Our motto? Don’t toss it, sell it! Have you been throwing money away?

Chances are, we have more money in our homes than we realize. According to a survey conducted for eBay, the average home has $3,100 worth of unused items, mainly consisting of clothing and electronics.

You might be feeling the itch to declutter your home, but it’s worth giving even seemingly worthless things a once-over to see if they’re worth anything.

If you look carefully, you might just come to realize that your garage, attic, and closets contain lots of valuable stuff that can put money in your pocket. There’s an excellent market for collectibles of any kind.

Even those dusty old toys and arcade games can bring in hundreds of dollars. But it’s not so easy to distinguish one’s trash from treasure. So to help you out, here are 7 old things in your house that could be worth a fortune.

Old Video Games

Maybe it’s because of the fascination with the vintage artwork, or that the games people were denied as children are affordable to them now as adults. Retro video games are currently enjoying the limelight.

Extra money is what that means for you if you have them stashed away in a closet somewhere. In June 2019, EBTH auctioned off a collection of vintage Sega games for $2,382, but single titles do very well also.

This includes a 2001 Smash Bros. Melee for Nintendo GameCube that sold for about $37 on eBay as well. There is a vast rare gaming market, and every console has its fair share of some pricey titles, from Genesis to the PlayStation 4.

One of the most sought-after is Little Samson on the original Nintendo, which regularly ends up on eBay and can get bids for over $1000. Although, with how rare the game is, it isn’t as likely that it’s just lying around in your basement.

Vinyl Records

Events like the annual Record Store Day have hipsters and older people standing in line for special sales on limited release titles and sought-after vintage vinyl. But it’s a good indicator to be able to tell what your collection might be worth.

Some records aren’t worth more than 50 cents, while coveted first pressings can bring in thousands of dollars. And even if they’re not worth that much money, they can fetch a good chunk of change, like a 1957 Elvis Christmas album that was listed on Reverb for $149.

For David Bowie’s 1974 Diamond Dogs album, the worth lies in the bizarre story of the album artwork. The original idea illustrated Bowie with his bottom half replaced by a dog’s genitals.

This made his record label nervous, so the image was altered before the record could hit the shelves. As you would expect, a few copies of the original got loose, and in 2003, one sold for $3550.

Old Postcards

Almost every one of us is guilty of having some random old postcards lying around in a drawer somewhere. Well, good news! One single postcard can sell from anywhere between $2 up to as much as a few hundred dollars, depending on a few characteristics.

According to auctioneers Warwick & Warwick, condition, age, rarity, and subject matter play a role in the matter.

If your postcard has been signed by someone noteworthy, has some sort of message of historical importance, or has a sought-after postage stamp or markings, it will bring in more money.

Some of the more popular collectible postcards have been of the Art Nouveau and Art Deco sorts or feature street scenes, social history, or transportation.

The Original Star Wars Figures

When the original Star Wars movie first hit theaters, it didn’t include any toys ready for the premiere. In fact, no one imagined that it would make that much money and the film would become the sensation it is today, so Kenner rushed to get a toy line out the year after the movie’s release.

…And when those toys finally hit the shelves, it was seismic! Star Wars toys flew off every stand, and they’ve become incredible collectors’ items to this day, specifically the ones from the ’70s and ’80s.

A 1978 Luke Skywalker toy with the double-telescoping lightsaber sold at auction for $25,000. And that’s not all. Vintage Boba Fetts are going for around $2500, and obscure, pre-Hayden Christensen Anakin Skywalkers are going for up to $3000.

But then we, of course, also have the vehicles and spaceships, like the original Millennium Falcon, which can net $3000 if it’s still in the original box. Countless kids had these toys in the ’70s and ’80s, so there’s a chance you’ve got a few floating around in your family.

Books

Books are known to be one of the biggest antique goldmines out there. Collectors will pay a lot of money for first-edition copies of particular texts. For example, a first-edition copy of James Joyce’s Ulysses has been valued at roughly $8,000.

Even though there were only 1,000 copies printed, the books pop up all the time and everywhere. If you’re the owner of one of these rare books, you might be sitting on a gold mine.

Prices tend to also go up when these characters are in the spotlight, so go through that old book collection and do some research. Get your eBay account ready if you have books starring a character about to become a movie star.

They could bring in a lot of money if they’re vintage and in good condition.

Watches

Watches are a lot like fancy cars: the big names are what you’re looking for. But it’s the men’s watches that people are really after. Women’s watches are considered jewelry and fashion, and they’re just not as desirable.

A good thing to remember is that the more complex the men’s watch, the more valuable it can be. Hand wound, gold or platinum, moon phases, lots of jewels, stopwatch functionality, day and time: these details are what buyers are looking for.

You’ll make even more money if you have a Rolex, LeCoultre, Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, or Movado. If you really love your old watches and wouldn’t give them up for all the money in the world, we understand.

But just know that you could get a pretty penny for them!

Retro Advertising Signs

Before there were pop-up ads that told us what to buy, a significant way big companies would advertise would be through those tin signs we all remember that was hung up in bars, restaurants, or gas stations.

And luckily, nowadays, some of these signs can bring in a nice chunk of change, like a $225 eBay listing for Indian Motorcycles or a AAA Root Beer bottle sign that’s over $300. Then there’s the venerable Coke sign listed at over $600.

Beer signs can also be a surprising money-maker. Vintage brands like Falstaff and Griesedieck frequently get bids in the $500 range, and older signs for standard brands like Pabst and Old Milwaukee can even go for four-figure amounts.

Maybe a family member used to own or work at a bar and ended up with one of these signs that had just collected dust somewhere in a garage. Well, that aluminum soda sign could become your next car insurance payment!

And listen, worse comes to worst, if you really love that old coca cola sign, sell it to make some extra cash and buy a newer version for a lot less money!

So what did you think reading through our list of the odd items that can bring you in some more money? Do you happen to have any of these things lying around? Be sure to share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

And if you enjoyed this article, we have many more! Consider this one: 7 Products to Avoid Buying at Warehouse Clubs