Professional Secrets for Finding Treasure at Garage Sales

39. Stamps

From my experience, stamps are one of those collectibles that people think might be worth a lot of money, but the reality is that their resale value is abysmal. On eBay, I even found a seller who is giving away over 100 stamps for around $5 after shipping. (I actually bought some of these myself, because that’s cheaper than buying new ones from the post office.) Years ago, I met a woman who inherited her late husband’s stamp collection. She used all of them for actual postage, since they still hold value as a way to send mail. One of the packages I received from her was filled top to bottom with his old stamps, because the value was only a few cents each, and she needed an entire box full of stamps just to send something to me!

When it comes to looking for stamps at garage sales, it’s not likely that you will find them too easily. Most people are aware that stamps are valuable, so they tend to research these things on eBay before giving them away. With that being said, it’s not impossible to find a rare and expensive stamp. Just very, very unlikely. The most expensive stamp ever sold was the British Guiana One-Cent Magenta. In 2014, it sold for $9.48 million. And it’s not the only one. Several stamps have sold for over $1 million. But they all have one thing in common, which is that they are very, very rare. And most of them are also incredibly old.

38. Baseball Cards

Yet another item people assume is worth a fortune are baseball cards. Again, not all baseball cards are worth anything. The vast majority of modern cards were printed thousands of times. Kids tend to play with them, and they’re not in great condition by the time they grow up. Remember that they are worth more when they’re still brand new, sealed in packages. Just like stamps, it’s not impossible to find a valuable baseball card. But it has to be very old, and very rare. The most expensive baseball card ever sold was the 1909-1911 T206 Honus Wagner. In 2016, it sold for $3.12 million.

Years ago, I was able to get a huge collection of baseball cards from someone who just wanted to get rid of everything from their childhood collection. This person said they didn’t bother researching the values, because they didn’t have the time. There were thousands of cards. I assumed that maybe if I was patient enough to spend that time looking up the values of every card, it might pay off… Nope. They were all virtually worthless. I ended up donating all of them to a thrift store, because I was sick of seeing them take up space in my house. Just because I struck out doesn’t mean you can’t get a home run. But it’s definitely one of those hobbies where you need to do a ton of research to understand the value of the cards.

37. Artwork

If you start shopping at local garage sales and find an original oil painting, it’s almost always worth buying. Even amateur artists can sell for a few hundred dollars online, as long that the painting is original. Just be careful of reproductions. You can tell that something is original when you can actually see the brush strokes, and feel the ridges of the paint with your fingers. Art is one of those fields where the value is very subjective. A piece could be worthless to one person, and it could be worth thousands to another. And when a wealthy person is looking to decorate their house, they are willing to spend a lot of money if it means getting the aesthetic they’re aiming for.

In a documentary called Who the #$&% Is Jackson Pollock?, a truck driver bought a Jackson Pollock painting at a yard sale for $5. This is massive, because his paintings have sold at auction for well over $100 million. Obviously, these sorts of events are very rare. But art is definitely one of those fields worth learning about. (There are people who earn a Master’s Degree in Art History to learn about this stuff.) If you’re hoping to find individual pieces that are worth a lot of money, art could be the way to do it. During my time as a reseller, finding amazing works of art was one of my favorite things.

36. Photographs

In the digital age, very few people keep physical photos of their family and friends anymore. Even old family photos from the days of disposable cameras may have been scanned before being disposed of. Just like art, photos hold subjective value. There are collectors out there who will pay between $50 to $100 for a single photograph, so long as it holds value to them. Same goes for Kodachrome slides. Artists and collectors often buy slides to create new works of art.

Of course, like all things in life, if there is a rare version of something, it’s valuable. A photo of Billy the Kid was once found in a thrift store for only $2, and it has been appraised at $5 million. As you can probably tell, these expensive photos need to be featuring a celebrity, or some sort of historic event. So don’t get too excited, because old family photos don’t hold much value- except the priceless sentimental value, of course.

