When you're thinking about antiques that might have some resale value, if you're like most people, you're probably thinking about things like jewellery, chinaware and ornate pieces of wooden furniture. These are some of the most commonly traded collectables, but they're far from the whole story.
Because most people don't know much about antiques unless they happen to collect or trade them, there are certain things that are overlooked when looking to get a bit of extra cash. When you're doing deceased estates clearance, for example, you may not be aware of some of the valuable items there are.
Here are some of the things to look out for that might just be worth a bit of extra money.
Comics, magazines and newspapers
It's fairly well known that some rare old comics can fetch a high price, but even those that don't seem significant at first glance might be attractive to collectors. It's worth having any vintage comics you find valued, especially if they're in great condition.
Less widely known is that magazines and newspapers can also have a reasonably high value. It's more likely they'll be worth something if they're linked to a historical event, are a long-running title or were released on a significant date. Again, the condition is important, as these items are easily damaged.
Vintage clothing
Clothes are one of the first things that either gets thrown out or donated to charity during a house clearance.
Before you do that, make sure you check for anything that might be valuable. Designer labels are obviously going to fetch a good price, but look out for high-quality materials and good tailoring as well.
Classic toys
Even though popular toys are manufactured in massive quantities, only a small fraction survive in good quality because they get damaged when children play with them.
Generally speaking, the older the toy, the more you can expect to get for it. With that said, even some fairly recent toys have a lot of appeal to collectors, so if there's anything in decent condition, it's worth finding out.
Electronic devices
With the rapid advancement of technology, gadgets and devices become obsolete quicker than ever. This leads to many old electronics simply being thrown away, but there's a charm to older items that collectors love.
Vintage radios, televisions, telephones and record players can all fetch good prices. Even some more modern electronics like computers can be valuable. Don't assume that something is worthless just because it no longer works – it may still be bought by someone who can fix it up, or just wants to display it.
Wooden boxes
When you're looking through jewellery for potentially valuable pieces, how much attention do you pay to the boxes it's stored in? In some cases, wooden jewellery boxes can be worth a fair bit of money, so make sure you get a valuation for anything that looks ornate or otherwise collectable.
