The power of nostalgia is something that is often highly underrated. Unfortunately, although something you have may be incredibly rare or highly sought after, you may not realize it because it’s something you want to display or are proud of!
These are some of the most valuable items people leave sitting out and unknowingly put themself at risk of losing hundreds or thousands of dollars.
Classic Books and Comics
We all know a collector who’s had a book or comic since they were a kid and keep that piece of history on a shelf in their home. Although most reader copies lose value with age, leading to a ton of paperbacks being valued at no more than a dollar, some books actual gain value.
Before you put an older comic or novel on your shelf or coffee table in plain view, research the value of it. You may accidentally be leaving yourself open to theft or mug stains on something incredibly valuable.
Old Vinyl Records
Older vinyl records are often overlooked by those who don’t collect them. Unfortunately, this can lead to theft or broken records, and it’s hard to replace pieces of history like these. So before you set up a cute record player and vinyl collection in your living room, stop and research how much each record is worth: and how irreplaceable they are.
Older records sound amazing, and it can be so awesome getting to use one, but it’s not worth it if you’re risking damaging hundreds of dollars of property.
Old Paintings and Photos
Nobody wants to have bare walls, and many of us reuse and keep art that we’ve had since college or that our families passed down. Pay attention to which pieces you have, if they’re original, who created them, and how old they are. A painting that you may assume is by an unknown painter may turn out to be a million-dollar Basquiat piece. Keeping these in the open without researching their value could leave you empty to losing thousands.
Vintage Furniture
Vintage furniture has come back into popularity in recent years, mostly because of the 1920s and 1970s design becoming so popular again. Because of this, many vintage decors have risen by thousands in value, and many realize that family heirlooms and decor are secret little bubbles of potential income.
Pay attention to what you have and how much it’s worth, and you may be able to protect yourself from theft by hiding more expensive pieces from view.
Retro Video Games
Like you’d install a house alarm system to keep your doors safely closed while you’re at work: some items should be kept out of plain view to keep burglars at bay. For example, older video games and systems can be worth hundreds to thousands depending on their design, age, and care.
Take care of these older pieces by locking them away or at least ensuring that they’re not in plain view for anyone to see. Although you may be proud of them: don’t let them be the reason for a break in.