From cards to cereal boxes, yesterday’s trash has become today’s treasure.
DailyMail.com spoke to Nora Curl, a collectibles expert who appraises up to a thousand items per month at JustAnswer.com and AppraiseAntique.com.
Curl said, ‘Whodathunkit! That’s the phrase that comes to mind when seemingly nonchalant, disposable items turn out to be quite valuable on the resale collector market.’
But seemingly worthless disposable items that some might think of as just being garbage can be worth surprising sums, she said.
Cereal boxes
Cereal boxes featuring pop-culture icons can be worth thousands – or even tens of thousands, Curl advises.
A 1935 Wheaties box, featuring baseball legend Lou Gehrig, sold for $7680 at Julien’s Auctions in 2019, against an estimate of $1000 – $2000.
A 1935 Wheaties box, featuring baseball legend Lou Gehrig, sold for $7680 at Julien’s Auctions in 2019
Curl said, ‘If you are already into the buying, collecting and re-selling game, you may be aware that Wheaties cereal boxes can be flipped for profit, especially the ones featuring pop culture icons and sports figures, such as the inimitable Betty White, whose Wheaties box sold for $10,240 in 2022.’
A Kelloggs Super Mario box sold for $45,000 on Ebay in 2018
But Curl says that the Holy Grail of collectible cereal boxes is actually Kellogg’s – featuring the Super Mario brothers.
One sold for $45,000 on eBay in 2018.
Old casino chips
Many card players like to keep a few chips as souvenirs of good times at the tables – but old chips, particularly those dating back decades, can be very valuable.
$5 chip from The Sands sold for $8101 on Ebay in 2018
$1000 token from Frontier Casino that sold for $35,000 in January 2024
Curl said, ‘If I were a betting person, and had won a few poker chips at a casino while on vacation in Las Vegas in the 1950’s, I most certainly would have cashed in my $5 token at that time.
‘But if you decided to keep it as a memory of a fun time in Vegas, then fast forward to over 50 years later, because a $5 chip from The Sands sold for $8101 on eBay in 2018.’
‘So check those chips in your home, because ones marked from old school Vegas Strip landmarks have a lot of potential value.’
An assorted set of 7 poker chips, ranging from 50 cents to $5 from The Sahara went for $8700 in 2021.
Curl said, ‘Other big winning chips are a $1000 token from Frontier Casino that sold for $35,000 in January 2024, a $5 Cowgirl chip from The Sands that sold for $7255 in 2021, a pair of $1 Riverboat Casino tokens that sold for $5389 in 2016, and a Fremont Hotel $5 chip selling for $2402 in 2022.’
Cult classic VHS tapes
You could be sitting on a treasure trove of valuable childhood movies.
Streaming has replaced trips to the video store, but VHS tapes are becoming a hot commodity among collectors.
Classics like Back to the Future and movies with a cult following like the original Fast and the Furious are fetching thousands on eBay.
But before you go sprinting to the garage or rummaging around the attic – proceed with care: the condition of these tapes is key to their sale price.
These are the most in-demand tapes:
1. “Back to the Future” — If you could time travel back to 1985 in the DeLorean, tell yourself not to open your copy. It’s selling for $1,000.
2. “The Fast and the Furious” — By the time it came out in the early 2000s, many of us were already on to DVDs. A VHS version of this Paul Walker and Vin Diesel classic can bank you a cool $1,000.
3. “Teen Wolf” — A first printing of the VHS tape with the iconic cover of Michael J. Fox baring his chest just sold for $1,190 on eBay.
4. “Gremlins” — America fell in love with those furry, evil little menaces in this 1980s staple. A copy today goes for $1,250.
5. “First Blood” — Sylvester Stallone was in his element. A copy of this gem just went for $1,525. The original VHS tape still had the $29.95 price tag on the front. How’s that for appreciation?
6. “Halloween II” — An unopened copy of this blockbuster sequel recently sold for $1,525.
7. “Dumbo” — A limited-edition version bundled with a Mickey Mouse ornament recently sold for $1,575.50.
8. “Conan the Barbarian” — Who doesn’t love an old-school, enemy-crushing masterpiece? A mint copy is worth $1,725.
9. “Taxi Driver” — First printings and early releases go for a pretty penny. An initial release of the Robert De Niro classic sold for $1,905.
10. “The Goonies” — Recently went for $4,050. As the saying goes, “Goonies never die.” Neither does this VHS tape’s market value.
11. “A Nightmare on Elm Street” — Calling all Freddy Krueger fans. A new copy recently sold on eBay for $5,000.
Bubble gum packs and cards
Bubble gum packets and collectible cards can be worth enormous sums today, said Curl.
Curl said: ‘Remember those TMJ inducing bricks of Bazooka Joe bubble gum? The bonus when opening up the distinctive red, white and blue wrapper was a tiny little comic on wax paper. I used to neatly save mine in a stack in a little trinket box.’
In 2010, a single Nolan Ryan bubblegum comic card from that set, sold at that same auction house for $13,200
Vintage Bazooka Joe comics have an actual collector market.
Now, most of them fetch only a few dollars each, however in 1973 Topps also jumped on the comic collector card bandwagon when they attempted a baseball theme bubble gum test set.
The test set, meaning it didn’t really launch on a mass scale to the public, comprised of 24 cards.
In 2010 a set of 24 sold for $17,625 altogether at Robert Edward Auctions.
Vintage Bazooka Joe comics have an actual collector market
In 2010, a single Nolan Ryan bubblegum comic card from that set, sold at that same auction house for $13,200.
Soup adverts
Curl said: ‘Most everyone is familiar with Andy Warhol and his ubiquitous Campbell Soup can paintings.’
But did you know that the Campbell’s Soup Company itself, in the 1960’s, decided to capitalize on the pop art sensibility by offering a disposable sleeveless a-line paper dress with repeating imagery of their soup cans.
The ‘disposable’ paper dress is worth a lot of money
‘There were yellow lines printed at the bottom as a guide for cutting the dress to a suitable Twiggy inspired mini dress length. The Pop Art “Souper Dress” was available by mail order from Campbell’s and served as a clever free advertising billboard.
The paper dresses were built to be thrown away, Curl said, but can change hands for vast sums today.
She said, ‘Examples that have been kept in pristine condition have sold in the high range of $4000 – $6600, and they are still iconic and fashionable to this day….some clothing just does not go out of style!’
