Is There a Hidden Fortune in Your Attic?

In this tongue-in-cheek look at collectibles – of which baby boomers often have many – Boomer reader John Ficarra suggests old items you may have overlooked. 

Who among us hasn’t dreamed of stumbling upon a seemingly worthless object, either at a flea market or in an attic, that turns out to have great, life-changing value? While experts say the chances of striking it rich remain long, don’t give up hope just yet. It seems new collectibles markets are always popping up and there may still be a chance that there is gold to be found amid the Christmas decorations and boxed-up old clothes in the dark recesses of your home.

Here’s a rundown of just some of today’s hottest collectibles.

Baseball Card Gum

Stories of mothers throwing out their son’s baseball cards only to learn years later that they are now worth thousands is nothing new. But what is new is an offshoot of this perennial collectible – the collecting of the thin slab of pink chewing gum that accompanied the baseball cards. Gum that came in the packet of any baseball hall-of-famer is reportedly fetching big bucks among elite collectors. Recently, gum that was packaged with Topps’ Derek Jeter’s rookie card was listed on eBay for $150,000! Experts say it would have been priced even higher had not half of the gum been nibbled away, either by the original owner or some sort of rodent living in the owner’s basement.

Cents-Off Coupons

For generations, clipping coupons from magazines and Sunday newspaper supplements was a way for budget-conscious homemakers to save money at the grocery store. While this marketing technique has all but vanished, the demand for specific rare coupons from the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s is just beginning to take off. The two most sought after are:

• A 10-cents off “Have Yourself a Saran Wrap Christmas!” coupon from 1973, which featured a photo of a housewife playfully wrapping her husband, kids, and puppy in the clear plastic wrap. When rumors spread that the puppy almost suffocated during the photo shoot, the coupon was quickly pulled, hence its scarcity. Experts say the sky is the limit as to what someone will pay for this coupon as, to date, one has never been found nor sold.
• A 50-cent off coupon for Charmin Toilet Tissue “Special 4th of July Barbeque 12-Pack” from 1988, which featured the product’s beloved spokesman, Mr. Whipple, dressed as Abe Lincoln and squeezing his stove pipe hat the same way he famously squeezed a roll of Charmin. Considered “The Holy Grail” of cents-off coupons, if you have this Charmin beauty, you’ll be sitting pretty.

Sports Jerseys

Sports jerseys worn by profession athletes often fetch millions. Such staggering prices put them well beyond the reach of most collectors. Which helps explain the rise of a new collectible market – sport jerseys owned by fans. Recently eBay had a listing for a Michael Jordan jersey which, the seller claims, he wore while watching the Bulls play the Knicks in 1997. Never washed, the jersey boasts numerous beer stains and hot sauce smudges from chicken wings. Starting bid was $50,000. When weeks went by and no offers were made, the item was removed, dry cleaned and sold at a garage sale for an undisclosed amount.

Pet Rocks

Pet rocks were THE hot toy fad back in the 1970s. In fact, you can still buy one on Amazon for $29.99. But as with all things collectible, it is the original, not the contemporary reproduction, that commands the big money. Unfortunately, the pet rock market is rife with counterfeits, and even the most trained geologists can have difficulty telling the real McCoy from a forgery. One collector claims to have shelled out six figures for a pet rock purportedly from the 1970s only to find dozens of identical rocks in the landscaping department of his local Walmart parking lot. Sadly, after this incident, the collector’s wife filed for divorce and is suing him for half of all their marital assets, with the notable exception of his pet rock collection.

Now that you know what to look for, good luck in your search for collectible gold!

Also by John Ficarra: Blue Jean Blues – With Apologies to Neil Diamond

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