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Metro
2 days ago
- General
- Metro
5 forgotten items in your attic that could be worth over £11,000
Whether it's a pile of books, old toys or random heirlooms, your attic is likely full of items that you don't use any more – but you could be sitting on a secret gold mine. If you've spent decades chucking stuff in storage rather than throwing it away or donating it, you might've been building a treasure trove of valuable items without knowing it. From coins to furniture, a new study has revealed the often-forgotten items in your attic that are actually worth a small fortune. So, if you're looking to monetise your next clearout, here's what to look out for. Before you exchange that old jar of change, make sure you go through it for any special coins that collectors would pay a pretty penny for. Rare 50ps are particularly valuable: according to research from home insurer Homeprotect, they sell for an average price of £11,670 on eBay. In fact, one Benjamin Bunny 50p was recently listed for £20,000 – £19,999.50 more than its legal tender was worth. Earlier this year, a particularly rare version of a Beatrix Potter 50p coin went up for £25,086.72. A coin's condition – and whether it has any mistakes – can increase its value, so when the original owner realised that there was a lump of metal poking out of Peter Rabbit's foot, they knew they could be onto something. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Many might choose to hold onto inherited or vintage jewellery for its sentimental value, but if something's gathering dust, it could be time to let go. Your late relative may have been happy to see you benefit from the cash, as vintage jewellery pieces tend to fetch £7,277 on average. One particularly pricey piece – a Platinum Blue Sapphire No Heat Sri Lanka 18K Diamond Ring – recently sold for almost £18,000. Rings from Tiffany and Co. also tend to pick up a decent sum at auction, with one previously going under the hammer for just over £4,000. Granted, you're unlikely to have forgotten about some sizeable pieces of furniture – but you may not know what you have, and there's good money in antique pieces if you're willing to do some research. Mid-century designers are highly sought after, with one set of four chairs from Borge Mogenson cashing out £8,000, while a Robert Mouseman wardrobe fetched close to £6,000. That would look lovely in your savings account, right? Works from earlier eras also carry value, with 18th-century furniture a particular favourite among collectors. At the start of 2025, one Boulle-style dining set racked up £8,000, and a gorgeous mahogany bookcase took home almost £5,000. Before the days of the smartphone, most homes had an actual clock to tell the time with – and many of us are nostalgic for the sound of its ticking. As a general rule, the older the clock, the tidier the profit – but on average, antique timepieces fetch a generous sum of £2,671. A unique look or prestigious maker helps too: one Art Nouveau Italian Baroque grandfather clock recently went for nearly £4,000, while a red lacquer longcase clock from Thomas Bell London fetched more than its contemporaries at £3,450. Hoarding old vinyl up in your loft? You could be sitting on a rare piece of history without even knowing it. More Trending It's no secret that original pressings from the likes of The Beatles are worth big money, with one gold label vinyl copy of Please Please Me fetching just over £4,000. That's not all though. The Velvet Underground & Nico's iconic collaboration – featuring a yellow banana on the cover designed by none other than Andy Warhol – sold for £6,747, and a rare promo copy of Bob Dylan's 1966 double album Blonde on Blonde went for just over £3,000. Released by record companies before the rest of the world has access to them, promo copies are considered especially valuable – and they typically sell for 50% more than a standard pressing. View More » So, keep your eyes on Discogs for these rare collector's editions if you want to make an investment. Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ MORE: Credit card customers can save up to £1,679 with a simple debt 'spring clean' MORE: I've got 'number dyslexia' – but I'm a financial expert MORE: Average UK house price fell by £1,150 month-on-month in May Your free newsletter guide to the best London has on offer, from drinks deals to restaurant reviews.
Fox News
30-04-2025
- General
- Fox News
Ominous letter written by 'prophetic' Titanic passenger sells for shocking six-figure sum at auction
A "prophetic" letter written aboard the ill-fated RMS Titanic ocean liner has been auctioned in England for a stunning sum. The letter was sold by Wiltshire-based Henry Aldridge & Son Ltd. on April 26. It was written by Archibald Gracie IV on April 10, 1912 – just five days before the ship sank on April 15. Gracie penned the note on April 10, when the ship left Southampton, England. The letter was postmarked in London two days later, on April 12. "It is a fine ship but I shall await my journey's end before I pass judgment on her," Gracie wrote compellingly in the letter. "The Oceanic is like an old friend and while she does not possess the elaborate style and varied amusement of this big ship, still her seaworthy qualities and yacht-like appearance make me miss her," he added. As noted by Henry Aldridge & Son Ltd, Gracie woke up suddenly before midnight on April 14 when the Titanic hit an iceberg. "He later wrote that more than half the men who had originally reached the lifeboat either died from exhaustion or cold, quietly slipping off the keel during the night," the auction house said. "As dawn broke, Col Gracie returned to New York City aboard the rescue ship Carpathia, where he began writing about what he had been through." Though Gracie survived the shipwreck, his health was severely impacted by the disaster. He suffered from hypothermia and various physical injuries on the day of the sinking. In Dec. 1912, he fell into a coma before dying of complications from diabetes. Originally predicted to fetch the equivalent of $80,000, the 103-year-old piece of paper was sold for an eye-popping 300,000 pounds, or $399,000. Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge called the letter "one of the finest of its type known." "Not only is it written by one of the most important first-class passengers on Titanic, [but] the letter itself contains the most prophetic line: 'It is a fine ship but I shall await my journey's end before I pass judgment on her,'" Aldridge said. "Five days later, Titanic was at the bottom of the North Atlantic." The auction is proof of the public's enduring fascination with the Titanic over 110 years after the tragic shipwreck. In November, a similar postcard from a Titanic victim at another Henry Aldridge & Son Ltd. auction sold for $25,000. At the same auction, a Tiffany and Co. timepiece given to a Titanic rescuer went for just under $2 million, 10 times more than the original guided price.
