Trash or treasure?

Nords

Nords

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I'm finally getting around to cleaning out my “Island of Misfit Toys”. These things may have value but perhaps are no longer valuable to anyone except as paperweights and doorstops:

- Two 512 MB sticks of RAM, 184-pin 400 MHz CL3. I think it's PC 3200 DDR SDRAM but I can't remember how to read the chips or the labels for the rest of the details.
- a Radeon Visiontek Xtasy 9550 graphics accelerator with 128MB of RAM on an AGP card
- a Pentax Optio W10 waterproof digital camera with a cracked screen (only good for parts)
- camera battery charger and cables for the camera
- 11 silver spoons and a salt scraper from small Heartland towns collected by my grandmother in the 1930s-40s
- old pamphlets:
  • a 1934 reprint of a FORTUNE magazine article on munitions companies
  • a 1955 “This Is Your Congress” from the “Independent Economic Research Foundation” (?!?)
  • a 1934 “The duPont Company and Munitions” defense against accusations of fomenting war
  • a 1953 Bureau of Land Management info bulletin on leasing Alaska land
  • a 1974 “Franklin Mint” collection of coins of Jamaica
  • a 1973 USPS Souvenir Mint Set. IIRC the stamp's torn perforations reduce their “value”.
These dregs are the remainder of an inheritance/cleanup that I've been handling mainly through eBay and a few specialty websites. I'm having trouble getting good eBay info-- any other resource suggestions?

I'm not too worried about seeing any of this stuff on “Antiques Roadshow”, but I'd much prefer to donate it to a school computer lab or a library rather than pitch it in the trash.
 
Having never used this type of product/service, all I can offer is that , in addition to eBay, I have heard of Graig's List and iTaggit.
 
I've got to say that given what you listed, I would probably label it as completely unsellable and put it out with the trash. But I'd love to see you make some money off of it and prove me wrong!

Frank is standing here and says to me, "You'd be surprised at what people buy on E-Bay!" :D
 
I'd sell the silver spoon collection either on ebay or for scrap silver . My daughter sold one last year for $50.00. I'd also sell the several articles either bunched together or separately also on ebay . I'd probably also sell the coins and stamps on ebay . If you put it out for trash someone else will sell it . I think of it as global recycling . I would sell them on a 7 day auction with a low not ridiculous starting price and reasonable shipping .
 
DH has a basement full of "treasures" I'd like to haul off to the dump. He thinks some of it might be worth something. Examples:

Old computer monitors (not color - amber or green color only)
Boxes of old electronics magazines that belonged to his dad (circa 1960)
An orginial Timex Sinclair computer (perhaps the Smithsonian?)
A broken trash compactor someone wanted to throw away (he snagged it "just in time")
A broken bike he saved when he bought a new one (cheapo model)
And so on...

If you think of someone [-]foolish [/-]wise enough to want this stuff, let me know;)
 
Purron said:
An orginial Timex Sinclair computer
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Oh! I had one of them. I spent many hours programming in basic with that, what was it?, 2 bits of memory. Ah, my mispent youth. I wish I had saved mine.



I have discovered "smileys." What a trip... reminds me of my Timex-Sinclair days.
 
I used to just trash most things but then I started ebaying and it is amazing what you can sell . I sold old chintz china a plate at a time and made over $1,000. I also sold a few hummels that were my MIL's . I sold all those dresses I bought for weddings or parties and only wore once . I sold old watches , vintage jewelry , cameras , and my SO's comic books ( could you believe a KISS comic went for $100 ) .I also sold a note from Jackie Kennedy thanking my Aunt for her condolence letter .I've sold numerous books . I still toss lots of stuff but this hobby has paid for lots of fun things plus it has cleaned out my closets .
 
I have a friend who has been an antiques dealer for awhile. She didn't like Antique Roadshow because everyone got the idea that their tea pot could be worth millions. She likes eBay since it gets her a wider audience than her local antique mall.
 
