Cash for Your Trash
By: By Rachel V. Katz Source: AARP The Magazine Date Posted:
In the age of Craigslist classifieds and online auctions, you have more chances than ever to turn old junk into a tidy profit. Consider the set of five Yankee Candle jar candles in discontinued scents that sold for $565 on eBay recently.
"Anything can sell if you catch the right set of eyes," says Lynn Dralle, who practices the art of the deal at www.thequeenofauctions.com. What kind of stuff is most coveted? We asked Dralle and other collectibles experts, then checked for winning prices on eBay.
Toys That Were Us
"The best decades right now are the 1960s and 1970s," says Harry Rinker, host of the syndicated radio show Whatcha Got? "Collecting is about what people remember: Tonka trucks, battery-operated robots, G.I. Joes." Complete accessories boost prices, he adds. Sold: 1959 Barbie doll, $5,998.
Classic Housewares
Items from the 1950s and 1960s are popular, including Pfaltzgraff and Corelle dishes, and the fancier Wedgwood, Waterford, and Orrefors lines, says Rinker. Sold: 1967 Pyrex four-piece mixing-bowl set, $105.
Groovy Chairs
With furniture, midcentury modern is in--such as Charles and Ray Eames designs that use metal tubing and molded wood. An auction house may net you more than eBay, even after taking 20 to 35 percent in commission, says Rinker, because serious collectors will pay to spare themselves shipping hassles and sorting through listings. Sold: Herman Miller Eames aluminum soft-pad chair, $545.
Poky Computers
There's nostalgia value in early high-tech artifacts. "We're progressing so rapidly that things from the '80s and '90s are becoming collectibles," says Dralle. Sold: An Apple IIe computer, that '80s pacesetter, recently fetched $6,100. A 1982 HP programmable scientific calculator went for $425.
Untired Attire
With Americans supersizing, larger retro apparel is in demand, especially women's shoes, says Donna Loux of ace vintage.com. Selling lots that mix run-of-the-mill and precious items will get you more money, she advises. If you're not up for trying eBay yourself, consider storefront chains such as iSold It or Snappy Auctions, which may take 20 to 40 percent in commission, plus listing fees. Sold: 1970s East West leather jacket, $1,895.
preview