How Valuable is Your Collection? Five Types of Keepsakes That Appreciate Over Time

We all have them. Whether it’s a childhood set of Trolls dolls or the dozens of Beanie Babies you’ve squirreled away, most of us have a collection or two sitting in storage. We box them up, protect them from weather and dust mites, and there they sit, waiting for the day when we deem them valuable enough to unearth. Yet, could those items be taking up valuable storage space for nothing? Apart from the nostalgia they provide, some collections may never become in-demand or popular enough again to warrant holding on to, especially if your aim is to resell them one day.

However, some collections do indeed appreciate well and stand the test of time. While fad-based items and objects no longer in our common vernacular, including VHS tapes, cassettes, and yes, those Beanie Babies, might not yield you a high rate of return, here are five types of collections that are worth dusting off and saving for years to come.

1. Sneakers

You read that right. Given that they’re in good condition and not overly worn, a great pair of sneakers is easily resaleable and the older the better. That means your vintage Chuck Taylors or sweet Air Jordans could be in higher demand than you think. People actually trade sneakers in a manner similar to how stocks are traded, and dedicated collectors are always on the lookout for a new pair. To up your payout, stick with limited-edition styles and if you can secure them, Nikes will almost always elbow out other brands based on brand name-nostalgia alone. Want proof? Here are four sneakers whose resale value has quadrupled over time.

2.  Action Figures and Dolls

From limited-edition Barbies to original G.I. Joe prototypes, those duffel bags full of figurines that you thought were past their prime might be a hot commodity in the right marketplace. Like any other collectible, these will need to be in mint condition and preferably in their original box to garner a significant payout. Still, if you’ve held onto the right ones, you could be sitting on a tiny gold mine if you know where and how to sell them. For reference, here is a list of the most expensive action figures and dolls ever sold. Do you think you have a Diamond Barbie sitting in your attic? If so, you could be storing a collectible worth more than $300,000!

3. Comic Books

The world of buying, selling and trading vintage and limited-edition comic books is one of its own. There’s a fervent community of passionate readers and collectors who seek out these materials at various industry trade shows, shops and online. As expected, the older and better condition your comic books are in, the more they’ll be worth. For instance, a copy of Action Comics #1, which was published in 1938, recently sold for a staggering $1.4 million. Yet, even if your collection is newer, don’t discount its potential value. Great-condition versions of the Walking Dead comic books, for instance, can fetch up to $10,000 or more at trade shows. When buying comics to store or sell, look for originality and always seek out #1 copies if possible.

4. Vinyl Records

Thanks to the so-called “Hipster Movement” almost everything old is becoming hip again, and that includes vinyl records. There are even trendy resellers, such as Urban Outfitters, that sell modern replicas of old-fashioned record players in their stores. As such, your collection of vinyls from the seventies is actually more relevant than ever before, and in high demand. So, make sure it’s in as good of condition as possible. If you haven’t already done so, make sure all of the records are in their envelopes and purchase plastic sleeves to preserve the artwork on the cover.

5. Vintage Video Games

No, your Xbox from three years ago won’t earn you much when you go to sell it. Yet, if you’ve held onto some of your beloved video games from the eighties and nineties, you could be in luck. Take, for instance, the video game “Stadium Events” by Bandai. Released in 1987, it only ran for a very limited amount of time before it was pulled out of production and destroyed. Yet, before that event took place, around 200 copies of the game were sold. If it’s included in your upstairs collection, you could sell it today for around $40,000! Browsing through your wares and find that sadly, you just have the box for “Stadium Events” but not the actual game? Don’t fret! That cardboard alone can fetch around $10,000!

While you might head into your attic to find that you’re sadly just collecting a bunch of dust, you may unearth a valuable treasure. It’s worth taking the time to unbox and sort through your items every once in a while to take inventory of what you have and what it could earn you. Your old treasure might be today’s top seller, if you’re willing to part with it, that is!