I have been selling on eBay for over a dozen years now, and in that time I have discovered a couple of odd things that people will buy. You can find a little surprise cash within your own home by keeping an eye out for these unlikely items.
1. Toys.
You probably wouldn’t throw out an antique tin toy, or a rubber doll from the 50s. But you might be surprised to learn that there is a market for vintage toys from the 70s, 80s and even the 90s. Old toys from your childhood can be worth big bucks.
Fisher Price Little People sets from the 70s and 80s can go for anywhere from $10 to $300 depending on the condition and if you have all of the pieces.
If you happen to still have the original box with your toy you’ve probably got a gem on your hands. Original boxes, catalogues, mini-comics and other paper inserts from retro toys are all worth taking the time to look up online.
Even modern toys that your children have out grown may be worth holding on to. Particularly keep an eye out for things that are out of production. If you can no longer readily walk into a toy store and buy it, odds are some one out there is looking for it.
2. Buttons.
Wondering if it’s worth your time to sort through grandma’s tins? Take a look under Collectibles > Sewing (1930-Now) > Buttons > Mixed Lots. To give you an idea; 8lbs of “newer” vintage buttons recently sold for over $100. While another lot of 7lbs “antique & vintage buttons” closed for over $575.
3. Magazines & Catalogues.
Here’s a few examples of recent vintage magazine sales:
– Lot of 44 Vogue magazines from 1967-1974 sold for over $800.00
– Lot of 11 Rolling Stone Magazines from the 1960s and 70s sold for over $200.
Personally, I have sold computing, gaming and video game magazines from the 80s and even the 90s for up to $20 an issue, or even more.
4. Greeting Cards.
Here’s a few samples of recent sales:
– Lot of 150 vintage greeting cards from the 1950s through 1980s sold for over $180.
– Lot of 100 “children’s” themed cards for over $100.
It doesn’t work out to much per card, but it can add up to a nice bit of change for something that you would most likely consider throwing in the recycle bin. Of course if you happen to have unused vintage greeting cards, those will fetch even more.
5. Slides, 8mm Films, & Photos.
To give you an idea, here are some examples of recent sales:
– 1400 vintage 35MM slides from early 1960s to late 1980s featuring trips to Japan, Iran, England, etc. sold for over $300.
– 221 slides taken on trips across Canada from 1950-1962 sold for over $40.
– A reel of home movies shot in Disneyland during the 1970s sold for over $50.
– Fifty 8mm home movies from the 1950s and 60s sold for over $270.
Overall, it pays to take a moment to look online first before pitching something. Pretty much anything that is old, say ten years or more, is probably worth your time to look up. Prices online are constantly fluctuating, so don’t just take my word for it. Do some research. The best way to get an idea of how much something may sell for on eBay is to look at completed auctions. You can look at my quick and easy tutorial on searching for completed eBay items — right here.
So, what do you think of my list? Do you find it strange that people will buy used greeting cards and personal photographs? Have you sold any odd items online? Know of any other “throw-away” items that are actually worth big bucks? I’d love to hear about it!
| Image #1 – Jenn Mackenzie – Fotolia.com | Image #2, #3, & #6 – Deanna Tousignant | Image #4 – Lusoimages – Fotolia.com |
| Image #5 – Olga Drabovich – Fotolia.com | Image #7 – Rob Pitman – Fotolia.com |
Great article, Deanna! About twenty years ago I threw away some old , used patterns from the 70’s.. When I told a friend, she said she would’ve paid me $15 a piece for them. I’m more cautious now when getting rid of things!
Are you kidding ? I can’t believe you can sell or buy this stuff online. I would never know that this stuff was even available online.
Might need to take a good look at the button collection I inherited!
Amazing, unfortunately I got rid of my mother’s old button collection – a tin full of wonderful buttons in all shapes, colours and sizes, sigh if only I’d known back then!
I still have old cookie tins full of buttons from my grandmother’s house. I can’t bring myself to part with them. I take them out and sort through them and let my daughter’s “play” with them sometimes. Just such neat, tiny, bits of history.