35. Toys

When you’re trying to find things to resell at garage sales, you need to ask yourself what the buyer’s motivation might be. With toys, it’s very clear. Buyers want to pay for nostalgia. Maybe they always wanted a certain toy when they were a kid, and now they are an adult and can finally afford it. Or, maybe they are starting to have kids, and they realize that they want their own children to have certain toys that they grew up with. With that being said, they don’t want to buy a heavily used, dirty version of that toy. They’re looking for toys that are in like-new condition, or still brand new in the box. Obviously, it’s hard to come across toys like that when kids have played with them multiple kids in the same family, or multiple generations.

Any time you find vintage games or toys in like-new condition, it’s always worth the time to do a quick search on the eBay app. For example, Lite-Brites are no longer in production. So if you find one, you can get $300. And then there are rare antique lead and tin toys which fetch $50 to $100. The most expensive toys of them all are the ultra-rare items. For example, rare G.I. Joe action figures regularly sell for nearly $2,000 each, and one even sold for $2 million.

34. Furniture

If you’re a fan of Antiques Roadshow, you already know that people get thousands of dollars for their furniture all the time. With the era of Ikea, that is becoming more of a rare thing to find high quality furniture. But back in 1998, a teacher from New Jersey found a table at a garage sale for just $25. When she took it on Antiques Roadshow, it went for auction and sold for $541,500. Wow! Keep in mind that when it comes to very old wooden antique furniture, you should never try to restore it, sand, or paint it. Collectors often want it in its original condition. If you suspect a piece of furniture could be worth something, never assume anything. Get it appraised by a professional.

Flipping furniture you find at garage sales can be a very profitable business venture too, if you’re willing to put in the work. The only trouble is that it’s often a big barrier to entry. First of all, you need a pickup truck or an SUV to bring the furniture home. (And a second set of hands to help you lift the furniture.) You also need to live in a house with a garage, basement, or barn to store the inventory. Then you need all of the tools necessary to repair or repaint the furniture. Check out this video titled We Paid Our Mortgage 3X Flipping Furniture.

33. Books

Some of you may have heard of the Gutenberg Bible. There are only 180 that have ever existed in the world, and 49 that are currently accounted for. So the last one that sold was worth $35 million. For some of you, that sounds like a treasure hunt of Indiana Jones type proportions. But good luck trying to find that at your local garage sales.

However, you’ll end up with much better luck finding first edition vintage and antique books. I once found a first edition Men Without Women by Ernest Hemingway at a thrift store for just 25 cents, and I flipped it for $250 within a week… And that’s because I was desperate for money at the time. Now, I see that someone is trying to sell the same book for $750.

32. Kitchen Appliances

Vintage appliances are very popular right now. 1950’s enthusiasts, set designers, and collectors actually love to buy retro appliances. So if you ever find one at a yard sale, you should consider picking it up. Of course, most buyers want to make sure the piece works before they buy it from you. So be sure to check its condition before you commit to buying it.

Garage sales are great if you’re in need of a new kitchen appliance for yourself, too. There was an entire New York Times article on how you can find luxury kitchen appliances on the cheap from people who move out of their homes. This happens a lot, because if someone is moving, they want to get some money back for the appliance, rather than just giving it away for free to the next tenant or home buyer.

31. Sneakers

Some of you out there might already be familiar with the term “sneakerhead”, which is someone who is a huge fan of collecting shoes. Believe it or not, the athletic shoe market is worth a whopping $2 billion annually. Some of the most expensive sneakers in the world go for tens of thousands of dollars. For example, the Nike So Cal Air Force 1 Supreme Max Sold for $50,000.

With that being said, the sneaker reselling market is fierce. When I used to sell full time, I would go to the Goodwill Outlet several days a week. Whenever they brought out a bin of sneakers, a huge crowd of people would jump on them like vultures. And every time I had a garage sale or sold my stuff at a flea market, all of my shoes would be sold by 8AM. Collectors also tend to over-value their own collection, and hold onto their sneakers knowing that they possibly have a resale value. But you should never say never. If you can set your alarm and be one of the first people to show up at garage sales, you just might get lucky.

