Rare coins, banknotes and gold jewellery all thrown in skips

South Wales Argus

12 hours ago

Experts at Fast Skips have lifted the lid behind the scenes of what people across the nation accidentally bin.
One of the most shocking items is mattresses stuffed with banknotes, sometimes thousands of pounds.
Trevor Moxon from Fast Skips says: 'You'd be amazed at the strange and surprising places people hide their valuables. Mattresses have turned up with serious amounts of money inside, left there either for safekeeping or simply forgotten over the years.
'It really highlights the importance of carefully checking through belongings before throwing anything away, especially when clearing out a loved one's home after they've passed. These kinds of discoveries are more common than you'd think, and it's incredibly easy to miss them if you're in a hurry or emotionally overwhelmed.
"Even in the most ordinary-looking pieces of furniture, we've seen hidden compartments or zip pockets used to store emergency funds, often without anyone else in the family ever knowing.
He adds: 'We've seen people unknowingly bin precious heirlooms, cash, and sentimental items simply because they didn't realise what was hidden inside. It's a heart-breaking moment when someone realises too late that they've thrown out a link to their past, or lost a financial cushion that could have made a real difference.
So, how can we be sure we aren't chucking away a family heirloom when we declutter?
'Always take the extra time to look closely, you never know what you might find tucked away," says Trevor.
"A few extra minutes could mean the difference between losing a small fortune and recovering something that was never meant to be thrown out. We always recommend people double-check drawers, unzip cushions, and open up old mattresses before letting them go, because once it's gone, it's gone.'
What else should you never throw in a skip?
Another commonly skipped item is wedding rings, with panicked spouses calling to retrieve them.
'It's astonishing how frequently wedding rings find their way into skips after slipping unnoticed from fingers," says Trevor.
'People don't realise how easily rings can fall off, especially when handling heavy objects, gardening, or clearing out a property.
'We've found rings nestled amongst garden waste, building rubble, or simply resting at the bottom of skips.
'It's always worth double-checking your hands after any clear-out job or manual labour, once a ring is gone, you might never realise until it's too late."
Beware disposing of sensitive or personal data
Things like CVs, contact details, and pay slips are commonly discarded. Hard drives and old computers containing bank details and passwords are also regularly found.
'One of the biggest risks we see is sensitive personal data being discarded carelessly in skips, says Trevor.
'It's vital that people understand the dangers of identity theft and fraud associated with improperly disposing of personal information.
'Always ensure that sensitive data is shredded, erased, or professionally destroyed before throwing it away. It's the safest way to protect yourself and your privacy."
What should you not throw away in a house clearance?
It's tempting to want to check everything in the skip when you have to clear a loved one's home, or spilt the contents of a home after a divorce or break-up, but there can often be treasures lurking that could be valuable - and many people hold onto collectables that could provide a nest-egg for relatives or a bigger pot for a couple who split.
Homeprotect has conducted a study to discover which common household objects found in homes hold the most value when sold on eBay.
The data revealed rare 50p coins selling for up to £20K, vintage jewellery for £18K and antique furniture for £8K. It also reveals the average selling price and which kind of pieces are the most valuable overall.
"One in five say they struggle with decluttering due to sentimental attachment to items," says Homeprotect's chief customer officer, David Joyson.
"Coins and stamp collections are the most valuable items you're likely to find lying around an elderly relative's attic - particularly rare 50p coins.
"Rare 50p coins can sell for an average price of £11,670 on eBay, with some such as the Benjamin Bunny 50p recently selling after being listed for a whopping £20,000.
"If you're looking to cash in on some rare coins, now would be a good time, as searches for 'rare 50p coins' have gone through the roof in recent months, with 49,500 average monthly searches on Google – a 123% increase year on year and 49% in the last three months alone."
HomeProtect's survey on the most valuable house clearance treasures (Image: HomeProtect)
Vintage jewellery is the second most valuable category, with vintage engagement rings piquing the interest of 9,900 people per month in the UK on Google search, fetching an average of £7,277 on the online marketplace.
"A platinum blue sapphire diamond ring was the most expensive ring found in our study, sold recently for nearly £18K on eBay," says David. "Tiffany and Co. rings also pick up a tidy sum at auction on resale sites, with one selling for just over £4,000.
"It's worth bearing in mind that securing a high price for vintage jewellery generally depends on the item's condition and whether it comes in its original packaging."
Antique furniture is the third most valuable find, with an average of £6,485 made from relevant eBay sales.
Specific designers are particularly well sought-after, with a set of four chairs from Danish designer Borge Mogenson selling for £8,000, a single wardrobe by Robert 'Mouseman' for nearly £6,000, and a set of two armchairs for £5,500.
"Furniture from certain eras also fetch a pretty penny, specifically 18th-century furniture," says David. "A Boulle-style dining set sold for £8,000, while a mahogany breakfront bookcase went for nearly £5,000 earlier this year.
In fourth place, vinyl records, specifically 1960s vinyl, with recent big-money sales include a promo copy of The Velvet Yellow Underground & Nico featuring iconic art from Andy Warhol which sold for £6,747, the Beatles Please Please Me stereo first gold label vinyl for just over £4,000, and a promo copy of Bob Dylan's Blonde on Blonde album for just over £3,000.
"Promo releases (copies of albums or singles distributed for free by record companies before release) tend to do well – with experts suggesting they generally sell for 50% more than a standard pressing, minimum," says David.
Clocks are the fifth most valuable item you can find in the attic. Grandfather clocks garner 12,100 Google searches on average per month and sell for a tidy sum of £2,671.
"It seems the older the better when selling old clocks on the online marketplace, and hand-carved ones do well, too," says David.
"An Art Nouveau Italian Baroque grandfather clock carved with cherubs sold for above the average price of a clock in its category at nearly £4,000, as did a red lacquer longcase clock by Thomas Bell London which went for £3,450."
Completing the top 10 most valuable items are porcelain dolls (£2,006), vintage lamps (£1,867), vintage posters (£1,829) and WW1 medals (£1,554).
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'It's incredible how much value can be hidden in everyday items that may have been gathering dust in an old cupboard, garage or attic – with some now selling for thousands on sites like eBay," says David.
'If you, or an elderly relative have items like these lying around, or if you come across an item you think may have a high value, it's worth getting them professionally valued, so you can check that you have the right insurance – many insurers will ask you to specify an individual item on your policy – at Homeprotect that's the case if an item is worth more than £1,500.
"Not doing this may mean that it wouldn't be covered if you needed to make a claim.
'If you have financial power of attorney for an elderly relative and/or have been named as an executor for their will, in the event of their death it is worth auditing and valuing items, to ensure you have a complete list of their assets and to understand the value, whether you intend to keep any treasured items or if you are considering selling anything in the future once the probate process is complete.'