Game Boy
First released in 1989, the Game Boy became a sensation with children around the globe begging their parents to buy these hand-held video games for them. No longer available in stores, Game Boys go for anywhere from $750 to $2000! One unopened Game Body sold on eBay for $4000.
Game Boy
Antique Cookie Jar
This might seem surprising, but antique cookie jars could earn you some serious dough, no pun intended. PBS’s Antiques Roadshow evaluator Reyne Hirsch can vouch for that. According to her, a vintage cookie jar in the shape of a famous cartoon character could earn you thousands of dollars. In August 2019, a Little Audrey jar was purchased on eBay for $3400…not too shabby!
Antique Cookie Jar
Vintage Perfume Bottles
In the early 1900s, perfume bottles were made quite elegantly. Nowadays, these antique bottles can sell for thousands of dollars. Some of these bottles have been sold for up to $8500! Antique Roadshow evaluator Eric Silver shared that these go for a lot of money at in-person auctions as well.
Vintage Perfume Bottles
VHS Tapes
The fact of the matter is, most of us have not touched our VHS collections in years, if we still even have them. With streaming services being the new norm, these old VHS tapes can be quite valuable. VHS tapes that were not converted to DVDs are especially valuable. Some Micky Mouse & Donald Duck VHS tapes have been listed on eBay for $1499!
VHS Tapes
Vintage Band T-Shirts
Vintage band T-shirts that are no longer available to purchase are an absolute goldmine. A Nirvana In Utero Tour T-shirt that was created for crew members was sold for $7000. Meanwhile, a Beatles T-shirt from their banned album Yesterday and Today was listed at a whopping $20,000!
Vintage Band T Shirts
Kugel Christmas Ornaments
According to Eric Silver, Christmas ornaments can earn you some serious cash. While antique sleds go for $100, blown glass ornaments may go for up to $1700. Kugel ornaments are where the real money is, though. These German ornaments from 1840 through the 1940s can sell for a whopping $18,000!
Kugel Christmas Ornaments
Vintage Lunch Boxes
According to lunch box collector Thad Reece, vintage lunch boxes can sell for up to ten thousand their original cost was! The most valuable are a 1963 The Jetsons lunch box at $1650, a 1962 Dudley Do-Right lunch box sold for $2200, and a 1954 Superman lunch box sold for $13,000!
Vintage Lunch Boxes
Pokémon Cards
Pokémon Cards were a huge craze in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. While part of the game was trading these cards, that may not have been the best idea as now many of these cards are worth thousands. A first edition Charizard 1999 was sold for nearly $13,000 in 2019. Additionally, a PSA Mint card from the Tropical Wind Trophy in 2001 sold for a staggering $500,000!
Pokémon Cards
Vintage Advertising Signs
In the days before Internet and TV ads were a thing, signs were the only way for advertisers to spread the world about their products. Now, these vintage signs are worth a lot themselves. In 2019, a vintage Coca-Cola sign was sold on eBay for $5700!
Vintage Advertising Signs
Apple iPod 1st Generation
Many of us have cycled through countless iPods throughout the years, without thinking much about the old ones we’ve cast aside. These old iPods could be worth thousands now! In July 2019, an old Apple iPod was sold for nearly $2200 on eBay. What’s more, a first generation iPod that is either new or still perfectly functioning can cost up to $16,000! Hold on to those iPods.
Apple IPod 1st Generation
Old CDs
While CDs seemed to be a technology of the future back in the 1990’s, just over 30 years later, these discs seem to be almost obsolete. However, those CD collections could earn you some serious cash! For example, a 1993 signature series by Michael Jackson or a 1998 EP by Coldplay could earn you $1500 each! It’s worth looking into which CDs are valuable and if you’ve got it.
Old CDs
Boy Scout Badges
Boy Scouts around the United States worked their hearts out to earn these badges, and now, all that effort could have a huge monetary payoff! According to Collectors Weekly, some of these badges have been sold for $1170. The older the badge, the more valuable. Some badges from the 1930’s and 1940’s have ben listed on eBday for $4500 each.
Boy Scout Badges
Old Coins
We all know someone who has been collecting coins for years. While we have maybe made fun of this person, perhaps they were right all along. It turns out that you can earn a pretty penny from certain coins. Jeff Bidelman, a former dealer at Rare Collectibles in Pennsylvania, discovered a 200 year old stash of coins worth $200,000!