30. Typewriters

From my experience, most of the people who want to buy typewriters are either set designers, or people looking to give their home a Dark Academia vibe. Typically, these go from anywhere between $20 to $100. But they’re tricky to sell, because they are incredibly heavy. And a lot of buyers will ask you if it’s still working. So be prepared to learn to use one.

One of the most expensive typewriters ever sold was a Remington No. 1, which was sold for $27,000 in 2014. If you can find a rare model, you could easily make at least a few hundred or even $1,000. Just make sure to bring your cellphone with you to do the online research when you go to garage sales.

29. Pocket Watches

Years ago, men wore pocket watches instead of having them around their wrist. These were seen as a sort of jewelry or fashion accessory. The nicer the pocket watch, the more someone could show off their success. Just be careful when you look at pocket watches at garage sales. There are a lot of costume watches, as well as cheap knock-offs made in China.

The most expensive pocket watch that was ever sold was the 1920 Patek Philippe Supercomplication, which was sold for $24-million in 2014. Browsing eBay, I see that working pocket watches sell from $100 to $18,000 depending on the brand and condition.

28. Pottery

Handmade pottery is always beautiful and incredibly valuable. Even if you’re selling pottery you make yourself, you can make $30 to $50 per piece or more. So if you go to a yard sale and you find a beautiful piece of pottery, there is a good chance that it could be worth something. Always check the bottom for any markings that would help you identify the maker.

If you’re looking for inspiration, look no further. Back in 2013, there was a woman who found a bowl at a yard sale for just $3. She didn’t know what it was, or how much it was worth. She simply thought it looked pretty. Turns out it was a 1,000 year old bowl from China. It was auctioned at Sotheby’s, and sold for $2 million.

27. Duck Decoys

In case you are unaware, wood decoy ducks are quite valuable. The wooden kind are always handmade, and it takes years of work to make ones that look realistic. At my local seaport, they even keep the tradition of making duck decoys with small classes of local artisans. Even then, they only admit “advanced” duck makers, not beginners. So it’s something that these artists feel passionate about.

Looking on eBay, I can see that they sell for as little as $10. But the most expensive sale in 2021 was an Antique Merganser Duck Decoy that sold for $8,100. Many of you might be thinking- Why? What makes one only worth $10 and the other worth over $8,000? I would say it has a lot to do with artistic talent and detail. It’s very clear that one was created by a master craftsman, while the other was created by a newbie.

26. Jewelry

Selling jewelry can definitely be a profitable business. I have personally made some good money from reselling pieces online. Pro tip- Always check pockets and inside of purses! I found an amazing gold cocktail ring with dozens of tiny diamonds inside of a vintage purse. Since I was paying for the purse, I essentially got the ring for free. Instead of selling it, I decided to hold onto it as a gift to myself. I’m not the only one who has been so lucky. A woman who found a diamond ring at a garage sale for $13 was able to sell it at Sotheby’s for $850,000.

The tricky part is learning the skills to identify the jewelry, or be willing to pay for appraisal. A thrift store near me was constantly getting donations of costume jewelry, and occasionally got lucky finding real gold. So they decided to try to expand the business by buying jewelry for resale. However, they weren’t professional jewelers. Even though they bought a gold testing kit, they made a lot of mistakes. Eventually, they were losing money, and had to give up that part of the business completely.

25. Perfume Bottles

Most people assume that the value of a perfume is in the liquid alone. Many designer scents easily fetch $100 to $1,000 per bottle. The most expensive bottle of perfume ever put on the market was DKNY Golden Delicious Million Dollar Perfume. As the name suggests, it really did cost $1 million per bottle.

But did you know that empty bottles sell for a lot of money too? The fancier the bottle, the better. Years ago, perfume bottles were made of hand blown glass. Even when you find decorative bottles without a brand name, there are people out there who enjoy decorating the top of their dresser with beautiful perfume bottles.

