How’s your basement looking right now? Is it nice and neat or messy and heavily cluttered with no room to swing a cat?
If you’re just like me, your basement is most likely filled with old stuff. From paint cans to used shoes and outdated electronics, most basements look like a tornado has swept through them.
And let’s be honest… we don’t pay too much attention to our basements, although they deserve it.
Tell me, how long has it been since your last basement declutter? Can’t remember? Well, maybe it’s time to take a closer look at the old items you find down there. Even if most things belong in the trash, I bet you’ll find some potential money-makers underneath the stairs.
Check all your mildewed cardboard boxes—your old stuff could generate you a handsome sum of money (if not a fortune).
40 thoughts on “15 Old Things in Your Basement That Are Literally Worth a Fortune”
I have the very first issue of USA Today. It is in an unopened envelope.
What is the safest way to get an idea of a particular item’s possible value and how to sell it?
Baseball cards
Go to ebay.com and search for the item. Be as precise as you can about brand names, model numbers and so forth. Don’t pay too much attention to the asking prices, since the seller can ask for as much as he/she wants, but won’t necessarily get that.
Go down the left hand side of the page and find the “sold items’ check box. Click that, and items that have actually sold on ebay will be displayed, with their selling prices.
You won’t find everything there, but it’s surprising what a variety of things really do sell there.
I have items that may fall into vintage items. Have nothing to refer to as far as value of items. Do you have a catalog or a Webb site I could go to that would have this information?
I have collector’s dishes, old albums,78’s, 33’s and 45’s. Where can I find out if they are of any value?
Is there any information that can be emailed to me?
Thank you.
Ghostbusters house, car, figurines along with Ninja Turtles house, figurines etc.. Peewee Herman doll with house and cheery(blue chair)
Hulk Hogan doll. Value?
Old photographs from other countries or from America
i even have an old juke box and dozens of 45 records , boxes of the great big records 33’s and 98’s ?? in the garage
yoyo’s boxes of comic books heaven only knows, what is in the attic
78’S
It’s and lots of cash in your pocket! Good luck
I also have vintage postcards nicely organized in a specific photo type alum and 95 percent or more I 100 percent mint condition but the thing with trying to sell your item is finding the correct companies or right persons! If anyone could help me with this would be a great thing for you too! Thank you all! PLVMB tool set that is fully completed and in a wooden box designed specifically for each individual tool lined with green felt lining! Some could truly help me to help them ! Thank you again
33’s and 78’s love. It’s been a while hasn’t it.
I have 20 foot POD with items from 3 families. How do I go about selling the items?
I have collector plates, 1900 Lynn Range with all accessories, furniture, Books, Art, cameras
Nascar collectibles
My wife.
We don’t have a basement. They don’t build them here in FL!
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha — VERY FUNNY! — but NOT if you’re serious!!! : ( Cherish your wife, and remember that if you are loved, you have it all. No one — including yourself — is perfect. Try harder; miracles happen all the time because God is on your side…… : ) Good luck, and God Bless!
No room to swing a cat why would you even come up with that analogy …of all things…
No basement but attics are the same for us who live on rock. I have about 100 331/3 records – in original jackets. Some of the Beatles – Bob Dylan – John Denver – Barbra – lots of Broadway – lots of opera – lots of classical piano.
Why do you title it as 15 things when you only show 9, have the other 6 already been sold or thrown away? People really should learn how to count it sometimes drives me nuts to see how our education system has let our kids down to a point where they cannot even count or add simple numbers without a calculator to do it for them.
Nine pages of items. Some pages have two or three items. Count again. Reading comprehension
There were 9 pages with 15 items. If that was your take away from the article, you Sir need a hobby.
There are 15 items on 9 pages. Count them again.
THERE ARE 15, COUNT THEM YOURSELF. SEVERAL HAVE MULTIPLE ITEMS. YOU JUST HAVE TO READ.
Calm down everybody, don’t make it an online argument for Pete’s sake..
(Who is Pete btw?)
i have the beatles collection box set pristine condition recors never been played, also have the poster included and pictures of the fab 4 enclosed
I have many Beatles albums in original jacket.
