Top 10 Things Collectors SAVE To Make Money Later

Hello Collectors! I come across Collectors of all sorts everyday. People collect Barbie, Lladro, sports cards, figurines, watches, toe nail clippings, used q-tips - the list is long!

This blog is discussing monetary value - and what people hang on to the most to make money. Everything on this list is worth money. But, are they really worth what you think? Is it worth storing, and keeping these items because they could one day make you some money?

Below is our opinion and some web research on this topic. We see so many Collectors hanging on to items they think might be worth something possibly one day maybe.

The 10 Most Popular Things Collectors Save To Sell Are:

1. Recyclables. Mounds of them, bags of them, crates of them, they are stacked everywhere. Cash them in, otherwise they are worth nothing.Check your local recycling center to see what they
   
   accept, and how they accept it (whole cans vs crushed, etc). Ask a friend to help you if the load is large.
2. China. One person only needs so many dishes. Sell them on e-bay, give them to a family member or friend, or donate them. Besides the obvious sites like eBay and Amazon
   to sell your fine china dinnerware, try advertising on Craigslist and local and national newspapers. Garage and estate sales are other avenues to pursue for the sale of the dinnerware. Another idea is the utilization of consignment shops. These shops will sell your dinnerware for a small percentage profit and usually have a good amount of weekly traffic. This helps to ensure the likely hood of an eventual sale.(courtesy of Ask.com).
3. Baseball Cards. I too collected these as a child!  Late 1980s and early 1990s baseball cards simply aren’t worth much. Most of them are barely worth the cardboard they’re printed on, sadly enough. Complete sets, particularly from 1986 to 1993, are worth only small amounts (excepting some of the premium sets from late in that year range), usually less than $40. I had five complete 1988 Topps sets and seven more complete sets from this time frame and only the 1989 Upper Deck set was worth significant money. (http://www.thesimpledollar.com/dealing-with-those-piles-of-old-baseball-cards-in-your-closet/)
4. Comic Books. Thousands and thousands have crossed our paths (literally)!
   Frank Santoro, a columnist for the Comics Journal and an avid collector himself, has noticed the same trend. “More and more of these types of collections are showing up for sale,” he says. “And they’re becoming more and more devalued. The prices are dropping.” He recently had to break the bad news to a friend’s uncle, who was convinced his comic collection—about 3,000 books—was worth at least $23,000. “I told him it was probably more like $500,” Santoro says. “And a comic book store would probably only offer him $200.” (Courtesy of businessweek.com).
5. Old Newspapers (specific events). What you think is an important event might not be so important to everyone else. The age of the newspaper has very little to do directly with the
   
   value. As you will see in reading this file, it is possible to purchase an authentic American newspaper from the 1790's for as little as $25, or an original late 1600's British newspaper for under $25, while an original December 7, 1941 Honolulu Star-Bulletin sells for from $200 to as much as $700 (beware as most of these editions found are old reprints with little or no collector value). In most cases, the value of the newspaper is greatly affected by what the news is on the front page. Usually, those papers having front page
   coverage of major events in American or world history command the highest prices. Basically, the more important to history, the higher the value.(courtesy of historybuff.com)
6. Old Clothing/purses/shoes. That Prada bag is not worth anything if the leather is torn, or the strap is tethered. Any high end consignment shop will have you pay out of pocket to have your items cleaned and repaired before they will accept them. What you cannot sell online, donate to charity and take the write off.
7. Vinyl Records. People love to save old records. They don't even have a record player.
   Those records are worth ZERO (zilch, nada) collecting dust. Sell them to a used record store or donate them. Here are some tips on how to sell your old records.
8. Antiques. Everyone loves antiques! If you are not using your piece, or displaying it, it's time to trade it in or sell it. There are so many venues to do this! But first, make sure your Antiques are real. Antiques.about.com says "There are tricksters out in the world who will soak linens in tea to make them look aged or beat a piece of furniture with a chain to make it look worn and weathered. There's nothing wrong with buying these items when you know what you're getting, but realizing that not every dealer on the planet is an honest fellow makes sense, too."
9. Barbie Dolls. I <3 Barbie! Lot's of gals old and young collect them. See how much your Barbie is worth here. Limbless Barbie, Grease-Stained Barbie, Chopped-Hair Barbie and that Ken doll with multiple dog bites - are not worth anything. Sort through your Collection and only keep what is in mint condition.
10. Beanie Babies. These soft little guys are everywhere. I have seen thousands of them still in packages with hopes to be someones retirement fund. I have collected hundreds of them for donations, and seen a handful of these little guys at the landfill (RIP). What is your Beanie Baby Collection worth? "Beanies that sold for hundreds or even thousands of dollars on the secondary market between 1994 and 1998 barely fetch ten cents on those dollars in today's aftermarket." (http://www.tycollector.com/values.htm)

Stamp Collections are also popular.

For the sake of making space in your home, and earning a few bucks - go through your Collections, Collectors! Sell what makes money, donate what you don't need, and display what you love.
Do you need help going through your collection? Would you like someone trained, caring and responsible helping you making those important decisions about your stuff?

Hire a Professional Organizer to help you go through your Collection:

www.collectorcare.com (925) 548-7750