24. Comic Books

The most expensive comic book ever sold was issue 1 of The Man of Steel, which sold for $3.2 million. And many rare volumes sell for thousands of dollars, if only you can find them. On an episode of Storage Wars, one of the regulars lamented the fact that he found a storage locker full of comics, and yet he sold them all to a comic expert instead of doing the research one by one. If you plan to sell comic books, be careful. Even if you have a rare volume, that doesn’t necessarily mean you can sell it for the high prices you find online. You need to pay for them to get graded by a professional before you even try to sell something valuable. Every little crease, tear, or imperfection is going to affect the comic’s grade. Earlier on this list, I mentioned how I was able to buy an entire baseball card collection, and ended up giving them all away. The same thing happened with comic books. With so many TV shows revealing the true value of comics, it’s very difficult to find a collection where the person genuinely didn’t know how much they could potentially be worth.

23. Vintage Video Games and Consoles

Kids who grew up playing video games are all grown up, and have passed on the tradition to their own kids. Now, games are available for download, and even rare games have ROM emulators. However, there is still a collectible value to owning the real cartridge, as well as the consoles to play them on.

Rare video games regularly sell for hundreds of dollars. A game called Nintendo’s Stadium Events sold for $35,000. So if you ever find vintage games at a garage sale, snatch them up and ask questions later. Many of these will regularly sell between $20 to $50, so you should be able to get your money back and make a profit.

22. Clothing

This next topic is near and dear to my heart, because clothing used to be my specialty. (I even wrote a whole guide on how to save double at the thrift store based on that experience.) After spending years searching for antiques to resell, I shifted my focus to only selling clothing. I was inspired by women like Sophia Amoruso, and Nicole State. Clothing is a great thing to sell online, because people have a habit of wearing their clothes only a few times before wanting something new. And if they’re shopping on a budget, they don’t mind shopping somewhere like eBay or Poshmark. During the pandemic, clothing sales went down, because people were staying home a lot more. But now that we’re allowed to go out again, there is a resurgence in people buying fashion.

I think my best flip experience was a Rodarte tee shirt I found at the Goodwill Outlet for 10 cents, since it was pay-by-the-pound. It was brand new with the tags still on it. When I got home, I listed it for $50, and it sold almost instantly. Since these tees go for over $100 in stores, it was a huge bargain for the buyer, it was also a huge profit for me in 5 just minutes. Sure, I’ve sold pieces for $100 or more. But normally, those take months or even years to sell. The faster you can flip something for profit, the better.

21. Signs

If you have seen American Pickers, you already know that they love to sell vintage signs. Most of the items that sell for a lot of money are ones that were formerly roadside signs. They’re huge, and the new owners proudly hang them in their barns and garages. Normally, these signs might sell for $200. But if you’re lucky, rare signs featuring popular brands can go for much more. While researching for this article, I spotted a Texaco sign that sold for $17,000.

However, you need to be careful when you browse garage sales. Nowadays, you can walk into any Hobby Lobby or Michael’s craft store and find reproductions of vintage signs. To the untrained eye, you might assume that the sign is old, when in reality it’s only worth $20. I made that mistake a few times when browsing garage sales as a newbie. Be careful, and examine the signs carefully before you try to sell them.

20. Model Trains

For people who assemble model trains, they take it very seriously. They spend years putting together their little villages and collecting accessories to go along with the train sets. Even celebrities like Rod Stewart, Gary Coleman, Frank Sinatra, Elton John, and Walt Disney all collected trains.

While browsing eBay, I came across a Brass HO Overload EMD GP-35 which sold for $5,100. And another sale of Challenger Imports sold for $7,500. It seems like model trains regularly sell for thousands of dollars. However, like most collectibles, you need to do some research to understand the value of each train set and individual piece.

19. Movie Memorabilia

People love movies. Pretty much everyone has a favorite film, and many people are willing to pay a lot of money for original posters, props, and more. If you look at the website called Prop Store Auction, you’ll see how props from movies regularly sell for thousands of dollars apiece. Posters are worth a lot, too. A poster for The Mummy sold for $500,000, and the original spaceship poster of ET sold for $4,000.

