Most of us will never find a fortune like the jersey once owned by football coach Vince Lombardi that a Knoxville, Tennessee, couple bought at Goodwill for 58 cents and resold for $43,000.
But, wake up. There is still a lot of good to be done in the humble things that surround us every day – even things that people might call trash.
After three decades in thrift stores, dumpster diving and reselling, I have found and sold true rarities. Here are some amazing items you can sell for extra cash.
1. Dentures
Yes, you read that right: dentures. My brother once bought a set of used false teeth for $1 at a yard sale. He quickly flipped them on eBay for $75.
Buyers for this item fall into two categories: collectors of rare items and people who can’t or won’t pay anywhere from $1,000 or more for a new set of choppers.
2. Old road maps
Road maps are popular with artists and collectors of oil and gas memorabilia. Vintage maps with bold pictures sell best, as do maps from obsolete companies like Conoco and Skelly.
3. Ugly Christmas sweaters
Mark your calendars: Every year in November, online sales of ugly Christmas sweaters start to soar.
Companies like Tipsy Elves are cashing in on America’s love of fancy dress and creating new intentionally ugly sweaters. But don’t worry, used ugly sweaters are also very popular, and thrift stores are full of them.
At this stage, the tackier the better. Christmas themed sweaters decorated with embroidery, ornaments, ruffles and garlands are sold at a premium. Every Christmas season, I sell 10 to 15 ugly sweaters on eBay for about $30 each.
4. Sea glass
If you live by the beach, hit the beach. Wave rolled sea glass is a hot product among jewelers and artists.
Red, orange and amber sea glass is very valuable. I saw 11 pieces of red and orange sea glass sell for $170 on eBay.
5. License plates
That stack of old metal license plates in your garage is worth money. During a purge one summer, I put 25 plates out for $30 on Craigslist.
Consumers use license plates to decorate man caves, create art and build cool bird houses.
Although there is a market for all metal plates, serious collectors pay a premium for older pieces, in good condition and from unincorporated US states (Alaska and Hawaii).
6. Vintage eyeglasses
Your grandfather’s wire-framed glasses are probably filled with gold, making them worth $20 to $40. Look for the abbreviation “GF” (gold filled) preceded by the karat rating.
Gold or not, vintage cat eye glasses from the 1950s are also selling well. Retro fashionistas will pay $30 to $50 for fancy examples.
7. Old hotel keys
Students of a certain age will remember the diamond-shaped hotel keys (also called key fobs or fobs) from the 1960s and ’70s. Today, it is a kitschy collection.
Although collectors pay top dollar for keys from famous places like The Dunes in Las Vegas, don’t discount the roadside dive. Expect each keychain to sell for $5 to $15 on eBay or Etsy.
8. Driftwood
Large pieces of driftwood are used in landscaping, furniture making, terrarium design and taxidermy projects. Simple forms fetch $10 to $15 while large, interesting shapes can fetch $30 and up.
Warning: Before collecting driftwood on public land, check with local officials. Many places prohibit the removal of any natural materials.
9. Ancient keys
Usually made of metal or bronze, antique keys are in fashion. Designers use these gems to make jewelry, artists turn them into wind chimes, and collectors frame and display them.
Last summer, I sold a few antique keys at a yard sale for $3 each. Online, buyers will pay $10 to $15 for a single, unique key.
10. Large pine cones
Adjustment, Mom and Dad: Money it does they grow on trees.
I have five large pine trees in my yard, and sometimes I will collect and sell the very large clumps that have fallen to the ground.
Decorators use pine cones as textural accent pieces. Holidaymakers use them to make wreaths and table decorations. I’ve seen jumbo cones (9 inches or larger) sell for about $9 each on Etsy.
11. Discontinued products
When my old favorite moisturizer, Complex 15, was discontinued, I turned to eBay in a desperate attempt to collect every last item. To my dismay, the tubes of my once-$8.99 moisturizer were selling for almost $100 each!
What is the lesson? Some brands have a dedicated fan base. Before you shell out for anything, check prices online.
12. Old coffee mugs
Have a cupboard full of coffee mugs? Before you part, check the prices.
Certain mugs made by Fire-King are very hot among collectors. Look especially for pieces made of milk glass (a type of translucent white glass) featuring characters from the Peanuts comic strip. Depending on the unusual appearance and condition, some of these mugs fetch hundreds of dollars on eBay and Etsy.
Fire-King also created mugs made of jadeite, an opaque green glass. The heavy jadeite pieces from Fire-King’s Restaurant Ware line are very valuable. A single cup of jadeite can sell for $35 to $40.
13. Modern paper money
Yes, your money costs money. Modern bills with fancy serial numbers can be sold for more than face value.
Check your wallet for credits with:
- Solid serial numbers: All numbers are the same (44444444)
- Repeating serial numbers: The digits in the first part of the number repeat in the second part (40014001)
- Ladder serial numbers: Every digit is one number higher or lower than the last one (23456789)
- Lowest (00000110) or highest (99999979) serial numbers
14. Old yearbooks
Yearbooks appeal to three audiences:
- Collectors of celebrity memorabilia look through old yearbooks to find famous names and signatures.
- Graduates of a certain school buy yearbooks to reconnect with their history.
- Artists of all kinds use yearbooks to find vintage photos and advertisements.
Prices vary by year and school. I once sold a set of four less-than-attractive yearbooks for $18, and I’ve seen a 1953 high school yearbook with a top photo of Sandy Koufax sell for $230 on eBay.
15. Rotary phones
Even though your grandkids probably don’t know how to use it, that rotary phone tucked away in the basement is worth money.
Collectors pay premium for functional phones in bright colors like orange, pink, mint green and blue. I once saw a dark blue desktop phone selling for $180 on eBay.
16. Vintage photos and postcards
Is there a shoebox full of old clippings and postcards hiding under your bed? It may cost a few bucks.
Vintage photos are used as home decor pieces and combined with artwork. Postcard collectors (yes, that’s a thing) pay top dollar for vintage postcards featuring iconic moments in history, famous ocean liners or Halloween images. I saw a 1911 Halloween postcard selling for $189 on eBay.
17. Typewriter keys
Ready to throw away that old Smith Corona? Save the keys first! Antique manual typewriter keys are also intended for jewelers, mosaic artists and scrapbookers.
A few years ago, I removed 55 keys from two typewriters that were destroyed from the 1940s. I sold the lot for $35 on Etsy.
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