When it comes to spring cleaning, people will often clear out just about anything. This can lead to folks selling items at garage sales for less money than the item may actually be worth. The old adage “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” definitely applies here. What one person may perceive as intrinsically worthless may actually fetch a handsome price on the secondary market. There are many types of collectibles that can appreciate greatly in value over time. Consider having some items appraised for sale or put away in a storage unit. Here are 5 things you shouldn’t sell at garage sales brought to you by Houston Overhead Door, your number-one choice when looking for commercial roll up doors.
Family Antiques
When it comes to family heirlooms, antiques tend to top the list of underpriced items at garage sales. Sentimental value aside, authentic antique items can fetch tremendous sums from local collectors, antique shops, auction houses, or even eBay. One of the best ways to research whether an item is worth selling is to check eBay for similar items. You’ll want to research both current listings and completed listings to see what actually sells for what price, as current listings can sometimes be too highly-priced for interested parties to buy.
If you are in possession of a great many antique items, you may consider visiting a vintage fair or antique show. If you do attend a fair, try to stay local and consider how much a table will cost in relation to what you have to sell. Before going, do be sure to have a general idea of what each item is worth so that you don’t find yourself ripped off. Some auction houses provide free appraisals.
Sports Memorabilia
Big-time sports collectibles may be well-known, but unfortunately, counterfeits are not uncommon. Having items with certificates of authenticity or items with the official hologram and license of a major sports league are often the only one’s sports memorabilia stores or serious collectors will acquire.
With so many people on the lookout for fakes, even an autographed jersey or game ball that you know to be real may not sell to anyone without any sort of certificate. That being said, because of the existence of fakes, the real deal can sell for more than you might at first think.
Your Comic Books
When it comes to comics, you’ll want to check out the websites of comic book retailers and online fan communities to properly value them. Rare issues of big names like Batman, Spiderman, and Superman can fetch big bucks, but other lesser-known characters can get handsome sums if you know where to look
Classic Stamps
Stamp collections may have plenty of postage worth only the value on its face, but there are stamps out there worth hundreds, thousands, or even millions of dollars. Don’t be afraid to check out resources on stamp collecting to find out if the collection you’re looking to get rid of will bring in more than a few handy dollars at the garage sale. At the very least, uncancelled postage is still worth something for its original usage.
Music
Vinyl album collectors have been making a serious comeback in recent years. While not every vinyl record is pure gold, the last thing you want to do is sell them at thrift store prices if more can be had for them. Like with antiques, checking current and completed listings on eBay for records is your first best bet. Independent record stores can also pay decent money for a rare album from a recognizable artist.
Records that are scratch-free and have the original artwork will fetch the most money. Recordings from The Beatles, Elvis Presley, and Bob Dylan have been deemed some of the most valuable by collectors. Some of these albums can fetch over a thousand dollars apiece.
Armed with this knowledge, you can understand why some folks go bargain-hunting at garage sales. In doing the proper research, you can make the money the early bird tag sales would have instead made at your expense.
