Ever bought an item years ago and time passed and it lost usefulness?

Many of us have these items we no longer make use of. Ranging from gifts we got from events to stuff given from friends. Some we touched or used for a while. Others were rarely opened and ended up in a place we now call basement or storage for some.

What we don’t know is these items — gadgets, appliances, toys have accumulated in value. Contrary to the belief of depreciation when an item isn’t used, nostalgia for electronics has made these products rank up in value.

And these items can fetch us a few bucks. You’ll surely be amazed you own a few of the products on the list.

Old Cell Phones

When we were young, whenever we bought new products, old and previously existing products would be relegated and won’t be used again. 

Or who still remembers what happened to their small sized Motorola or Sony Ericsson? Because they’re rare in the market, collectors have interest in them and could cough out a few hundreds for them. 

Valuable models that could interest collectors include the Motorola Lazer, the Ericsson GH 337, the Nokia 8850 Hiptop Sidekick and the Ericsson T39m.

Your First iPod

It’s on record the iPod was first released in 2001, more than 18 years ago. Yet, people who still own the first iPod releases are making a huge return selling them off.

Most of the first editions of iPods have fetched up to $20,000. While you might not have yours in the box it came with, there’s still a chance you can make a profit off it.

These iPods might seem old, but there are people who find them useful.

Video Games

Vintage video games are beginning to be of huge demand in the video game world.

Especially early or first versions of these games. Someone for example sold a copy of Super Mario Bros for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) for about $30,000

Why? 

The game was packaged differently, meaning it was sold separately from the NES when it was released.

Not long after, Nintendo and Super Mario Bros was sold together. With this, the older versions of the game became extinct.

Pyrex Bowls

First introduced in 1915, Pyrex bowls was unique because of its usefulness as it helped serve and preserve food.

People use this bowl for a variety of functions including to mix, cook and bake.  The most significant feature was its borosilicate glass.

With its value, it’s been speculated to cost a lot. People who still have these Pyrex bowls especially the rare designed ones—floral, geometric, or colored solid can sell it off for a few hundreds.

Rare Legos

Our childhood was littered with Legos toys as we had fun times playing with them. But what if we told you these toys could fetch a few bucks for those who still possess them.

Yes. The earlier made products of Legos are being searched for in the market for various reasons and collectors are specially interested in the Legos Star Wars Cloud City edition. This particular one might fetch those who own it about $660 on average. 

Others like the minifigs e.g the White Bobba Fett are worth around $130 to $175 if it’s available in the original packaging.

Vintage Toasters 

Many grandparents like to keep stuff like this in their basement. Of course, tech advancements has made sure we’ve moved on from those earlier made toasters.

These vintage toasters are however worth a lot more these days. One of them, the Sweet Heart toaster was sold in the 1930. The toaster has exposed sides that toast one side of the bread at a time. For this, a seller could get up to $650.

Most families might still be in possession of this special toaster since it has a button that flips the bread around, toasting its other side. The reason why it’s so valuable.

Typewriters 

People are selling old collections of typewriters for as high as $27,000 on the foremost e-commerce site, eBay.

For people in possession of a typewriter even before the introduction of a computer, or you got one from a relative, you could make money off it.

There’s a chance you might not have one that old, but these typewriters are sold in the range of $50 to $500. 

There are ones being sold for less than $400 since typewriters are still all over the place these days.

Record Players 

Now that we stream music, CDs and vinyl players are mostly not used any longer.

But collectors are however interested in this as vinyls are still being played by old people in some countries thus eliciting a demand for record players.

The Technics SL-1200 was recently sold on eBay for around $5,000. If you’re in possession of old editions of record players, you can determine the price by checking it on eBay.

Regardless of the model, record players can generate up to $150. It’s a good sale after all.

Vacuum Cleaners

Surprised? Anyone will be since vacuum cleaners are a staple in most households. However, collectors are interested in vintage vacuum cleaners.

Who knows. You could discover one in your grandmother’s basement and it can just fetch you a few thousands.

Recently, a 1945 Kirby upright vacuum cleaner got sold for $2,500. With a polish and thorough cleaning, you could make that 90s Vacuum cleaner new again.

First Edition Books

If you’ve had no luck in all the previously mentioned goods, you should have with this. Usually, book publishers release a first edition of a book before revised editions are released few years later.

It’s this first editions collectors want. For example, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is worth thousands of dollars in the market.

If you have the first edition of this book, you could get up to $63,000 for it.

Old Apple Computers 

With earlier made Apple products being in demand, vintage Apple computers are being searched for as well.

For example, one of Apple’s first computers, Apple I which was released in 1976 is worth around $40,000. This is because it’s a limited version as only 575 were sold around that period.

The next Apple computer, Apple II had over six million sales thus it has not worth as much.

For those who still have these vintage Apple products, good news is it’s in demand and it can get you between $700 to $2,500 in return.

1980s Boomboxes

Way back then, this was a trend in the streets. It was cool and everyone longed to have one. They had features like buttons, dials, switches with the exceptional feature of being loud. 

Many might still possess these old sets of Boomboxes and they’re worth thousands of dollars on eBay.

