check to see if an artist’s mark is on the bottom, and the date. They can be worth about $2,500 if they are unique enough.
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Antique Silverware


Silverware, in general, is considered to be something expensive that most people will spend money on. A lot of silverware is considered to be a family heirloom and will be passed down from generation to generation.

This can make some of it quite rare, and if a family should decide to sell theirs, it can sometimes fetch a couple of thousand dollars for a complete set. The longer silverware is kept in a family, the more antique it becomes.
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Easter Eggs


Easter is one of those holidays that is known for chocolate eggs and hand-painted ones. During the Victorian era, milk glass eggs were sold in bulk to many families.

These white eggs could then be painted by family members and held on to as keepsakes for years to come. If a set from one family can be found, then it can be sold for about $800. People like to remember that era, and having a set of these allows them to.
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Mailboxes


Cast iron is not something usually associated with mailboxes, and typically it is associated with frying pans. It is a very heavy metal, but it is also extremely durable. Cast iron mailboxes became popular in the 1910s, and have since been largely discontinued in favor of lighter materials.

Some antiquers like to buy these heavy mailboxes to place in their homes, as they are far too heavy to hang outside now. They can be bought for just under $400.
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A Stetson Hat


When you think of a Stetson hat, you tend to think of a big cowboy hat. Stetson has produced a variety of hat styles for many years. A lot of older folks still have hat boxes that contain some of these specialty hats.

If you go through a grandparent’s closet, and you find a Stetson hat box, open it up. The hat inside is worth around $200. Some people like to don these hats and pretend like they are Don Draper from Mad Men.
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Record Players


Record players have never gone out of style. Many bands continue to release their EPs in record form, as well as on online streaming platforms. Record players themselves can be bought new, but the older ones are said to have the best sound.

Vintage players can be found at garage sales, and those that are in working order can be resold for about $130. If you can find one for $20, then this is pretty good resale value.
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The Original Mac


Apple computers and products are always on the pricier side of things, but the very first Apple desktop computer is a real collector’s item.

Steve Jobs, along with his partner at the time, Steve Wozniak, brought the first Apple computer to the market. They may not have been the best computers on the market at the time, but now that Apple has found the fame and fortune Jobs always wanted for it, these computers are worth almost a million dollars.
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Star Wars Action Figures


The Star Wars franchise continues, and so do the action figures and dolls that are produced for each character. When A New Hope and the other films came out for the first trilogy, many action figurines of the main characters were released.

These are now worth a ton to longtime fans of the franchise. Luke Skywalker and Jabba the Hut can be auctioned off for as much as $30,000 apiece. They don’t even need to be in their boxes.
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Louis Vuitton Luggage


Back in the day when ships were used as transport around the world for people going on long holidays, steamer trunks were what were used as luggage. French designer Louis Vuitton was one of the big names in luggage design during this time and is still to this day.

His suitcases and steamer trunks with the LV symbol were widely recognized. When these pieces come up for auction, they regularly sell for around $15,000.
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David Bowie Records


David Bowie was definitely one of the great voices of this century. His songs like Life on Mars, and specifically the album “Diamond Dogs” made him a household name.

The reason that “Diamond Dogs” became so popular, besides the music that is, was the painting on the front of the album. It showed Bowie as a hybrid human-dog. The record label decided that the picture was too strange, and decided not to release it. A few did get sold, though, and those can now be bought for under $4,000.
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Dollhouses


Children have always enjoyed playing with dollhouses. Old dollhouses were not meant for kids, though. They were meant to be used as decorative pieces that showed a house in minute detail.

These houses took months to craft, and the wallpaper would be sourced from France, and the other small accessories had to be made to exacting standards. As so much effort was put into each one, they are now worth a couple of thousand dollars.
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Special Edition Video Games


Growing up, some people liked to collect gaming consoles, and all of the video games that came out for them. This means that they are now veritable treasure troves.

The consoles themselves are worth something, but the games are also worth a lot. Super Nintendo games are always worth around $200 or more. Games from older systems like Atari can be worth thousands, though. Especially if they can still be played with the right console.
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Typewriters


Now that everyone has a laptop to type on, writing reports is easier than ever. Some of the greatest novelists of the time, though, used a typewriter.

Writing on a typewriter is not easy; you have to spell each word carefully. If you don’t, you have to go back and white out the word and then type over the typo. Sometimes an entire page would need to be retyped, which was a rather time-consuming process. Now, typewriters are vintage items that can be bought for about $500.
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Singer Sewing Machines


Singer portable sewing machines still exist today. The sewing company continues to produce portable machines, but the ones from the 1920s were unlike anything people had seen before.

They were black and featured a wooden carrying case. Seamstresses no longer needed to work in a shop but could sew at home, which gave them a new form of autonomy. These antiques are worth about $500 when they make it to auction.
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Old Crates


Coca Cola and 7Up can still be found in glass bottles, but also in plastic ones and can form. In the 1950s, they were only found in glass bottles, and they needed to be transported in wooden crates.

The boxes themselves were hand-painted with the logo of the soda company and could fit about 12 bottles. Soda lovers like to collect these, as they can be used as decorative features in their homes. They’re not cheap at around $200.
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Cereal Boxes


A lot of old cereal boxes may not look like much, but collectors like to frame the front of the boxes and turn them into wall art.

They showcase a simpler time, and for anybody in marketing, it is neat to look back on how marketing has changed through the century. Each vintage cereal box can be worth more than $100. You might just want to keep some of your old boxes and see if they are worth something in fifty years!