30 Household Items Are Worth A Fortune Now
China Sets – Up To $5,000
The humble dinner sets that are gathering dust in your kitchen cabinets might bring you thousands of dollars online. Such porcelain antiques became a hit at the end of the 18th century, and vintage sets coming from the early 1900s have been sold on eBay for a stunning $5,000. Is there anyone else planning to clean around the house now?
Old Coins – Up To $100 Per Coin
The special Kansas state quarter on your hands can be worth a pretty penny now. In 2005, a lot of these quarters were misprinted with “In God, We Rust” instead of “In God, We Trust,” and today, the mistake is said to be worth around $100 a coin!
American Girl Dolls – Up To $5,000
The American Girl dolls were first released in 1986, and you may be shocked to find what some of them are worth now. The Samantha doll sold on eBay for $4,200, while a Molly doll in mint condition was listed for $5,000. Other models like Kirsten Larson are also incredibly valuable.
Christmas Ornaments – Up To $18,000
It may surprise you, but Antique appraiser Eric Silver said vantage sleds can sell for $100 and blown glass ornaments can fetch as much as $1,700. Yet those who have Kugel ornaments from Germany between 1840 and the early 1940s are the real jackpot winners, as these pieces can go for an incredible $18,000! Now it’s time to rummage through your garage to search for these treasures!
Rocking Chair – Up To $5,000
Produced in the 1700s, rocking chairs were mainly used as a tool to help babies sleep. Such furnishings, if made between the 1950s to the 1970s, can sell for nearly $5,000. Sounds pretty good, right?
Harry Potter Books – Up To $55,000
Good news for Harry Potter collectors! If you have a hardcover edition of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” then check the print line. If it reads “10 9 8 7 6 5 43 2 1,” you just hit the jackpot. The book is now worth up to $55,000. If it reads 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 8 9/9 0/0 01 02, it can be sold for up to $6,500.
Old Yearbooks – Up To $10,500
The humble old yearbook filled with awkward school photos can also be a moneymaker if it happens to have one or some famous persons on it. A yearbook with a photo of James Dean reportedly sold for more than $10,500 online. Also, if the now-famous celebrity signs the yearbook, the price may go much higher.
Boom Boxes – Up To $8,250
In August 2019, a SharpGF-999 Stereo Boombox sold on eBay for $3,000, while a 1988 VTG 2 Lasonic TRC-975 Ghetto Blaster Boombox went for $8,250. So, for those who still have an old boom box stashed somewhere, it might be worth putting it on sale.
Pyrex – Up To $300+
The seemingly ordinary dishes in your kitchen may be worth more than you expected, and here is the proof. A chip and dip set is valued at $100 on eBay, and a butter dish goes for $225. Some bowl sets are even listed at more than $300. Wow! That’s a really good price!
Mechanical Piggy Banks – Up To $2,500
Even to this day, you may still be using a piggy bank to save money. But if your coin bank has a certain mechanical feature, you can sell it for a large sum of money. The Mechanical Bank Collectors of America has been searching for these appliances since 1958. Guess how much they offer? $2,500!
Antique Cookie Jar – Up To $3,400
Who’d have ever thought that one day old cookie jars can be worth a serious dough? Reyne Hirsch, a PBS’ Antiques Roadshow evaluator, claims that a cookie jar from the 1950s sold for a whopping $1,200 in 2018. According to Hirsch, jars in the style of any famous cartoon figure can reap even more. For example, a Little Audrey cookie jar sold on eBay for $3,400 in 2019. Woah!
Old CDs – Up To $12,134.19
You just became rich if you have any of the following CDs stored somewhere in your house. The track of the 1993 signature series by Michael Jackson and the 1998 protection EP by Coldplay are reportedly worth nearly $1,500 these days. Paris Hilton’s 2006 album, “Paris,” replaced by Banksy with a redesigned sleeve and an added mash-up with DJ Dangermouse, is listed on eBay for roughly $12,134.19.
Apple iPod 1st Generation – Up To $15,999
Despite being relatively new, the original Apple products designed by Steve Jobs are worth a whole bunch of money now. In July 2019, a seller on eBay called videoaudiostudios sold an Apple iPod for almost $2,200. Well, the next month, many other new or successful first-generation versions were listed for $15,999. So before you decide to toss out any old Apple electronics, first take a glance at what they’re selling for.
Old Canning Jars – Up To $1,000
Today, many canning jars sell for less than $15. However, there are a few ones that could be worth a fortune. A rare Willoughby Stopple jar can sell for $500, while an upside-down Ball Mason Jar made between 1900 and 1910 is valued at about $1,000. So, if you’re using the mason jars your grandma left you, check their value now!
CorningWare Dishes – Up To $10,000
Yes, the CorningWare dishes you’re using could be worth thousands of dollars! Such dishes with rare patterns like Floral Bouquet (made from 1871 to 1875) or Wildflower pattern (made from 1977 to 1984) are going for an eye-opening $10,000. Even the most common ones with blue floral designs can fetch a lot of money. So check your pantry now!
