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The 5 forgotten items hiding in your attic that could be worth £11,000 including unwanted family junk sitting in a box
WHETHER it's a mega pile of books, your kids' toys or random bits and bobs, your attic is likely full of items that you don't use anymore.
If you've spent decades chucking stuff in cardboard boxes rather than throwing it away or donating it, you might've been building a gold mine valuable items without knowing it.
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From rare coins to old furniture, a new study has revealed five often-forgotten items in your storage that could actually make you a small fortune.
So, if you're looking to monetise your next clearout, here are some of the goodies to look out for.
Rare coins – £11,670
Before you exchange that jar of spare change, make sure you go through it - this is because you very well may find special coins that collectors would be willing to pay a pretty penny for.
Rare 50ps are particularly valuable. According to research from home insurer Homeprotect, they go 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 an eye-watering £25,086.72.
A coin's condition – and whether it has any errors – can increase its value, so when the original owner realised that there was a a bit of metal poking out of Peter Rabbit's foot, they realised they could be onto something, Metro reported.
Vintage jewellery – £7,277
Whether it's a ring or a necklace, many choose to hold onto inherited or vintage jewellery for its sentimental value.
However, if it's something that's just gathering dust, it could be time to let go - especially as true vintage pieces tend to fetch a whopping £7,277 on average.
One particularly pricey piece – a Platinum Blue Sapphire No Heat Sri Lanka 18K Diamond Ring – recently sold for an astronomical £18,000.
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Rings from Tiffany and Co. also tend to pick up a decent sum at auction, with one previously raking the owner in just over £4,000.
Antique furniture – £6,485
Sure, it's unlikely you have forgotten about some larger pieces of furniture – but you may not know what you have, and there's pretty good money in antique pieces if you're willing to do some research.
Mid-century designers are highly sought after amongst collectors, with one set of four chairs from Borge Mogenson cashing out £8,000, while a Robert Mouseman wardrobe raked in close to £6,000.
Works from earlier eras are also just as valuable, with 18th-century furniture being a firm favourite.
At the start of 2025, one Boulle-style dining set fetched £8,000, and a fabulous mahogany bookcase took home almost £5,000.
How to spot valuable items
COMMENTS by Consumer Editor, Alice Grahns:
It's easy to check if items in your attic are valuable.
As a first step, go on eBay to check what other similar pieces, if not the same, have sold for recently.
Simply search for your item, filter by 'sold listings' and toggle by the highest value.
This will give you an idea of how much others are willing to pay for it.
The method can be used for everything ranging from rare coins and notes to stamps, old toys, books and vinyl records - just to mention a few examples.
For coins, online tools from change experts like Coin Hunter are also helpful to see how much it could be worth.
Plus, you can refer to Change Checker's latest scarcity index update to see which coins are topping the charts.
For especially valuable items, you may want to enlist the help of experts or auction houses.
Do your research first though and be aware of any fees for evaluating your stuff.
As a rule of thumb, rarity and condition are key factors in determining the value of any item.
You're never guaranteed to make a mint, however.
Clocks – £2,671
Before smartphones took over, most homes had an actual clock to tell the time with – and millions of us still remember the sound of its ticking.
As a general rule, the older the clock, the bigger the profit – but on average, antique timepieces make a sum of around £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 took home more than its contemporaries at £3,450.
Vinyl records – £4,000
Are you a huge fan of music and are hoarding old vinyl up in the attic? You could be sitting on a rare piece of history without even being aware of it.
It's no secret that original pressings from big bands such as The Beatles are worth huge sums of cash, with one gold label vinyl copy of Please Please Me fetching more than £4,000.
That's not all though. The Velvet Underground & Nico's iconic collaboration – featuring a yellow banana on the cover designed by the late artist and film director 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 seen as particularly valuable – and they typically go for 50% more than a standard pressing.