Nords,
Don't know about the rest of your "treasures", but those silver spoons and the salt scraper should bring in some decent return on eBay. If you post them, suggest you do them one at a time, mentioning that you have several others as well.

For some reason that I can't explain, generally single items of silver bring in more than a set of several.
 
Achiever51 said:
Nords,
For some reason that I can't explain, generally single items of silver bring in more than a set of several.
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People will buy 1 small item as a gift for their friend who collects? A friend of mine started with kitchen pigs about 8 or 10 years ago and she now has close to 1000! Her husband collects outhouse art and they are everywhere in the house now. It can be fun to collect but when the friends and family always add to the collection it can become a real burden! Sadly no one wants to give me bearer bonds.:(
 
Achiever51 said:
For some reason that I can't explain, generally single items of silver bring in more than a set of several.
Click to expand...
About five years ago I won an ebay bid on a 55 piece set of silver-plate flatware (serving spoons, ladels, etc). The set is about 60 years old and it is just beautiful. I paid $72. I did some investigating...to replace just one fork will cost $15.00. :p
 
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Moemg said:
I'd sell the silver spoon collection either on ebay or for scrap silver . My daughter sold one last year for $50.00. I'd also sell the several articles either bunched together or separately also on ebay . I'd probably also sell the coins and stamps on ebay . If you put it out for trash someone else will sell it . I think of it as global recycling . I would sell them on a 7 day auction with a low not ridiculous starting price and reasonable shipping .
Click to expand...
Achiever51 said:
Nords,
Don't know about the rest of your "treasures", but those silver spoons and the salt scraper should bring in some decent return on eBay. If you post them, suggest you do them one at a time, mentioning that you have several others as well.
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Thanks, everyone, I'll try them on eBay. I wasn't sure there was a market for items like this.

It'll be interesting to see how the pamphlets sell...
 
Do keep us posted! Ebay is just like a yard sale - what YOU think people will buy is light years from what "they" bid on and purchase!!
 
Fireup2025 said:
Do keep us posted! Ebay is just like a yard sale - what YOU think people will buy is light years from what "they" bid on and purchase!!
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If you have anything vintage it's a gold mine .So wives hang on to your husbands they may sell on ebay for a fortune some day ! :)
 
Moemg said:
If you have anything vintage it's a gold mine .So wives hang on to your husbands they may sell on ebay for a fortune some day ! :)
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I've threatened to put dh2b on the corner with a cup of pencils whenever he wants to buy some techno-toy that is way outside of our budget. :whistle:

Hmmmm...maybe not such a good idea after all (Women Be Wise music is still playing in my head). ;)
 
freebird5825 said:
I've threatened to put dh2b on the corner with a cup of pencils whenever he wants to buy some techno-toy that is way outside of our budget.
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Let's see... on the one hand is the Cosmetics [-]stash [/-]shelf and on the other is a iPod Nano. Hmmmm.
 
RonBoyd said:
Let's see... on the one hand is the Cosmetics [-]stash [/-]shelf and on the other is a iPod Nano. Hmmmm.
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Actually, it was an iPhone in his hand and nothing in mine. :LOL:
This is where the HIS/HERS money concept w*rks in my favor - he can spend whatever he wants, but if I don't "buy in" beforehand, it's all on his nickel. And vice versa. The negotiations to get the other partner to go halfsies are a riot. :ROFLMAO:
Call me mean, but it keeps our spending way down. And we get to practice our "convincing" skills on each other. ;)
 
I've been using a combination of local boards, Craigslist, and eBay.

The RAM sold on Craigslist in about 20 minutes ($15/stick).

The graphics card is drowning among 100-200 new daily computer ads on our local Craigslist. That might take a while.

The camera and parts turned out to be worthless.

The pamphlets are essentially worthless. Some of them are listed on eBay for amounts under $10 but there don't seem to be any completed auctions. So these will go to our local library for their next book sale.