Movies aren’t the only thing with expensive memorabilia. If you go to a garage sale and find something from a popular anime or TV series, snatch those up too. Even something as simple as cast photos and autographed magazines from the Friends cast sell for over $200.

18. Vinyl Records

When you go to garage sales, it’s very common to find old vinyl records. For years, this was considered outdated technology. But records have had a huge resurgence among audiophiles and hipsters. This is one of the niche areas where it’s possible for you to find something worthy of reselling. Many people run an entire business selling nothing but records. Most places will only charge 25 cents to $1 per record. One man found an incredibly rare Velvet Underground record at a yardsale, and ended up selling it on eBay for $25,000.

With that being said, you should be careful. Always check the records for scratches to ensure that it will still play. And it makes a lot of sense for you to own your own record player, so that you can test the album and make sure it still sounds good. When records have been stored in a hot place, they can sometimes warp and be distorted. So if you accidently sold a bad record, you might end up with an angry customer.

17. T-shirts

Vintage tees are very cool. So cool, in fact, that you see reproductions all over the place from Lucky Brand to Walmart. Genuine vintage tee shirts can sometimes be worth a small fortune if they contain a rare logo, or if they were received at a small event. On the Scavenger Life podcast, professional pickers Jay and Ryanne share that they regularly list rare vintage tees for well over $100, and they sell. There was even one tee from the 1990 Reading Music Festival in England someone listed on Etsy for $14,000.

Obviously, not every old tee is going to sell for $100 or more. Keep in mind that you need to examine the shirt very carefully. Look for stains or holes. If the shirt is still in good shape, disclose the imperfections and let the customer know in the description. For some people, a tiny hole is enough for them to throw a shirt away. Or, if they find it when the shirt arrives, request a refund. For others, they won’t care. They just need to be told ahead of time.

16. Mason Jars

You can go to any Walmart in the country and buy a 10 pack of Mason Jars for $10. So what makes one worth $1, and another worth $1,000? The Mason company was founded in Vineland, New Jersey in 1858. This area is famous for its glass blowing experts, and a tinsmith named John Landis Mason invented the screw-on top. Ever since then, the world has used his jars for canning air-tight fruits and vegetables to help them store food for the winter.

Sometimes, antique niches are localized. Something that’s worth almost nothing in one area of the country can fetch a lot more somewhere else. I live in southern New Jersey, so it’s actually very common to find antique Mason jars here. Antique dealers will take them to far-away antique shows, and make a lot more money selling them elsewhere. One of the most valuable mason jars were used for dispensers, and they go for about $1,000 each.

15. Cookie Jars

Recently, there was a huge resurgence of popularity with the TV show Friends. On eBay, one of the most expensive cookie jars selling right now is the vintage clock shaped jar that says “Cookie Time”, seen in Monica’s Apartment. If you can find the right green color as seen on TV, people are selling them for $800 to $1,000.

In general, many vintage cookie jars go for $50 to $100 or more, depending on the subject matter, and the brand. Like most things in life, you need to make sure the cookie jar is in good condition. Also make sure you package it safely so that it doesn’t break in transit.

14. VHS Tapes

Over the past couple years, people went wild on the Internet talking about Disney’s “Black Diamond” VHS tapes, and how they are selling on eBay for thousands of dollars. Here’s the thing…Just because someone lists something online for thousands of dollars doesn’t mean it’s actually worth that much. There are also people out there selling the identical Disney Black Diamond VHS tapes, brand new in plastic, for only $25 instead of $12,500. The consensus is that these must be fake listings where money laundering is the true motive behind the sale, not the item itself.

With that being said, there is still money to be made with VHS tapes. If you can find a brand new, sealed in plastic Black Diamond VHS for $1, you’re still going to make a $24 profit. And there seems to be a grading system in place, similar to comic books and pokemon cards. For example, this IGS graded tape of the Super Mario Bros movie just sold for $10,000.

