13 Garage Sale Finds That Could Secretly Be Worth a Fortune
The phrase “One person’s trash is another person’s treasure” applies to garage sales. Indeed, at weekly events, moving, and estate sales, you can find some truly astonishing things.
As fun as they can be, the lucrative nature of garage sales may surprise some. Depending on the items, your next purchase could be worth a pretty penny. A formidable treasure trove awaits, and these specific items have the most potential value.
1. Furniture
A staple of garage sales, the value of furniture depends on several factors. According to Fontaine’s Antique Furniture Appraisal, rarity, aesthetics, desirability, authenticity, and condition determine a piece’s worth. The latter will always prove to be the most important. No matter how rare, furniture depreciates if it’s in poor condition.
If you go to a sale looking for a specific item in mind, you may be disappointed. On the other hand, this strategy can be helpful, especially if you know the general value of something. For example, finding a coveted Eames chair at a reasonable price has high return investment potential. An authentic chair in excellent condition could be worth between $5400 and $9,995.
2. China
China also dominates garage sales for several reasons. So many individuals remain unaware of their worth. Moreover, people frequently would rather sell China quickly and cheaply to get rid of it. After all, complete sets can take up a lot of cabinet space. Some would rather utilize kitchen storage for something they use every day instead of just on special occasions.
Consequently, if someone comes across something reasonably priced, take advantage of it. The different types of fine china and patterns will be worth varying amounts. Wedgewood bone china sets such as this one can sell for upwards of $2300.
Depending on this brand or pattern, even individual plates can be worth a great deal. According to LovetoKnow, a Tiffany Cirque Chinois sells on Replacements.com for $1300.
3. Baseball Cards
Finding baseball cards at garage sales happens often, but whether they prove valuable varies. Some people will sell boxes of old baseball cards for a blanket price- sometimes even a few dollars- without knowing a card or two of esteem lies inside.
Age, condition (grade), rarity, and player will determine a card’s worth. Places such as Beckett Grading Services determined the grade. Rookie cards or other rare cards of legendary baseball players can bring in a hefty sum, even millions. Indeed, a 1952 Mickey Mantle Topps card, highly graded at 9.5, sold for 12.5 million at Heritage Auctions.
4. Artwork
When it comes to artwork, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What may seem like an ordinary and lackluster painting to a seller will look like dollar signs to a buyer. Of course, only an art expert will know offhand if a garage sale purchase will be worth money. Still, a small investment in a painting you find pleasing offers great potential with little investment.
If an appraiser values your garage sale painting at what you paid or only a few dollars more, then do damage done. However, one can potentially stumble upon art that would make even the people at Antiques Roadshow jump for joy.
Your next garage sale find could be akin to the 1925 Joseph Kleitsch oil painting bought for $100 but appraised at $500,000 or a Diego Rivera painting valued between $800,000 and a million dollars.
5. Books
Old books have a unique magic about them. If someone has a little bit of Rory Gilmore in them, they’ll appreciate the look, smell, and feel of vintage books. At garage sales, perusing through books can be a fun and even euphoric endeavor for a bibliophile.
Of course, some vintage books offer more than intrinsic value. Many can be worth a great deal, especially first editions in good condition of famous books and authors such as Ernest Hemingway or John Steinbeck. Anything from Classic literature to children’s books and cookbooks has value potential.
For example, according to County Living, a copy of Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking could be worth upwards of $2000. The Peter Harrington UK website sells a first edition of The Sun Also Rises for 150,000 euros or $162,607. Likewise, Bauman Rare Books sells vintage treasures for hefty prices, such as this Oscar Wilde book, for $48,000.
6. Vinyl Records
The popularity of vinyl records has increased recently. Many artists and companies release their albums on vinyl to entice those who enjoy their music with a touch of nostalgia. However, vintage vinyl records fall into another category: authentic nostalgia and potentially lucrative.
Much like perusing through books at a garage sale, looking through stacks of records can be fun and exciting. Discovering a rare gem may not happen every day, but possibilities remain.