Old Coins
Weathervanes
Weathervanes were once commonplace, especially atop barns and homes in vast open plains. They were used to see which direction the wind was blowing. While many apps have replaced this functionality, antique weathervanes are quite valuable. 19th century weathervanes have sold for up to $7000 on eBay. What’s more: a Native American weathervane was sold at the Sotheby’s auction in 2006 for a whopping $5.84 million.
Weathervanes
Polly Pocket Toys
Polly Pocket toys were at the peak of their popularity in the 1990’s. The older sets have since become quite valuable. Polly Pocket packs have have been listed on eBay for about $1900. Even Polly Pocket accessories can get you a good chunk of change, for example, a Pocket Polly pencil case was sold on eBay for $810!
Polly Pocket Toys
Costume Jewelry
While many are quick to toss costume jewelry aside, antique pieces could be worth quite a bit of money. Italian designer Elsa Schiaparelli’s pieces are a great example, with pieces racking up to $2000 at auctions and up to $5000 on eBay.
Costume Jewelry
Tiffany Lamps
Tiffany used to be all the range when it came to light fixtures. Now these might remind you of old time eateries, but they could actually get you a good sum of money. Depending on the lamp, you could find yourself between $4000 to $1 million richer! If you have one of these, perhaps it’s time to get it appraised.
Tiffany Lamps
China Sets
Many of us have inherited some china sets from our grandparents. While most of them end up stashed in a box up in an attic, maybe it’s time to dust them off and make a good chunk of change off of them. True 190s antique china sets could get $5000 off of eBay.
China Sets
Cuckoo Clocks
Cuckoo clocks were once quite popular to include in the home, dating back to the 1730’s in Germany. While these may be outdated now, the resale market for them is quite staggering. As of 2019, some cuckoo clocks have been priced at $2000 on eBay.
Cuckoo Clocks
Old Stamps
Collecting stamps may sound a little funny to many of us, but the joke is on us. Many old stamp sets are quite valuable, with one set going for a whopping $90,000 on eBay in August 2019. These are quite the valuable little stickers!
Old Stamps
Rocking Chair
Rocking chairs began to be popular fixtures in homes in the 1700s. These relaxing chairs have lulled many babies to sleep, but you’ll wake up immediately when you find out how much you could sell one of these for. Rocking chairs from the 1950’s through 70’s can be valued at nearly $5000!
Rocking Chair
Boom Boxes
Boom boxes were extremely popular in the 1980’s, as they were one of the first pieces of technology that allowed us to make music portable. Nowadays, we have many methods of doing that, and boom boxes have become a pricey novelty items. A Sharp GF-999 Stereo Boombox was sold on eBay for $3000, and a 1988 Lasonic TRC-975 Ghetto Blaster Boombox went for $8250.
Boom Boxes
Trunks
These old trunks might look like they’ve come right out of a pirate film, with treasures and gold waiting to be found inside. However, the trunk itself may be the real treasure. According to Eric Silver, for a French fashion house trunk, you could get several thousand dollars. At the very least, you can earn $700 from a truck that dates back to the 1870s.
Trunks
Typewriters
Typewriters may not be the go-to for typing needs these days, but they have had a resurgence in popularity, at least with hipsters. They’re also quite popular with antique dealers. A Hooven Automatic Typewriter has sold for $7500, according to Branford House Antiques. A Malling-Hansen Writing Ball is considered by some to be the Rolls Royce of typewriters, and is said to be worth up to $100,000!
Typewriters
Signed Yearbooks
Ah high school…yearbooks are a great way to take a trip down memory lane. If you happen to have a yearbook that’s signed and includes old photos of famous people, you’re about to get a whole lot happier. A yearbook that had a photo of James Dean sold for over $10,500. One that’s signed will rake in even more.
Signed Yearbooks
Vintage Comics
While a lot of parents might think that reading and collecting comic books is a total waste of time, depending on the comic book, they could not be more wrong. Many vintage comic books are worth quite a sum. The Incredible Hulk original comic book sold for $320,000 at an auction in 2014. It’s worth checking it out!
