Looking For Hidden Treasure? Try Your Attic
February 28, 2008, 3:53 pm
Tips and strategies for selling all the stuff that has gathered in your storage spaces.
If you have an attic or basement filled with old junk, you may be sitting on a small fortune of hidden treasure. It seems that, about two or three times a year, I read a newspaper article about somebody who discovers a rare painting by a famous artist in their attic, and it turns out to be worth a million dollars.
You may not have a million-dollar painting buried in all that junk, but many people have collectibles worth $100 or more stashed away. More amazing, most of these people don't even realize it because they haven't been in the attic in ten years.
So you may want to take a look up there for old toys you played with as a child, or a box of magazines still in good condition. Find the right collector and you may be able to make a little money.
Some examples of the collectibles you may find include:
Toys. The most valuable old toys are the ones associated with TV shows, movies or sports figures from the past. Also, those toys that have been around for decades and have become the icons of our society, such as Barbie dolls, have value if they're in good condition.
Magazines, books, comics. People often stack magazines or comics in boxes and put them away in a back corner. That's why many are found in very good condition, because they've been laying flat and protected by other things stacked around them. If you find a "first issue" of a publication that went on to become well known, it could fetch several thousand dollars. In fact, Superman and Batman "first issues" have sold in the tens of thousands, depending on condition.
Board games. Everyone remembers playing Monopoly and Scrabble as a kid. Board games that are kept in good condition are highly sought after by collectors. Also, look for games that, again, are associated with a popular TV show or movie.
Lunch Boxes. Lunch boxes are almost always decorated with the faces of popular TV characters, musicians or athletes. And the older, metal lunch boxes can be pretty valuable, depending on what the decoration is. If you find an old Beatles lunch box, it could be worth quite a bit.
Other valuable collectibles include baseball cards, cereal boxes, soda bottles, automobile parts (especially hubcaps), and old phonograph records. Basically, any old item that stirs up a feeling of nostalgia among people is a good candidate, assuming it's in decent condition.
No matter what you find in your deepest, darkest, dustiest corners, be careful when you start looking for a dealer. There are plenty of disreputable people who will try to convince you that your find has little value so they buy it from you cheaply.
The best way to find a buyer for your treasure is to be patient. Shop it around and get the opinions of several collectors. You may also want to spend the money it takes to have the item looked at by an independent appraiser, one who is not interested in buying the item from you.
