If You Have These Antiques at Home, You Could Be in for Some Cash
Updated: Feb. 10, 2023Before you toss that box of hand-me-downs, donate the trunk of family heirlooms or get rid of your favorite childhood toys in a garage sale, be sure that none of those antiques are ones that could fetch a pretty penny. Here are some that may still have value if you can find a collector who'll pay the price.
Precious Moments Figurines
Those cute little Precious Moments figurines were all the rage 30 to 40 years ago and if you have some in good shape, they may be worth something. One figurine called “God Loveth a Cheerful Giver,” which featured a little girl giving away puppies, sold on eBay for $250.
Old Video Games
If you were a gamer back in the day, check to see if you still have your favorites around as they may be considered antiques. The Atari 2600 game E.T. is considered one of the worst video games in history, according to Mental Floss. It was so bad, hundreds of copies were buried in the New Mexico desert years ago. They were recently dug up and one copy sold for $1,537. Some vintage cartridges of Mario Kart 64 for Nintendo also sell for hundreds of dollars.
Check out these 25 cool game room ideas.
Old Signs
Vintage signs are often worth some money. According to eBay, vintage Old Milwaukee Beer signs are often listed for more than $600. The larger the sign the more people will pay. These 15 vintage home trends are making a comeback.
Postcards
There may be something in that old postcard collection that is worth something. It all depends on how rare it is, how old it is and its condition. At a London auction in 2002, a postcard from 1840 sold for $50,000.
Boy Scout Memorabilia
Were you a Boy Scout growing up? If you have any of that old memorabilia, it could fetch you some money. Collectors Weekly reports some Boy Scout items were going for up to $1,178 in the spring of 2018 on eBay. Your should definitely think twice before donating these 10 items.
VHS Tapes
Your kids may not know what a VCR and VHS tapes are, but collectors sure do. Some classics on VHS, such as Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, are listed for $500 on eBay. Classic horror films and some complete television series may also fetch quite a bit of cash. Convert your old VHS tapes to DVDs.
Old Cell Phones
Believe it or not, that old cell phone may be worth something. Some of the first cell phone models sell for much more than you’d expect.
Typewriter
Your grandmother’s old typewriter may be a thing of the past, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have some value. Some vintage typewriter models go for a few hundred dollars, depending on the make, model and what kind of shape it’s in.
Christmas Ornaments
Don’t toss those old family Christmas ornaments! A couple of years ago, according to Eric Silver, an appraiser for Antiques Roadshow, one blown-glass ornament was listed at $1,700 and a German ornament was listed at $18,000.
If you’d rather make some new Christmas ornaments, check out these 5 easy-to-make options.
Dolls
If you have a doll collection put away in the attic, you better check to see what’s there before you get rid of it or give it away. Some rare American Girl dolls go for thousands of dollars on eBay (not the ones pictured here). Some Cabbage Patch Kid dolls are also worth a lot to some collectors. These are some of the 25 craziest toy fads in history.
