5 Things you’ve got in your garage that’s worth BIG money (and you don’t even realise it!)
When we think about expensive antiques or collectibles, our minds might go straight to jewellery and rare coins, but the good news is that you may have a gold mine in your back room or garage without even realising it.
“Gen Z and millennials are big into nostalgia items, including vintage toys and clothing,” says Estelle Nagel, Head of Brand Marketing at Gumtree South Africa. “You might not think they are worth anything, but we’re seeing “junk drawer” items sell for hundreds if not thousands of rands on the secondhand market.”
- Vintage Toys
Vintage toys are extremely popular, especially those found in the 1980s and 1990s. “Millennial consumers that have the deepest pockets are buying their old toys back to display, or because they simply want to share their passions with their kids. Most of the old TV series we grew up watching have been revived or are available on streaming channels and are being discovered by younger generations. There’s also a big push towards to 1980’s nerd culture thanks to shows like Stranger Things,” says Nagel. Image: Vintage Magic Babies up for grabs on Gumtree at R400 Collectible Barbies sell for R1000 – R10,000, Tazos (that were given away in Simba chips packets in the late 1990s) sell for R25 each, vintage Furbies sell for R500-R1000, and Hot Wheels cars can sell for several hundred rand, depending on its rarity. And if you happen to have a rare 1959 Barbie in stock, you could easily sell it for R350,000 at auction. “Even if you don’t have something highly collectible, your vintage Fisher Price baby toys are still fetching R300-R800 each online because the new ones are pricey.”
- Car parts
Whenever you have a major service and replace your car parts, the workshop usually hands the old parts back to you. Don’t throw them away or leave them in the garage – they can be sold! “Always insist on getting your old car parts back. Oftentimes, they are still usable and as long as you are transparent about the condition, you will find someone willing to purchase them.” According to Nagel, the car parts section of the site receives more than a half a million unique browsers every month looking for bargain deals. “Usually you won’t get more than a few hundred rand back, but it’s always better than nothing.”
- Porcelain Ornaments and Sets
Those strange figurines that your grandmother displayed in her Imbuia glass cabinet might be just worth a pretty penny today. Hummel figures that depict little children have fetched as much as R500,000 at auction! “Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder when it comes to porcelain and ceramics, but some figurines fetch high prices at auction. Lladro fine porcelain sells well (R1000 and more), Noritake dinner sets fetch as much as R2000-R5000, and Naaman ceramics usually get between R500 – R2000. Most vintage porcelain tea sets and dinnerware sets do very well as well, so do a little homework if you have some of these items in your possession.” Image: Vintage Hummel Set that sold for half a million rand at auction.
- Vinyl records
At one stage, vinyl records sold for R2 a piece at the local charity shop. Nowadays, a popular vinyl record easily sells for R400-R1500 online. “Record players are the ultimate hipster items, and movies like Bohemian Rhapsody, Mamma Mia and Rocketman has seen demand for original records skyrocket.”
- Granny’s clothes
Don’t just raid Granny’s display cabinet. Vintage clothing is very popular. “The 80s and 90s are doing very well online, as well as classic coats and dresses from the 1950s and 1960s. Vintage designer labels of any age are always popular. You can sell your vintage clothes for anything from R200 to R2000 with ease, along with older costume jewellery, bags and hats.” Other items that do well are vintage cameras and cellphones (working or non-working), vintage sports equipment and vintage baby furniture, while the items that usually underperform include old coins and art works. “Old coins that have been in circulation are generally not worth much and if you are struggling to flip old artworks, it may be worth investing in a modern frame,” says Nagel.
