SPRING is trying to show its face in the white of the snowdrops and the lilac of the crocuses and with this in mind, perhaps it’s time for a spring clean as experts say it could turn up a small fortune.
How so?
It seems a rummage around our lofts to have a good old clear out could turn up some of the most-wanted items around at the moment and experts are urging us to be careful we don’t essentially throw out thousands of pounds.
Sounds good!
A new survey details the “old items you should look out for in your loft” with storage solution company, Space Station, saying jewellery, old tech and children’s toys are among the items that Brits struggle most to part with and 37.5 per cent of those surveyed saying they find it hardest to part with books.
Speaking of which?
Storage expert, Vlatka Lake’s top tips to avoid throwing out in-demand items are to keep your eyes peeled - perhaps not unsurprisingly - for Harry Potter books and sets, with original versions selling from £200 to more than £40,000.
What else?
They were all the rage with youngsters back in the 90s, but if you still have a few Beanie Babies toys around in your loft, check them out. A whole host of the stuffed toys, including Peanut the Elephant and Peace Garcia, regularly go for four figure sums online, while a 1997 bear commemorating Princess Diana once sold for £350,000.
Any other toys?
Old Lego sets can also sell for a lot more now than when they were new. The 2007 edition of the Star Wars Millennium Falcon is available on Amazon for more than £7,000 - 20 times its original value.
Money, money, money!
Old money could be worth something too - 20p pieces with no date on them and 2p coins from 1983 with the words ‘New Pence’ on them can sell for hundreds of pounds.
What about old tech?
Many classic games consoles and music devices hold their worth. The resurgence in popularity of record players has seen their price rocket, and old games consoles can now sell for hundreds, while an iPod Classic in mint condition can be sold for more than £200.
And if we don’t have any of these?
Ms Lake says items that are predicted to increase in value in the future include first edition versions of modern books, with the likes of The Da Vinci Code and Game of Thrones tipped to increase in value, or original versions of tech like the Amazon Echo or consoles. She advises: “Before you donate or throw your unwanted items away, it’s worth checking sites such as eBay and Amazon to see how much they are selling for, as it could be thousands! Making some extra cash from your old belongings might make it that bit easier to part with them.”
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