See if you could make a tidy sum with things in your home.

Many of us have items lying around the home or tucked away and forgotten about in the loft that are worth hundreds or even thousands of pounds. You may be surprised by some of the items that are worth money. Are you sitting on cash you weren’t aware of? Check out these five valuable items that people commonly have in their homes:

1. Coins

Coins are an extremely collectable item. Antique, rare, or special-edition coins can fetch a tidy sum at auction. Even some modern coins can be worth a lot of money, such as those made rare due to the presence of mistakes made by The Royal Mint. Some examples of coins that could fetch you up to a few hundred pounds include the 1983 2 pence coin printed with ‘New Pence’, the 20 pence coin that doesn’t have a date, and the Olympic Games, Kew Gardens, and EC commemorative 50 pence coins. As well as rummaging around the house for these, check your change when paying with cash in shops. 

2. Vintage toys

There is a good market for vintage toys, with specialist auctions being held regularly. Some of the most valuable vintage toys will be those in excellent condition or boxed. However, popular toys are still sought after even if their condition is not perfect. Some examples of popular toys include Lego sets, porcelain dolls, beanie babies, Star Wars toys, Barbies, and toy cars. Perhaps you or your relatives have some of your old toys boxed away and forgotten about in the attack? Have a rummage – they could be worth a small fortune. 

3. Vinyl Records

Those of us who ditched our vinyl records to embrace CDs a few decades ago might be kicking ourselves now because some of them are worth a fortune. Vinyl records have made a comeback in recent years and are cherished by music lovers and collectors alike. The condition of the vinyl will have a significant impact on the value. If you still have a collection of vinyl records and are wondering what they’re worth, you can get a good idea of the value by checking sites like Discogs.com or eBay. 

4. Books

It’s not uncommon to hear stories of people having paid pennies for a book in a charity shop which later fetched thousands at auction. Books are a highly collectable item, with many old, rare, or first editions of best sellers being highly sought after. Children’s books, in particular, are extremely collectable. First edition copies of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, for example, have fetched tens of thousands at auction in recent years. Regarding books, the print date is a significant factor when determining value. You can check this on the first few pages of a book. Auction sites can give you a good indication of what similar titles have sold for recently. 

5. Electronics

Retro electronics are becoming extremely popular amongst collectors. Some of the first game consoles, such as the Nintendo 64 or SNES, have sold for hundreds of pounds. Old iPod classics can also be worth a few hundred pounds in good condition. Another item growing in popularity and value is early-release mobile phones, which many people have tucked away and forgotten about in a drawer. 

Do you have any of these items lying around in your home or attic? Why not get rummaging and see what you can find. It could make you a nice bit of cash at auction. Remember if you're trying to buy any of these items you can search across all of our auction houses using our search function.