13. Microphones

We now live in this era where almost everyone has a podcast. Anyone with a Macbook can create their own studio-quality music, as long as they have a good microphone. So there is a big surge in popularity when it comes to audio equipment. Successful musicians and music producers also have the big bucks to spend on collectible vintage mics. A Vintage Neumann U 67 Large Diaphragm Multipattern Tube Condenser Microphone recently sold on eBay for $14,000.

It’s rare to find vintage mics in good condition. Years ago, it was rare for anyone to own a microphone, unless they were professionals. So if you see vintage microphones in good, working condition at a yard sale, it’s almost always worth snatching it up. Just make sure you do the research, test it out, and communicate openly with the buyer.

12. Fishing equipment

Fishing lures are actually very easy to find at garage sales. This happens a lot when someone’s husband has passed away, and the widow is just clearing out his belongings. Believe it or not, vintage fishing gear is highly collectible, and can be worth a ton of money. Some vintage lures are even worth thousands of dollars apiece.

With that being said, the vast majority of vintage fishing lures you see on eBay are selling for only $5 and up. But if you can find a big collection at a yard sale, it still might be worth buying in order to take home and do some research on each piece. Worst case scenario, you can resell an entire lot of fishing lures for around $100.

11. Walkmans

Back in the 1980’s, nearly everyone had a walkman cassette tape player. And into the 90’s and early 2000’s, many of us graduated to the walkman CD player. Now, with iPods and iPhones, we no longer need a dedicated music player. After the premiere of Guardians of the Galaxy, the blue Sony Walkman TPS-L2 featured in the film began selling online from $500 to $3,000. Now that the movie hype has died down, you can buy one for as low as $200.

This is a great example of how things you never knew would be popular again can sometimes have a resurgence. Unfortunately, though, the popularity really only came back for this particular model of walkman. Others are selling for only $10 online.

10. Automotive Parts

Car parts are never cheap. And when someone is trying to restore a vintage vehicle, that means they need to find the parts from scrapped vehicles. Some collectors are very particular about finding an original part, rather than a modern remake.

Hood ornaments are a popular collectible, because they’re like a work of art. After a quick search on eBay, I see that they go from $100 all the way up to $2,000. Years ago, a collection of Lalique hood ornaments sold for $805,000. There were 30 hood ornaments in the set, but that’s still an incredible price to get for them!

9. Trunks

Nowadays, people love to use their modern rolling suitcases at the airport. But there is something very classy about leather trunks. A lot of people will use these for coffee tables, or to store things at the end of the bed. There are a lot of brands out there easily selling for hundreds of dollars online. Since these trunks are so heavy, it might be better to sell these on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace.

One of the most expensive brands by far is Louis Vuitton. A brass Louis Vuitton Explorer trunk from 1888 sold at auction in 2019 for $159,200. However, if you find a Louis Vuitton trunk, be careful. There is a chance that it could be fake.

8. Sterling Silver Flatware

Back in the era where dinner parties were the most exciting thing you could do in life, your cutlery really mattered. Anyone who has seen the Downton Abbey movie already knows how long it took the household servants to polish the silver before a big party. Nowadays, people aren’t so serious about their forks, knives, and spoons. But if you can find a set made of real silver, that’s always worth buying.

Certain brands of silverware like Tiffany, Stratford, and Georg Jensen are much more valuable than others. This set of Stieff silver flatware regularly sells for $15,000 while Wallace Sterling Silver sells for $7,000. Obviously, these luxuries are more commonly found in Europe, rather than the United States. But if you’re lucky enough to find one at a yard sale, snatch it up.

7. Guitars

Vintage guitars tend to hold their value very well. This is especially true for brands like Gibson and Stratford that are highly sought-after. Check out this 1956 Gibson Les Paul, which recently sold for $18,300. Many other guitars regularly sell online for thousands of dollars if they’re rare, and in good working condition. Having the original case is also a huge plus.

But unless you play guitar yourself, or have at least done a ton of research, it’s hard to know if a guitar is actually worth something or not. I’ve struck out buying cheap string instruments like guitars and violins that weren’t worth anything, simply because I’m not an expert on the subject matter.

