Decluttering your home isn’t only good for your peace of mine–you may also come upon certain items that may be valuable! While you’re organizing and cleaning, keep an eye out for the following:
- Coins. Next time you sweep the couch cushions for loose change, take a look at them before you toss them in the change jar. Look for coins that were only in circulation for a short time, or coins with minting errors, like double dates. Unlike everything else on this list, dirty coins tend to sell for higher prices, so don’t clean them before you take them in for appraisal.
- Comic Books. Should you stumble on a comic featuring the first ever appearance of a popular character, consider yourself very lucky–a copy of Action Comics #1, the first appearance of Superman, sold for over $3 million! But for the rest of us, keep an eye out for older comics (pre-1970s) in good condition. Books about popular characters (such as anything with a movie) with low issue numbers are your best bet.
- Art. Like comics, the condition of a piece of art is going to have a big impact on its value. Art tends to be subjective in its pricing, but generally an original will be worth more than a print or reproduction. Contact local museums and galleries to find reputable dealers to help you price art.
- Stamps. These are similar to coins. Stamps that only circulated for a short time or stamps with manufacturing errors are your best bet. The better the condition they’re in, the better the price they are likely to fetch.
If you’ve been hanging on to something just because you think it might be valuable, speak with a qualified, reputable dealer to get a fair assessment. After you’ve sorted out what to keep and what to sell, call Mr. Junk in Metro Atlanta to get rid of everything else!