The 1973 eight-cent stamps are worth... eight cents each. A complete mint set might be worth more but this was just a partial collection. Hopefully it won't take me another 36 years to use them up.

Fireup2025 said:
Do keep us posted!
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Upon further research the eight Jamaica coins might actually be worth something, with several completed auctions.

I've learned more than I ever cared to know about sterling silver spoons. Turns out the first one I pulled out of the rack is an 1888 Watson commemorating Illinois statehood. Must've been my great-grandmother's.

I ended up listing two seven-day auctions:
300349657088
300349661322


Depending on how these go I'll put up more seven-day listings on each Sunday for the rest of the spoons.
 
Nords, if you had tossed those silver spoons away for little money I would have been really upset for you. Those were, I knew, worth something. I'm not a spoon affecianado but many women are. Glad you're making some money off great grandma's hard collecting.
If the spoons don't sell--and assuming your daughter doesn't want them NOW--why not keep them for your future granddaughter? My grandma wanted to give me crocheting when she was dying of cancer and I, being 15, snarled my nose at it. Now I so wish I had had her make something like a tablecloth for me. You change your mind when you get older and realize the sentimental value of things, and your daughter might also. They're small and storable.
 
Orchidflower said:
Nords, if you had tossed those silver spoons away for little money I would have been really upset for you. Those were, I knew, worth something.
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We're going to have to wait until the bidding ends before making any conclusions about their value!

Orchidflower said:
Glad you're making some money off great grandma's hard collecting.
If the spoons don't sell--and assuming your daughter doesn't want them NOW--why not keep them for your future granddaughter? My grandma wanted to give me crocheting when she was dying of cancer and I, being 15, snarled my nose at it. Now I so wish I had had her make something like a tablecloth for me. You change your mind when you get older and realize the sentimental value of things, and your daughter might also. They're small and storable.
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Knowing my GG, the spoons were acquired in a frenzy of souvenir-hunting. She was much more focused on the "stuff collecting" than on the experience collecting. Her explorer's attitude was along the lines of "OK, nice sunset, now where's the souvenir stores?"

Our attic is full of the [-]crap[/-] valuable family collectibles foisted on me by at least four generations of Nords ancestors. (In my grandmother's case it was knitting. Not much use for sweaters and afghans around here.) Having made 19 moves with the Navy, it's no fun to take care of. While it may appreciate in value, it's nowhere near the compounding value of equities. So as our kid contemplates joining the Navy, I'd rather spare her my experiences with this particular area.

Aside from actual cash value, the only other prospective worth of these heirlooms is sentimental-- and we're keeping the items that have family stories. The rest of it is outta here before yet another "collectibles crime" is foisted on the next (clueless) generation.
 
I get you. If you have enough items with sentimental value then I would sell what you don't think anyone would want either. I didn't realize you had so much. I wish I had some as I am literally scraping up scraps to put together some items from my Grandma on Mom's side and have absolutely zero from Dad's. Big difference and different viewpoint then.
 
Nords said:
Our attic is full of the [-]crap[/-] valuable family collectibles foisted on me by at least four generations of Nords ancestors.
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My sympathies. When stuff begins to accumulate like that, moving it and storing it can become such a PITA. I used to have a lot too, but somehow my ex ended up with everything and that included the collectibles, paintings, furniture, and other nearly worthless stuff that my family expected me to keep. So what to do? My solution was just not telling family members that I didn't have the stuff. That might work for you as well. After all, even if they visit they aren't going to go through your attic with a checklist.

Anyway, to make a long story short I am really glad that I am not going to have to lug all that [-]junk[/-] stuff with me on my next move.

On a similar yet related note, I have discovered that since ruthlessly going through my closets and throwing out my OWN worthless stuff, I actually have closet space. Amazing. I thought this house didn't have enough closet space, but it actually has plenty.
 
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