Homeowners Are Unknowingly Throwing Thousands of Dollars in the Trash While Spring Cleaning

As you spring clean your home, it may be tempting to just toss anything you no longer use or need.

Doing so, however, can leave thousands of dollars on the table.

“Every April and May, we get a flood of ‘I almost threw this out’ submissions. It’s heartbreaking when you hear what people thought was junk,” says Joseph Gutwirth, founder of InstAppraisal.com based out of Culver City, CA.

By knowing what’s valuable (and what’s not), you can turn an annual chore into a profitable opportunity. 

High-resale items to keep

While these items may seem like trash, their high resale value can actually put some extra cash in your pocket. 

Pyrex

Pyrex is a line of glassware from the 1950s and '60s. It still exists today, but the glass used has changed, making vintage items much more coveted. Some of the most desirable patterns include Gooseberry, Butterprint, and Pink Daisy; and according to Gutwirth, Pyrex pieces could bring in $50 to a few hundred each. 

“People drop entire sets at Goodwill because the colors are dated and they don't know their true value. They're not dated to collectors. They’re the whole point,” Gutwirth explains.

Midcentury furniture

Well made furniture is always a hot commodity, but specifically, Lane Acclaim, Broyhill Brasilia, and Heywood-Wakefield are midcentury furniture brands worth holding on to. These pieces can be resold in the $400 to $2,000 range—and sometimes even more. 

“When going through furniture, people often forget to check for labels. Finding a label from a well-known maker is often the difference between $50 and $1,500,” says Gutwirth. 

Stereo gear

Popular stereo brands like Marantz, McIntosh, Pioneer, and Sansui that were made before 1985 are hot right now. 

“There's a real audiophile market in full force these days, and you may earn between $500 to $3,000 for working units,” Gutwirth explains.

You can check eBay to get an idea of how much these old receivers might sell for. 

Cast iron 

Older cast iron skillets are also surprisingly profitable. According to Gutwirth, pre-1960 Griswold and Wagner skillets are worth $100 to $500, even if they’re rusty; but most nonexperts will see them as junk.

Costume jewelry

Costume jewelry from brands like Trifari, Weiss, Eisenberg, and Miriam Haskell typically go for $50 to $500, which often shocks people. 

“I have heard quite a few times that the whole box gets tossed in the trash thinking it was just a box of old junk,” Gutwirth says. 

Original brass hardware from old houses

Original brass hardware is typically worth $20 to $200 per piece on the restoration market. 

“People often think doorknobs are worthless, but check eBay prices or valuations on other sites, and you may be surprised. It's often a mistake to throw out doorknobs,” Gutwirth explains.

How to identify what’s valuable 

It’s pretty easy to spot the good stuff, as long as you know what to look for. Here are several pointers to keep in mind as you go through spring cleaning:

Magnet test

Brass, copper, silver, gold won't stick to a magnet. Plated and steel, on the other hand will. 

“It takes two seconds, and it's free to check,” says Gutwirth. If something doesn’t stick, you may have something valuable. 

Weight

Valuable wood furniture is heavy, whereas particleboard is light. A heavier piece usually indicates durability and, in turn, higher resale value.

Look underneath everything

“Marks and labels are almost never on the visible side and are often where you don't expect them to be,” says Gutwirth. 

Taking the time to find the manufacturer can uncover thousands of dollars in value. 

Skip the polishing and cleaning 

Patina—the natural surface change that happens to materials over time—is valuable, so leaving it be is key.

“I can't stress this enough. People destroy half or more of the value trying to make something look "nice" before selling, not realizing they are cleaning off the actual value,” Gutwirth explains.

Don’t make assumptions

Many people just assume stuff is worthless.

“My mother-in-law was about to drop off a whole box of jewelry at Goodwill last year, and one of the pieces was a signed Eisenberg brooch that ended up selling for almost $400. She had no idea. And that's the thing, people don't know what they don't know, and they're confident about it,” says Gutwirth.