The most value will be from artists with mainstream popular appeal, such as The Beatles, Elvis Presley, or Frank Sinatra. For example, a signed copy of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper album sold for $290,500 at auction. You can determine a record’s value by consulting a guide such as Victrola.com. The key will be to keep cool and not let on what you’ve uncovered from the seller.
7. Original Movie Posters
Most everyone loves a good movie poster. Many individuals adorn their childhood bedrooms with posters of their favorite movies. Some adults always retain that decorating style and collect all they can. Original posters can be worth a lot, depending on the film and condition.
Classics such as The Wizard of Oz or Gone With the Wind will bring in a lot at auctions, but other film posters can still be valuable. Printed on thin card stock and typically rolled or folded, original film posters in pristine condition can be challenging to find. However, nothing’s impossible. Many websites, such as movieposters.com, sell vintage items.
Your next garage sale find could be like this E.T. Poster selling for $2699 or this Gone With the Wind one for $649.
8. Jewelry
Whether costume jewelry or more expensive pieces, individuals can find exceptional pieces at garage sales. If the seller does not know its value, they will let it go for very little. Vintage pieces have tremendous worth, especially certain brands like Tiffany’s or Coco Chanel.
Likewise, even older pieces from the 1800s and 1900s will give buyers a great return on their investment. What was sitting in someone’s attic can now help pay for a vacation. According to Yahoo Finance, a Tiffany’s brooch could be worth at least $5000.
Gold also commands high prices these days depending on the weight and caret. One ounce of 24 caret gold alone can bring you almost $2,400.
9. Disney Memorabilia
Disney memorabilia and collectibles shears attract a lot of attention from fans. Disney collectors remain among the most enthusiastic, scrounging eBay, antique stores, and garage sales for movie and theme park treasures.
Going by the prices at Van Eaton Galleries Disney auctions, the vintage items likely found at a garage sale can be worth more than expected. The gallery values this Pinocchio figurine at $2000 and this Haunted Mansion model at $1000.
This YouTube channel also highlights items worth a lot of money to collectors, such as Popcorn buckets and mugs.
10. Beanie Babies
Image Credit: combatk9handler/ebay.
The 1990s and early 2000s saw a craze for Beanie Babies, with some collectors accumulating dozens, even hundreds, of these stuffed toys filled with beans. Even the most avid collectors could not foresee how much these would someday be worth.
Certain Beanie Babies will stand out when on the hunt at a garage sale and should be snapped up and bought if they’re selling them way below the market value. Ones like the Princess Diana bear or something that has a printing error prove to be the most rare and valuable.
A quick search on eBay shows the astronomical prices some sell those Beanie Babies for such as this squirrel for $156,000.
11. Old Coins
Although old coins may not be a typical garage sale find, you’d be surprised what people will let go of when moving or selling off a dearly departed loved one’s belongings. Coins rage up space, so many will want to unload and sell them at face value
However, many old coins could be worth more than that. Sometimes, it’s just a few dollars, but others can break the bank. Coins with printing errors, rarely circulated ones, and pieces in good condition can be worth thousands of dollars. For example, a 1916 Buffalo head nickel with a printing error could be worth $10,000.
12. Holiday Décor
Holiday décor has become a booming business. All one has to do is search for decorating videos on YouTube to discover how much people love it. Many endeavor to find vintage items to go along with their new pieces and will frequent flea markets and garage sales to find them. They may not know how much these pieces can be worth.
One example would be blow molds. These large light-up figures have a fun look but could, believe it or not, help someone pay their bills. Find a mold like this Santa one at a decent price, and you could sell it for a pretty penny.
Other things, such as hand-blown ornaments or Department 56 village pieces, can be hard to come by, so collectors will pay a premium price. Better Homes and Gardens notes that a complete village could bring in $15,000.
13. Vintage Board Games
A mainstay at garage sales, board games remain terrific items to look out for. Classics such as Monopoly, Risk, or Scrabble could be valuable. Likewise, more rare games, such as this Star Wars game called The Queen’s Gambit, have great resell potential, with best prices of at least $600.
Unopened games will understandably sell well because they are in pristine condition. This sealed Onyx edition of Monopoly sells for $325 on Etsy.
