There comes a time when credit won’t cut it and debt is deplorable! You need cold, hard cash and you need it quickly, Whether it’s to free up some liquidity for your business, pay off problematic debts, give the family an extra special Christmas or just keep your home finances stable and ticking over comfortably, we all find ourselves needing a little extra lucre for the endless parade of rainy days. Before you go looking for a second job, downloading a slew of money making apps or researching whether or not you really need both kidneys, it might be worth looking to your old possessions and sifting through for undiscovered gems.
It’s a well known fact that one person’s trash is another’s treasure but few of us realize that we’re sitting on a veritable treasure chest among the relics of years gone by when we were different people with different needs. Set sentimentality aside and turn those dusty mementos of the past into life saving loot that can save your family’s finances.
Your old toys
If you were a kid in the ‘80’s you’d better pray your Mom has all of your old toys in the attic because some of them may be worth a small fortune today. If you were gifted a 1980 The Empire Strikes Back Han Solo from an uncle but never took it out of its box because you were never really that into Star Wars you may be sitting on a gold mine but even your pre-loved and played with figures may be worth some good money if they’re still in decent condition.
The ex’s jewelry
There’s no denying that breakups are hard. The collapse of a relationship is as legitimate a bereavement as any and we’re often inclined to keep little mementos of your time together. If you have any of their old jewelry (even what you presume is costume jewelry) it may be worth money to someone in the directory of gold dealers. It may even help you to move on, to purge the last remnants of a relationship that’s had its day.
Family hand me downs
When grandparents, aunties and uncles pass away they may leave us items of sentimental value such as vases, cups and ornamental crocker. Inevitably these sit on a shelf gathering dust in the dining room or guest bedroom and rarely get a second glance. It may, however, be worth checking twice because hallmarked items may be worth thousands so long as they’re generally well kept.
Vinyl
One could be forgiven for thinking that the 2010’s belonged to digital streaming because physical media is alive and well. DVDs and Blu Rays continue to sell well and vinyl (despite being a perennial hipster affectation) is undergoing a serious revival thanks to a dedicated market of serious collectors. If you still have a box of your old favorites from the ‘70’s and ‘80’s, or were gifted any classics by baby boomer parents it may be worth cross referencing them with the NME’s list of the 20 most valuable records. An original pressing of The Sex Pistols’ “God Save The Queen” could pay your mortgage for months!