6. Tools

Modern tools do very well at garage sales, and typically sell right away. It always seems like someone is breaking something, and looking for a cheaper alternative secondhand from their neighbor. But antique tools are a different story. A lot of people pass these up, without realizing that it could be worth thousands of dollars.

If you want to learn more about which tools are worth something, check out this article by The Family Handyman. In 2009, a John Deere wrench sold for $15,000. Wow! That’s more expensive than buying a whole John Deere tractor.

5. Cuckoo Clocks

If you find any cuckoo clock from a yard sale, grab it and ask questions later. Even the quirky small brands can sell for $100 for more. There are some clock fanatics out there who literally have an entire wall or room of their house dedicated to clocks. If you can find a clock that has some other special value to it, that’s worth buying as well. For example, I bought a Disney Snow White clock at a yard sale for $1. It was signed by Adriana Caselloti, the actress who played the voice of Snow White. After having her signature authenticated by a Disney expert, I was able to sell it for $150.

The most expensive cuckoo clocks you can find are the German Black Forest Cuckoo Clocks, which go for thousands of dollars. I found a German Black Forest cuckoo clock at a yardsale, and paid just $5 for it. The clock wasn’t in working condition, and missing parts. I was still able to sell it on eBay practically overnight for $350. The person who bought it probably fixed it up and resold it for over $1,000. There is a Swiss Black Forest cuckoo clock from the year 1900 currently listed on 1stDibs for $30,000.

4. Computers

Nowadays, it seems like computers become obsolete pretty quickly. After just a few years, your old laptop or desktop may be too slow to handle all of the newest programs and games. So it’s actually very common to see people selling their vintage computers at garage sales without thinking twice about it. If you’re lucky, you just might hit the jackpot and find a rare and expensive computer.

The 1976 Apple 1 had very few models made, and most of them were located in California. One of these sold on eBay for $1,750,000. And if you look for the Apple II and beyond, they still sell for thousands of dollars online.

3. Carpets and Rugs

Believe it or not, there is a big market for used rugs. Handmade antique Persian rugs are one of the most sought-after. Companies around the world have tried to replicate the style, but it’s not exactly the same. The most expensive rug ever sold was for $33 million in 2013. Crazy, right?

The great thing about rugs is that they can be shampooed and cleaned so that they’re in great condition, even if they’re used. The eBay podcast hosts of Scavenger Life, Jay and Ryanne, regularly sell antique rugs for hundreds of dollars. When you think about it, a lot of rugs from high-end brands go for $1,000 or more. So if you can find one at a yard sale and clean it, you would probably have great luck reselling it on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. The only issue is finding a place to store it.

2. Bone China

Fine Bone China is different from your average porcelain. It’s made with bone ash, and has a semi-translucent quality if you hold it up to the sun. If you ever find a piece like this when browsing garage sales, you’re almost guaranteed to be able to sell each piece for $100. Always check the bottom for marks. A golden crown usually indicates that it came from England. British Bone China tends to be the most valuable.

Other types of china are valuable, as well. Many of the ultra-expensive pieces are European. But plenty of American brands, like Lenox, sell for decent amounts of money on eBay too. Lenox has patterns that come out for a limited time. So if someone breaks a piece, they often go online to find replacements. Because of this, there is a huge market for selling older china patterns. For example, I recently bought my mom a replacement Lenox mug, and I had to pay $40 just for the one piece. For all I know, this person may have found it for $1 at a yard sale. However, be warned. If you plan to sell anything breakable like china, make sure you pack it very well!

1. Papers

Collectible papers, also known as “ephemera” are bought for all kinds of reasons. Some people like to see newspaper stories of historic value, postcards of their hometown, and so much more. However, please don’t get into the habit of collecting every single paper you find. (That’s called hoarding.)

Sometimes, you just might hit the jackpot. One man found a paper stock certificate from 1917 of an oil company, which merged with Coca-Cola. (Weird combo, but okay.) The man paid just $5, and found out later that it was now worth $130 million!