If you have ever visited a garage sale or a flea market and wondered who in the world would buy some of the things that were for sale, you need to pay a visit to the world of uncommon collectibles. The fact is, it seems that there is a collector for almost anything you can imagine. A visit to an antique shop or the eBay collectibles category should convince you of this in a hurry. If it has been produced and sold, someone is probably collecting it somewhere.
Before you go on an all out spree and start throwing away what you see as old clutter in your attic or basement, you should take a few minutes to check whether or not someone out there might be looking for the item you are about to discard. If you are willing to list it for sale, you might actually make a few dollars.
There are some older items that people automatically think of as collectible. These would be things like vintage dolls or possibly old glassware. These are the things that almost always show up in antique shops. People expect to see them there. Take a closer look at what people bid on in eBay's collectibles category though, and you might be surprised. This is the new marketplace for people who collect oddball items like vintage globes or old matchbook covers. These items can be very difficult for collectors to find because most people who are having sales never even think to put them out. They just get tossed aside or even thrown away because no one in the family wants them anymore.
There are many items you should keep your eyes open for next time you climb into the attic. Almost any old military memorabilia is a popular collectible. If you have something that is specific to a particular branch or specialty area, that is even better. Airborne memorabilia in particular is quite popular. Another popular collectible is old Halloween postcards. If you happen across a collection of postcards that Grandma stashed away in a box, you should definitely not throw it away. Postcard collectors are a very devoted bunch and they will pay for the cards they want when they find them. The vintage artwork on postcards specifically made for Halloween is very much sought after and collectors will pay hundreds of dollars for some better examples of these cards.
This is just a very small sampling of uncommon collectibles that people look for as they try to build up their collections. It can be frustrating for them to find the items they want in good condition, so when they do find them for sale, they are often ready to spend. Be sure to do some research the next time you Spring clean.
The author is a vintage world globe and map collector and she is slowly building a collection. Her small collection now includes two vintage Replogle globes which were found online.