Call 617 593 5732
We have had success on Facebook Marketplace. Post items one by one.
I have 4 boxes of old 78 records and the bigger ones that came before the 78’s. Don’t know who to contact to try and maybe sell some .
I have 7 storage units with 60 year old plus items. I wish there was someone to call to come out and shop me
I’d love to help you clean n organize them and more. jrstox@yahoo.com
John Wayne memorabilia
Met John Wayne in Hawaii very nice man we were on our honeymoon he was shooting In Harm’s Way. The entire cast were staying at the same hotel we were!!
How about some advice on finding a buyer for our stuff?
I have a very old computer. An amega, pre-apple. I would donate it to the right museum
I also have a blue cornflower corning ware dish. I hear they are valuable too.
The sad reality is that no one wants your old stuff.
How do you find out what things are worth? I have stamp collections and coin collections my Father gave me 40 yrs ago. I had several records that included the Beatles, Michael Jacksons first album, Janis Joplin, etc and a well known auctioneer in Columbus told me they werent worth anything and I sold them for nothing at an online auction. I have old cloth books in excellent condition, lamps, plates, etc but do not know how to find the value of anything, or whom you can trust.
Not just handheld and board games. Check video game cartridges too. People have found rare Stadium Events carts they didn’t know were extremely valuable. Sealed cartridges can fetch a nice sum too. It depends on the title and rarity but it’s worth a look. There are a few rare Atari 2600 carts that sell decently too. Pepsi Invaders, for example.
More recent toys can be pricy too. Got a Kenner red Jurassic Park rex stashed away? They go for a few hundred. So does Demon Carnotaurus if it’s got gear with it. In box items go for more, even if not still factory sealed. Might not be a million dollar item but still can fetch a nice sum. Heck, even modern Jurassic toys can sell good because of Mattel’s annoying distribution issues. And vintage Star Wars too. Just be careful due to the many bootlegs.
Trading cards. Surprised they weren’t on the list. Check old baseball and football cards for any hidden gems and if you collected Pokémon cards as a kid and they got stashed away when you went to college, take a look. Base set cards can go for several hundred if they’re holos and first edition Charizard Venusaur and Blastoise from base set are in the thousands in mint condition. Fossil, Jungle, Base set 2, Neo era and even up to gen 3 have rare cards among them. Gen 3 gold stars are one. Check prices online, perhaps seek out grading if the card stands s chance at getting a good grade, and you never know what you’ll find.
I would suggest a business of cleaning up rented storage. You know the ones that dont get bid on. Yes much will be trash but you will get paid for putting it into the dumpster. I realized what I had as I vo;entered to clean up after a senior died and left the cleanup to the inlaws and outlaws. I walked away with dozens of boxed of plastic trash bags of all sizes. all kinds od cleaning products. enough bird seed and feeders that went fast at a garage sale. then she had hundreds of the footies seniors use to keep their feet warm. she also had several hundred button down sweaters that seniors need because of their limited arm movement. along with a multitude of pots and pans. all inexpensive but snatched up for two dollars at the garage sale because they were new. so many knick knacks and picture frames with some nice pictures. and even some toys she had for the grandkids but never gave them to them. all new and in packaging. mostly was the rub-on pain reliever that smalls bad but works. the clothing and shoes (all new) were of one size for a woman of small stature but all new and priced quite cheep went quickly because they knew someone that could use them. I didnt sell the footies or sweaters. I donated them to a local nursing home that had many women glad to get the sweaters and footies. They gave me an estimated receipt for a tax deduction. it along with the money I got from the cleanup and garage sale I made out quite well. lastly looking in the many old purses I found a nice gold chains and locket I gave to my great grand daughter, proving their is always gold in trash. So buy the lockers at your peril or get paid for cleaning up the trash. Most of all have fun in your treasure hunt. ( also offer your services to people that purchase the units)——————— I, Grampa
I have:
China
Crystal
Records
Electronic
Toys
Stamp collection
Post card collection
Match books
Silver
That’s all I can think of but I don’t know where to go to sell any if it.
Help would be appreciated.