Vintage Comics
Original Star Wars Toys
When the first Star Wars film was released in 1977, nobody could have predicted just how popular it would prove to be. When it spurred sequels, many action figures and toys were made in anticipation. Those toys are now worth quite a lot. A Luke Skywalker original toy can earn you $25,000! Even an original toy of the Falcon Millennium ship could earn $3000.
Original Star Wars Toys
American Girl Dolls
Many kids who grew up in the 1980’s and 1990’s played with American Girls dolls, which also had accompanying movies and books. Now, they’re worth a pretty penny. A Samantha doll was sold on eBay for about $4200. Many of the other dolls are still quite valuable, even if they’re not in the original package.
American Girl Dolls
Video Games
While we’re on to more modern game consoles now like Nintendo Switch, if you kept your old consoles’ games, you might be in luck. Old and obsolete PlayStation and Nintendo game cartridges could earn some serious cash. A Mario Kart for N64 is worth hundreds of dollars, and many other games can be worth up to $1000.
Video Games
Cell Phones
The cell phone has really gone through quite the evolution, from the brick phone until now, with the smart phone. A lot of us have our old and seemingly useless phones stashed away somewhere in a drawer. However, if you happen to have one of the oldest cell phones out there, you could get a hefty sum for it. A DynaTAC 8000X from 1983 was sold in 2014 for $550, which could buy you a brand new smartphone!
Cell Phones
Antique Guitars
Old guitars are quite valuable, and it seems like the older the instrument, the better. If you’ve inherited or somehow gotten your hands on one of these, they could be worth thousands. A Gibson ES-175 was sold in 2014 for $5500, while a 1953 Fender Telecaster has been valued at $10,000.
Antique Guitars
Happy Meal Toys
Happy Meal toys were part of the reason why so many kids drove their parents crazy in order to get their hands on the chicken nuggets, fries, and accompanying toy. Although it might be surprising, a lot of old Happy Meal toys are now worth hundreds of dollars.
Happy Meal Toys
Flip Clock Radios
Flip clock radios used to be commonplace, but now, you’ll most likely only come across one in an old film. However, if you do have one of these lying around your home, you could earn some cash in exchange for it. A Panasonic flip clock radio was sold on eBay for $300, definitely worth it!
Flip Clock Radios
White Furby
Furby talking dolls were all the rage during the 1990’s. While some found these dolls to be creepy, they were hugely popular. Now, it is actually quiet hard to find an all-white Furby that they can go for up to $800.
White Furby
Vintage Soda Crates
You might not think much of old soda crates, but these are quite the vintage commodity. Old wooden soda crates that have the brand name stamped on them could earn you a couple of hundred bucks, which is not too shabby for a bunch of wood. Coca-Cola crates from 1948 have sold on eBay for $199.
Vintage Soda Crates
Vintage Handbags
While designer handbags can be quite pricey, you could actually get a large amount of money for old vintage handbags as well. A vintage Chanel bag that has been kept in good condition could get you about $3000. Bags that are more worn-in can still be worth several hundred dollars, which isn’t bad at all.
Vintage Handbags
Polaroid Cameras
Some young people might recognize this original Polaroid camera from the original Instagram logo. However, back in the day, these were extremely popular. The older the polaroid camera is, the more valuable it is. A 1960 Polaroid 120 camera has previously sold for $430!
Polaroid Cameras
Beer Cans
Interestingly enough, old beer cans are quite valuable items. You might regret tossing these in the trash back in the day, because now they’re worth a pretty penny. A man named Jeff Lebo collected old beer cans for years and now has a collection of nearly 87,000 cans, coming in to a total of $1.6 million in worth. Cans from American beer brands from 1935 and 1941 are especially valuable.
Beer Cans
Vintage Postcards
Postcards were once quite commonplace, especially in times before telecommunication. Lots of vintage postcards are quite valuable today, especially Christmas postcards. While single postcards can be worth between $10-$50, ones that are signed by famous figures could earn a lot more. A Christmas card signed by Prince Charles and Princess Diana sold at an auction for $4400.
Vintage Postcards
Cereal Boxes
This might seem odd, but a lot of old cereal boxes are quite valuable nowadays. Unopened boxes kept in good condition can go for up to $1000. A box of Nabisco Shredded Wheat from 1960 is worth $1000, and weirdly enough a box of Kellogg’s Sugar Pops from 2009 is worth $1600.
Cereal Boxes