Old items collecting dust could net eBay cash
With 157 million buyers worldwide, eBay is the go-to place for selling rare and unusual items, from a cornflake shaped like Illinois that sold for $1,350 to a 405foot yacht that sold for $170 million.
Of course, most people don’t have items that rare or exotic. On the other hand, a pair of shoes sells on eBay every two seconds. That means just about anything you have in your house could get you some cash. In fact, here are three things you have collecting dust right now that are worth more than you think. 1. VINYL RECORDS Do you have a vinyl record collection sitting around in a closet?
Depending on the record or collection, you can make some serious money. User “albertjukebox” is selling his collection of 13,000 high-quality records for $278,000. Of course, you probably don’t have a collection quite that large, and he’s probably not going to get that price.
Still, if you have a rare early record, say from the 1930s or ’40s, you can list it for $10,000 or more. An original or otherwise noteworthy record of a famous artist such as Nirvana, Pink Floyd or the Beatles can list for several thousand.
You might have a set of albums from Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones or some other artist that together could be worth a bundle. Even if you don’t think an album or collection is worth anything, it’s still not a bad idea to post them.
Just glancing down the list of high-priced albums for sale, there are plenty from obscure artists and genres you wouldn’t expect would sell. You never know what some collector or fan might be dying to get their hands on.
Just be sure you do a little research first so you don’t charge too little. You should also brush up on eBay selling tactics to maximize your profits. 2. IPODS It’s easy to think that any highpriced items on eBay are going to be “old” vintage, but when it comes to technology, even a few years ago is considered “old.” That’s why if you have an earlier iPod, you might be able to unload it for an unbelievable amount.
There are two types of high- value iPods listed on eBay: rare and in-demand. Examples of rare iPods are the limited-edition red U2 iPods ($5,000+); early edition iPods with box art featuring Bob Marley, Billie Holiday, Run DMC or others ($7,000+ used; $45,000 asking for unopened Billie Holiday); unopened first-edition iPods of all types ($5,000+); or later-model iPods with an artist signature or other features.
In-demand iPods are mostly iPod Classics with storage sizes of 80GB and up. Since Apple discontinued the Classic, diehard fans of the model are driving up prices to try to get the remaining ones.
You can find new unopened seventh generation 120GB or 160GB models selling for upwards of $900. Used models demand several hundred dollars. Even broken ones can sell for up to $100 as iPod lovers are scrambling for parts to keep their beloved gadgets running.
iPod nanos, minis, shuffles and other models can also list for several hundred dollars, if someone wants a particular model or color badly enough. EBay also has a handy tool to help you find a rea- sonable price for your gear.
Similar item: If you have some old flip phones lying around, they could also be worth something, especially if they’re unlocked or can be unlocked. Punch the model number of your flip phone into eBay and see what comes up. 3. VHS TAPES It’s always surprising to remember that the last VHS tape was manufactured in 2005 and the last standalone VHS player as late as 2008. By that time, DVDs had taken over, and nearly 10 years later we’ve moved on to Blu-ray, digital downloads and streaming.
That doesn’t mean there isn’t a market for VHS tapes, however. The ones you’re most likely to have are Disney films. Prices for these vary wildly based on condition, version and how many you’re offering. An original Beauty and the
Beast in good condition can list from $150 to $500, and a set of the editions and sequels can reach $1,000. Black Diamond Editions of Aladdin, The Little Mer
maid, Dumbo and others are listed for up to $250.
Aside from Disney, other highvalue types of tapes range from WWE and WWF wrestling tapes, to Star Wars, Star Trek, history documentaries, rare box sets, screeners, foreign films and more. As with everything else, even if you think something is worthless, there might be someone out there looking for it.