Admit it: most of us have a cluttered junk drawer filled with an assortment of old charging cables, outdated takeout menus, mismatched batteries, and obsolete tech gadgets.
Surprisingly, you might be sitting on a small fortune amidst the clutter.
When you decide to channel your inner Marie Kondo and organize those drawers, take a moment to ensure you’re not discarding valuable items.
As the saying goes, one person’s trash could be another person’s treasure.
Before you toss anything, think twice, as an expert has pointed out that some of these items could be worth up to an astonishing $50,000 or more.
Who wouldn’t want to clean up more frequently if it could lead to an unexpected financial windfall?
Adam Koprucki, the founder of Real World Investor, shared with the New York Post: “Most people throw away items that could pay for their retirement in just a few years.”
“The truth is, certain everyday objects sitting in your home might be worth more than your stock portfolio by 2030.”
Remember the story of the man who accidentally discarded a hard drive containing Bitcoin?
That slip-up cost him an estimated $514.37 million.
If your drawer has become a virtual museum of old smartphones, you might be in luck, according to Adam.
“The first-generation iPhone, released in 2007, sold for $499 new, but sealed examples now fetch upwards of $20,000 at auction. By 2030, mint-condition models could easily surpass $50,000,” he notes.
This scenario has already played out.
In 2023, a first-generation, unopened, factory-sealed 8-GB iPhone was sold for over $63,000.
Even more remarkably, a 4-GB iPhone 1 from 2007 fetched an astounding $190,372.80.
It’s not just old phones that can be highly valuable; first editions of books, vintage games, and retro toys can also fetch significant amounts.
Koprucki specifically mentioned Star Wars toys and Pokémon cards as examples of collectibles funding house deposits for sellers.
Those childhood Transformers toys you loved to play with? They’re now fetching high prices for those who kept them in good condition.
Original Transformers toys from the 1980s, if still in their sealed packaging, can sell for up to $20,000 each. First-edition Harry Potter books originally priced under $20 can be worth over $50,000 today.
“A sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. sold for $2 million in 2021,” he pointed out, highlighting that the game originally cost around $30.
Before listing items on an online auction platform, the expert advises getting a private appraisal to avoid underselling your valuables.