Vintage items that could be worth a fortune - including Disney VHS worth £30,000

One person’s rubbish is another one’s treasure – and this week, MoneyMagpie Editor and financial expert Vicky Parry helps you locate potential treasure in your house

If you’re short of cash, your home could hold the secret to finding a fortune.

We’ve all seen shows like Cash in the Attic – and they’re successful for a reason! Vintage and speciality items can fetch a pretty penny, even if you didn’t pay over the odds for them when new. Here are some common things people have in their homes that could earn a nice extra wedge of cash in time for Christmas.

Vintage vinyl LPs

Vinyl records are increasingly popular, as people yearn for physical media in a digital age. Some artists release special editions only available on vinyl, which immediately raises the price as they’re collectible. But selling vintage vinyl records could be the secret to a small fortune. They should be in pristine condition, but first presses of popular albums by the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Nirvana (Bleach album), and even the Sex Pistols can fetch a lot of cash.

Go through your collection to pull out ones you don’t listen to anymore. Then, use Discogs.com to find the value of each one. You can sell to specialist shops or on auction sites like eBay.

Vintage clothes

You might think you don’t have any vintage clothes to sell, but think again. ‘Vintage’ is anything over fifteen years old. If you have anything dating from the 1990s, you’re in particular luck as good quality 1990s fashion is selling particularly well on websites like Vinted and Spock.

People don’t expect vintage clothes to be in perfect condition. Make sure you list any notable defects on any online listing, to ensure people know what they’re buying.

Vintage designer clothes and accessories can be very valuable, particularly bags in perfect condition. The Vestiaire Collective is an online marketplace specifically for second hand designer items, where you could easily nab a few hundred pounds for your old D&G, Chanel, even All Saints.

Cassettes and VHS

Nostalgia is strong with many vintage collectors. If you still have your old cassette tapes and want to sell your VHS collection, you’re in luck. Videos and cassettes in good condition – especially special editions – can fetch a good price.

If you have a large collection, you could sell to a specialist as one lot. Just make sure you don’t have any particularly valuable items hidden away, first! Well-preserved Disney VHS in mint condition can fetch a few hundred pounds. There are some huge exceptions, too – a few years ago, the Black Diamond edition of Beauty and the Beast sold for over £30,000!

The same goes for selling cassette tapes – especially gig-only editions, small runs (like Throbbing Gristle’s 24 Hours with only 50 made), or very rare like The Artist Formerly Known As Prince’s Versace Experience Prelude 2 Gold, which sold for over $4000 a few years ago.

Broken jewellery

Most people will have old watches, single earrings from a lost pair, or rings that have been passed down that will never fit. Broken jewellery has two options for value. First, you can take to a specialist to break it down for the jewels and metal to have it remade into custom new jewellery that could be resold.

Second, you can sell jewellery based on the weight of the metal. Gold and silver can fetch more than you think – track precious metal prices to make sure you sell when they’re in a peak, as they can go up and down. This will ensure you’re paid a good price. There are many services online for postal scrap gold buyers, but it is safer to take to a shop in person. Most towns and cities will have a jeweller or scrap gold specialist who can weigh your broken jewellery for a fair price.

Original Polly Pockets and other toys

Vintage toys from the 1990s or earlier have a great resale value for specialist collectors. Polly Pockets, for example, can easily fetch £150 for a small one in good condition. Vintage and special edition Lego has its own huge resale market, too.

If you’re lucky enough to have old computers and games consoles at home in working condition, collectors will be interested. Selling vintage computer games is easy to do online with auction sites, too. Rare ones will do well, especially in mint condition – a Castlevania Adventure Gameboy game would fetch over $1,000, while Amazing Tater sold for $10,000 in 2022.

How to sell your items

The best way to sell is to find a collector, often through a specific hobbyist website. For particularly valuable items, you can also find specialist in-person auctions.

Making money selling your vintage items can also be done at pop-up markets (if you have a lot), or car boot sales, if you’re willing to barter. If you regularly sell vintage things as a side business, like flipping furniture, make sure that you register for Self Assessment with HMRC if your turnover is over £1,000. But if you’re just selling your stuff as a one-off, you don’t need to do this.

Finally, online auction sites like eBay are still reliable for finding a more international audience, which might be beneficial for collector’s items. Just make sure you factor in international postage options otherwise you could spend a lot on getting it to the buyer!

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