Keep a particular eye out for Apple computers. "Perhaps your father bought an Apple in 1977, which really isn't that long ago," says Eric Silver, an appraiser for "Antiques Roadshow" and director of Lillian Nassau LLC. "A first edition Apple was bought for $900,000. It's not technically antique, but it can be worth a lot of money if it was built in, say, Steve Job's garage." Bonus points if it's in working condition.
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Antique musical instruments
Antique musical instruments
That old guitar in your attic could strum up major bucks. "Guitars, especially, can bring in a lot of money," says Silver. "A 1960s Fender Stratocaster that was never used because someone didn't like it, could be worth a lot." It doesn't have to be antique: Something used in just the last 60 to 70 years (think your grandfather's old instruments) can have a surprising amount of value.
Keep a particular eye out for Apple computers. "Perhaps your father bought an Apple in 1977, which really isn't that long ago," says Eric Silver, an appraiser for "Antiques Roadshow" and director of Lillian Nassau LLC. "A first edition Apple was bought for $900,000. It's not technically antique, but it can be worth a lot of money if it was built in, say, Steve Job's garage." Bonus points if it's in working condition.
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Antique musical instruments
That old guitar in your attic could strum up major bucks. "Guitars, especially, can bring in a lot of money," says Silver. "A 1960s Fender Stratocaster that was never used because someone didn't like it, could be worth a lot." It doesn't have to be antique: Something used in just the last 60 to 70 years (think your grandfather's old instruments) can have a surprising amount of value.
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Old perfume bottles
Surprisingly, the perfume itself doesn't really matter — but the bottle does. "There are auctions devoted just to perfume bottles," says Silver. "It's possible that someone in your family once got a really great perfume bottle, perhaps by a company like Lolique, and the glass itself or the glass maker could be important. Or the actual perfume itself may have had a rare, custom-made bottle." If you find a gem in storage, check out the International Perfume Bottle Association.
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Land deeds
If land deeds have been passed down through your family for generations, research if it ever passed the hands of someone notable. "A lot of people have these types of papers, but it can't just be for a cornfield," says Amy Parenti, head of the Appraisal Department at Freeman's auction house in Philadelphia. "It has to involve someone famous." War commissions as recent as World War II can also be valuable, so long as they involve notable individuals such as a well-known general.
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Barbie #1
Plenty of families have old dolls that have been stowed away as children grow up, but the most valuable Barbie is the first edition. If the doll is in the box with its original pieces still attached, it increases in value. "If your mother or grandmother got one and played with it and threw away the box or a shoe fell off, that diminishes the value," says Silver. "But an original one in perfect condition in the original box can be worth $9,000 to $10,000."
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Costume jewelry
It's not just diamonds and pearls that can earn you a big check at an antiques auction. "Costume jewelry, depending on the maker, can be worth as much or more than real diamonds or precious stone jewelry," says Silver. "There are plenty of recognized makers, such as Miriam Haskell, whose costume jewelry can sell for thousands of dollars."
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First edition books
Check out what books your grandparents or great-grandparents may have passed down to you. If you find a first version of a popular book, you're in luck. "If you have the first edition of a book, rather than the 10th copy, it could be valuable, even if a relative found it in a bookstore and paid $5 for it," says Silver. "First editions of books from the 30s, 40s or 50s can sometimes be worth tens of thousands of dollars."
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Signed yearbooks
Think about who you, your parents or grandparents went to school with. Anybody notable come to mind? "High school or college yearbooks that might be autographed by someone famous that was in your graduating class could be valuable," says Silver. "Check your parents' or grandparents' yearbooks too." Even if they weren't famous at the time, your mother's biology partner who went on to do big things could add major value to that yearbook.
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Paintings
Silver suggests always getting paintings appraised if you're not sure how much they're worth. "Sometimes people have shown up with something their family was give by a painter living down the street, and it turns out that it was a very prominent painter," he says. "At the time, the artist might not have been famous, and it could have been a gift or possible birthday present." Even if you weren't crazy about the gift, it's worth checking out paintings you've stowed away over the years, and taking them to an appraiser.
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Antique banks
Antique banks from the first quarter of the 20th century may be valuable, especially if they involve a mechanical component. "One mechanical bank involved putting in a coin, and a young child would go down a slide," says Parenti. "That was found in someone's attic, and it actually sold for quite a high price." These banks are typically made from iron and painted.