Experts reveal the items in your attic worth THOUSANDS... here's how to spot them
When she was eight, Emma Westbrook's Beanie Babies fueled childhood imaginations about owning a zoo. Last year, those toys paid a month of her rent.
When clearing out the basement of her parents' suburban Houston home, the 26-year-old found her once-loved plushies in two 27-gallon air-tight plastic boxes, buried under years of cobwebs and dust.
Little did she know, while those trinkets languished in the dingy storage, nostalgic Americans were scouring the internet, looking for her childhood favorites.
That demand sent her buried knickknacks values into the stratosphere.
'Those stuffed animals that filled my make-believe zoo paid a month of my rent,' she told the Daily Mail, shocked that her childhood clutter transformed into cash.
In June 2024, she sold a pink limited-edition Beanie Baby bear named Valentina — with a white heart stitched into its chest — for $350. Other Barbies, Lego sets, and dollhouses brought her total to $720.
Like Westbrook, your toys, once ripped from Christmas wrapping paper and left to gather dust in the attic, could help pay for your student loans or next vacation, finance guru Adam Koprucki told the Daily Mail.
'Most people throw away items that could pay for their retirement in just a few years,' he said.
'The truth is, certain everyday objects sitting in your home might be worth more than your stock portfolio by 2030.'
Koprucki, the founder of Real World Investor, said collectibles — from Star Wars figures and Harry Potter books to old tech and unused video games — are soaring in value.
American memorabilia has already ballooned to a $62billion industry, and is projected to hit $83.7billion by the end of the decade.
The boom has spurred second-hand platforms like ThredUp, Vinted, and Depop to grab a slice of the action.
But it's not just billionaire collectors or high-profile auction houses benefiting. Ordinary Americans are discovering their childhood clutter can be a goldmine that rivals Bitcoin and Wall Street bets.
'We're seeing people diversify their portfolios with collectibles,' he said. 'Unlike stocks or cryptocurrency, these items have tangible value and often strong emotional connections that drive demand.'
Koprucki said buyers are willing to shell out top dollar for the right items, especially brand-name toys, comics, and books.
Some items have fetched eye-watering sums. A copy of Amazing Fantasy #15 — the 1962 comic featuring Spider-Man's debut — sold for $3.6million at auction, while Transformer Toys sold for $20,000.
First-edition Harry Potter books have commanded $50,000 payouts.
But it's not just billionaire collectors or high-profile auction houses benefiting. Ordinary Americans are discovering their childhood clutter can be a goldmine that rivals Bitcoin and Wall Street bets
'Most people don't realize that the Star Wars figures they played with as kids or the Pokémon cards they collected could now fund a house deposit,' he said.
It's not just auction-block rarities either. On eBay, the Daily Mail found Barbie dolls are listed anywhere from $20 to $500, comic books fetching between $50 and $1,000, and Lego sets ranging from $30 to $200.
Old tech is proving just as valuable.
Early Apple devices, like the first iPhone, have ballooned into five-figure investments, with one factory-sealed model recently selling for $20,000.
Even vintage iPods, floppy-disc video games, and unopened Sega cartridges are attracting fierce bidding wars.
Daily Mail's analysis found previously-used tech garnering between $35 and $180.
Nostalgia is driving some of the demand, but smart strategy also can help sellers cash in.
Koprucki advises would-be merchants to study what's trending on platforms like Amazon, eBay, and Walmart Marketplace before deciding what to list.
For example, high school-age Americans are searching for older tech, like Walkman CD players and discontinued iPods to get around anti-phone school policies.
Mike Givens, a 51-year-old iPod refurbisher, told The New York Times he sold 68 devices this summer as students prepped to go back to now phone-less school — triple the number from the year before.
Still, not everything that comes out of the attic is valuable. Collectors say the golden rule is simple: condition is king.
'Mint condition items in original boxes can be worth ten times more than the same toy that's been played with,' Koprucki stressed.
That's why today's buyers will pay a premium for factory-sealed toys or shrink-wrapped tech — even if they never plan to open them. For many, the packaging itself is part of the value.
Jamie Robinson, a 41-year-old gamer, told the Daily Mail that the emotional connection is worth paying the surprising prices.
Robinson — who used to rush home after school to spend hours playing the original Madden Football games — said he'd happily shell out $100 for specific Sega Genesis cartridges that aren't displayed in his video game shrine.
That sentimental connection has driven up the price he's willing to pay. 'I'll never open it,' he said. 'But I would pay a lot. It's all about owning a piece of history.'
