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Whether you’re wishing you had more set aside for a rainy day or you have “the BIG day” hovering on the horizon, chances are your life would be easier if your bank balance was a little more robust. It doesn’t matter if you’re saving for a new car or vacation or because you have a sneaking suspicion that the roof’s starting to get leaky, there’s no denying that saving is hard work.
With the cost of living eclipsing that of our parents, and working hours getting longer setting aside a little extra can seem like an uphill struggle and that penny jar in the corner just isn’t cutting it anymore.
The good news is that you may well have high value items sitting at home gathering dust on a shelf or boxed up and half forgotten in your attic.
Here are some oft-overlooked items that may have way more value than you thought.
Records
Digital music is a wonderful thing as is the ability to download and listen to a whole album on your commute to work but make no mistake vinyl is still big business. More than ever people are enjoying the sound quality and experience of vinyl and Vinyl Vintage have some great setup suggestions if you’re just breaking into the medium. With vinyl record sales at a 25 year high there’s a lot to be said about the intimate physical experience of putting a record on as opposed to the instant gratification of a digital download.
Many vinyl aficionados have reappropriated a few golden oldies from their parents’ collection (who don’t understand why you’ve gotten rid of your CDs) and those liberators of forgotten relics might be surprised how much there is to be earned from well preserved old vinyl.
DVDs / Blu Rays
Again, while digital downloads are becoming the norm, physical media is still a valuable commodity when it comes to your favorite movies. DVDs and Blurays are collectors items and like any collector’s item some are worth more than others. Steelbooks are often a good investment, often doubling, tripling or even quadrupling their purchase value.
Toys
Just like Woody and Buzz’s grown up owner Andy, many of us have a box of old toys that we just couldn’t bring ourselves to throw away. Of course if you’ve had the restraint to keep them in their boxes then we’re talking real money but even if you’ve ripped them from their wrappers and played with them, they still have value if they’ve been well kept.
We’ve all heard stories about the value of untouched Star Wars figures but other childhood favorites like Garbage Pail Kids cards, Beanie Babies, Hot Wheels and even Pez dispensers can all be worth a surprising amount.
Jewelry
Most of us are sentimental creatures so if we have a piece of jewelry from an ex we’d like to forget or a friend who never calls anymore it might be worth getting it valued. Precious metals are usually a good investment and diamonds, as they say are forever. Keeping an eye on the whims of the market and selling any gold, silver or platinum you may have at peak times can give your finances the boost they need.