7 Affordable Collectibles (And Where to Sell Them For Profit)

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Affordable Collectibles in high demand that may be worth money in the future

High priced collectibles have been an alternative investment for many. You probably have seen how much money an antique armoire, chair, figurine or painting can fetch at auction.

But not all collectibles are big expensive antiques, some are cheaper than you may think. There are many items with collectible appeal that are affordable, functional and not so well-known.

Collecting is seen by some as passive recreation or hobby. These hobbies in addition to recreation can help you earn some extra money.

Wether you’re flipping collectibles or you treasure them for their appeal or nostalgia, here are 7 affordable items you may consider.

Affordable Collectibles – Stamp Collecting

Collecting stamps is a very affordable hobby for people into education. Unlike expensive trading cards or sneakers, stamps collection can be started with little money.

Stamps gives the collector a glimpse into world’s history, culture, art and geography. Therefore, it’s a fun educational hobby.

A hobby enjoyed by schoolchildren, artists, business people and laborers.

You can’t really estimate the value of a stamp by its looks. Some rare old stamps may have missing features or secret marks that make them very valuable.

Some rare stamps like the ones printed with errors can fetch a lot of money in the collecting market.

These are some of the most valuable collectible stamps, value estimated at over $1 million each.

15c Abraham Lincoln stamp – 1867
Inverted Jenny stamp – 1918
24c Declaration of Independence stamp with inverted center – 1869
3c George Washington stamp – 1867

Where can you sell your collectible stamps online

You can estimate the value of your stamps online in platforms like eBay or using a value estimator like this FindYourStampsValue.com.

Here are some of the platforms where you can sell and buy collectible stamps – Stamp World, eBay and American Philatelic Society.

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Affordable Vintage Milk Glass

Milk glass is a delicate material used to produce glass, mugs, plates, candleholders and other household items. Most milk glass is in white colors, but there are other colors too.

These items date back to the early 1900 to 1950 and were produced by Fenton, Imperial, Westmoreland and other companies. Back in those days, milk glass was a cheap alternative to more expensive glassware.

Also, there is a category of milk glass with no markings of the companies producing it.

The prices for milk glass items were very affordable, between $5-10 per item. Today, antique milk glass in good condition can fetch in the hundreds of dollars, depending on rarity and condition.

Most milk glass items sell for well under $100.

You find these items to buy at flea market and garage sales.

Where can you sell your collectible milk glass online

These items can go on sale at places like Etsy, eBay and Facebook groups.

Affordable Collectibles – Vintage Hand Written Cookbooks

Before we could search the Web for anything food, women used to be the keeper of the family’s recipes and home remedies.

The instructions were handwritten in a plain notebook, on loose papers, on cookie sheet, on napkins and even on aprons.

Dated and well documented recipes and remedies for every need were kept in writing. As you can imagine, there is a lot of handwritten recipes to go around.

Many are digitizing these instructions and creating cookbooks made of written instructions. And, there is a collectors market for antique handwritten recipes.

Collectors, artists and historians are buying these cookbooks for cultural and educational reasons.

The best places to find vintage handwritten cookbooks are in estate sales, garage sales, Facebook Marketplace and flea markets.

Where can you sell handwritten cookbooks

eBay and Etsy are the online platforms to buy and resell handwritten cookbooks.

Vintage Cameras Collectibles

Old cameras are items in the “things that will be worth money in the future” category.

Before Smartphones came along with built-in cameras, there were the traditional cameras. Since many of the cell phones have high resolution and high quality cameras, there’s a market to collect the old fashion hand cameras.

So, old vintage cameras in working condition have collectible value.

Head to Etsy or eBay to find out what’s a good price for your vintage click camera.

Affordable Vintage Books

Vintage, rare and leather bound book classics and first editions are in demand. Collectors, artists and interior decorators buy these books for their collections.

Values for vintage books are all over the range, depending on subject, rarity and condition.

Here are some popular books you may have in your bookshelf that can fetch a nice sum for you.

A Christmas Carol 1843 – estimated at $15,000+
The Cat in the Hat 1957 – estimated at $1,000+
Harry Potter and the Philosopher Stone 1997 – estimated at $50,000+

Where can you sell your old vintage books

eBay, Etsy, Amazon, BookScouter, Flipsy and Abe Books

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Affordable Collectibles – Vinyl Records

Once upon a time if you wanted music it came from a vinyl record album. You had to move the needle to find your favorite song on the tracks.

This was before the digital age and before you can create your own playlist on music platforms.

What happened to all those old vinyl records? I threw away mine, but some of these are highly collectible items.

People collect vinyl albums for nostalgia mainly and for collectible appeal.

Where can you sell old vinyl records? Try your local Record Store, eBay and Discogs

Comic Books Collectibles

Comics have always been very collectible. You buy them, read them and keep them most of the time.

Spiders Man, Batman, Iron Man, DC Comic and many more have been around for decades.

They seem to never go out of style and you can make money selling part or all of your Comics collection.

Do some detailed research to value your comic books before selling them. This is one category where values range all over the place and there are some very valuable comics.

Examples of high priced comics sold in the past include; Superman 1, 1939 – $2,000,000+ and Batman 1, 1940 – $500,000+.

Where can you sell old Comics

Lone Star Comics, Sparkle City Comics, SellMyComicBooks.com, eBay and local store.

Free ways to value your collectibles

Valuing your items on collection is not a hard science, it depends on condition and demand. You should explore different resources to come up with a reasonable value before sale.

These are some ideas on how to estimate the value of your vintage or antique.

eBay – check items for sales and items sold in your category
Etsy – check Etsy’s listing using the search bar
Join Facebook group or other online community to talk to other sellers
Use the library or bookstore to find price guides

Where to buy and sell affordable collectibles

You can buy vintage, old and antique collectibles in these physical and online platforms. Additionally, there are many specialty platforms for specific categories like Comics.

Estate Sales
Garage Sales
Thrift Stores
Flea Markets
eBay
Etsy
Facebook Marketplace
Church sales
Antique shops
Out of town flea markets
Nextdoor.com

Final Thoughts

Even though high priced collectibles get the most attention, there are many smaller and affordable items with an active collectible market. If these items are also functional, that’s a plus.

Doing your research, specially when it comes to pricing your vintage and antique items is essential. Do your own appraisals by checking out what’s for sale and what has sold in your category.

Connect with other sellers online, in your neighborhood app and at shops.

7 Affordable Collectibles