Polly Pocket Toys – Up To $1,900
These high-end toys became a kids’ favorite in the 1990s, and today you can sell them for a pretty good chunk of change. In August 2019, full sets of Polly Pocket toys were priced at around $1,900. Even the Polly Pocket’s accessories are also valuable now. In fact, a Polly Pocket pencil case sold for $810 on eBay in July 2019.
Cabbage Patch Dolls – Up To $3,000
If you come across your old Cabbage Patch dolls one day, don’t throw them away, as they may earn you some serious cash now. A 1985 James Dudley Cabbage Patch doll goes for $3,000 on eBay, and a 1981 Blonde Girl Little People doll is listed for $2,000.
Silverware – Up To $17,500
Perhaps you also have a grandma who used to collect silverware. Who says it was just a waste of time? An 84-piece Tiffany set from 1905 goes for $4,975 on eBay. If that doesn’t surprise you, just wait! A silver flatware service (297 ounces of weighable silver) produced in 1927 was auctioned for $17,500 in 2011. Wow!
Vintage Handbags – $3,000
It’s not surprising to learn that branded handbags sell for over $2,000 when new. But did you know that they can be worth a lot even if they’re years old? For example, a vintage Chanel bag in good condition can rake in around $3,000, and the ones in poor condition can still fetch up to $400.
Vintage Perfume Bottles – Up To $8,500
Interestingly, old perfume bottles are worth tons of money today. Perfume flasks from the 1900s sold on eBay for nearly $4,000 in 2019, and century-old bottles are listed up to $8,500. If you don’t have one, let’s just smell the wads of cash from here.
Olivia Newton-John’s Xanadu Vinyl – Up To $9,100
It may surprise you, but Olivia Newton-John’s original Xanadu soundtrack album is still coveted even today. It can fetch an amazing $9,100, as there are only 31 copies in existence today.
Vintage Comics – Up To $3.2 Million
Remember all those comic books you collected like crazy as a kid? It’s best to get them appraised, as they may be worth something now! The Incredible Hulk’s first comic book was auctioned for $320,000 in 2014, while a 1938 Action Comics No. 1 is said to be worth $3.2 million. Pretty crazy, isn’t it?
Lunch Boxes – Up To $13,000
Still holding on to your old lunch box? Congratulations, as they can score you a lot of cash now! Fox News has stated that the 1963 Jetsons lunch box costs anywhere between $1,000 and $1,650, whereas the 1962 Dudley Do-Right lunch box sold for more than $2,200. What is even more surprising is that lunch box museum owner Allen Woodall claims the Superman lunch box from 1954 is valued at $13,000. Now just take out your lunch box and check its value online!
Air Jordans – Up To $18,257
If you just stashed your old Air Jordans into the cabinet, you’re probably making a big mistake. One online buyer paid for more than $18,257 for a pair of Jordan 11 shoes with Derek Jeter’s styling. Other modes can even sell over $2,000. So, it’s time to revalue yours’.
Pez Dispensers – Up To $32,205
While there are millions of Pez dispensers in the world, some are rarer than others and can be worth thousands. For example, in 2006, the Astronaut B, which was created for the 1982 World’s Fair, sold on eBay for $32,205.
Old Magazines – Up To $156,000
Congratulations to those who like to hoard old magazines, as ordinary copies of them can score around $20 and the rare versions are now worth a fortune. Back in 2007, a copy of Beeton’s Christmas Annual 1887 was sold for $156,000. Time to dig through your collection and see how much windfall you can get!
Barbie Dolls – Up To $220,000
Barbie dolls don’t sound like something that would be worth a lot of money one day, but they actually are. A plain Midnight Tuxedo Barbie can be sold for around $1,000, whereas the 1959 Blonde Barbie goes for a stunning $23,999. Bettina Dorfman, the biggest fan of Barbie dolls in the world (as pictured above), owns over 17,000 Barbie dolls that are worth $220,000.
Tiffany Lamps – Up To $1 Million+
The Tiffany lamp might not seem to match with your home’s modern aesthetic, but they can be a real moneymaker. According to Invaluable, one of the world’s largest online markets for antiques and fine art, this old household item could fetch you anywhere from $4,000 to over $1 million. The most sought-after Tiffany lamps in today’s market are those with vibrant colored and floral motifs. Moreover, even just the foundations of such light fixtures can be worth a lot.
VHS Tapes – Up To $1,499,999.99
Many may have long forgotten their VHS collection, as we’re now living in a world of online streaming. However, these items are worth a fortune now. Old volumes 1, 2, and 3 of Walt Disney VHS tapes are listed on eBay for a staggering $1,499,999.99 by the seller jinelle0317. Moreover, movies that were never changed into DVD or digital, especially those deemed controversial and therefore banned, sell for the highest price.
Antique Guitars – Up To $2 Million+
Attention! Guitar fans! If you have an old Fender or Gibson guitar around your house, you really can become rich overnight. A 1953 Fender Telecaster was valued up to $10,000 in 2002, and the John Lennon’s Gibson J-160E Acoustic-Electric guitar sold for more than $2 million in 2014, $2,266,970 to be exact. So what are you waiting for? Go and have your guitar appraised!