Vintage Lunchbox 

Who would have thought lunch boxes which were a common sight when we were young could now be worth a lot of dollars?

In an episode of Pawn Stars, an authentic Jetsons lunch box was sold off for $400. It could have been more expensive if it had matching thermos.

Being that modern versions exist, collectors want this old, vintage lunch boxes because they are rare. And one could gain a few hundreds in return.

Rare Gameboy Games

Handheld gaming devices such as the Nintendo Gameboy made guys go crazy the year they were released. Because they had some cool games. For those who still have it, they’re going off for a fortune.

Some like the Shantae, a cult classic for the Gameboy color ($300 to $760), Trip World, a proto-Kirby game for the Gameboy ($280 to $1,200), or Spud’s Adventure, a Gameboy classic about potatoes ($190 to $1,520).

American Girl Dolls

Dolls were a thing to most little girls in the 90s and perhaps they’re still a thing. But it’s quite known that they cost a whole lot.

For instance, the Molly McIntire is valued at $1,250 and there are famous ones like the Samantha Parkington which sells for the same amount.

Perhaps the most expensive doll is the Kanani Akina, which was released as a limited edition. Those who have this can sell it for $2,500.

VHS Tapes

Disney films released in the past are worth a fortune these days. For instance, the Beauty and the Beast edition VHS is worth over $10,000.

Others like The Godfather trilogy or the Beatles documentation “Let It Be” can recoup a few hundreds as well.

Classic Guitars

Remember those old guitars you saw in grandpa’s living room, just lying down there with no use, how about you cash in on them?

Or your parents had this guitar passed down to them but now useless or being dumped down in your store, a few thousands can be generated from the sale of these instruments.

Classic guitars form the 1950s and 60s from brands like Fender or Gibson can bring you like $10,000 or even more.

Sony Walkmans

Long before the advent of latest gadgets, the Sony Walkman was the go-to tool for listening to music.

One of the earlier versions of the Walkman, the TPS-L2 was valued at $450 back then in 1979 when it was released.

It’s possible you might not have this model, there are others that might interest collectors. The DD Quartz and the WM EX808 HG can generate some funds as well. 

Collectors could also part with a huge sum if you have a Walkman unopened.

Vintage Cameras 

Years have gone by and they’ve been an upgrade in cameras in the past decades.

Features that came with old cameras have been discarded for new ones and thus, some film makers are in need for these vintage cameras.

For example, it’s difficult to create feeling of using a dark room but this can be easier if there’s a vintage camera. If you have a vintage Leica, you could recoup a few thousands in exchange for it.

The Leica M3 goes for $900 to $1200, making it one of the most demanded cameras out there.

Vintage Coca – Cola ads

Coca Cola brands are always known for their story telling ads which are usually fascinating. 

Just a glimpse at a past Coca Cola ad might make you hunger for it. 

These vintage ads interest collectors. Just like the one seen above, collectors are paying hundreds for some of these vintage items that advertise Coca Cola. One metal tray with a painting by Norman Rockwell got sold for $1,610 in 2010.

One must however be careful as some of these ads might be a reproduction.

Polly Pocket Sets

If you still got any of those Polly Pocket sets still in good condition, perhaps this is the best time to cash in on them.

Valued around $500, one would wonder why they are demanded.

In the 90s, the company that made them, Mattel stopped production. Since they were rare, they were being sought for in the market. However, a fan club began to collect the remaining pieces by buying them from those who still have them.

Recently, a Peter Pan playset was sold off for £1,044 in the UK. Whilst in America, there’s not a high demand for these toys due to the availability here. 

Yet, this would be a good time to trade off these Polly Pocket sets as they are are in high demand now.

Great Depression Glassware

During the times of the Great Depression, people bought these sets of  glassware to preserve food. Cheap at the time, they came in bright translucent colors as they sold by food distributors like Quaker Oats.

Then, they were not of high value because of the cheap prices they were sold and hence they could be easily replaced.

But now, there seems to be this nostalgia for these glassware as people are now longing to have one. With this, value for these items has risen up with much emphasis for those that came in pink, cobalt blue and green.

Autographed Sports Memorabilia

Two decades ago, it was a regular sight for children to bring their cards, shirt, caps or any other item to get it signed by their sporting idols.

While that might not be common now, since already autographed outfits are sold online, if you have a Mickey Mantle autographed baseball for instance, you can get $$$ for that.

Disney Theme Park Souvenirs

Remember those times we went on vacation to Disneyland and were given souvenirs or bought one at the stores? Those theme park souvenirs can be redeemed for some huge bucks.

For staunch Disneyana (a word that explains the Disney ephemera and collectibles) fans, theme park souvenirs are highly sought after as they are the best of their collections, particularly the vintage items from the ancient years of Disneyland and Walt Disney World. 

If you have any of these items, you could trade them off for a few hundreds on eBay.

Trading Cards

Trading cards have been known to be worth a fortune and their worth keeps rising. Recently, a LeBron James card got sold for about $1.8 million.

It’s not only sports cards that are worth a huge amount, some old Pokémon cards from the 90s are valued highly.