These huge signs were the pop-up ads of the past, advertising new products, services, sales, and deals. They’d hang in bars, in restaurants, in gas stations, and alongside the road. Physical ads might be a little bit retro compared to ads on Twitter or Instagram, but those packets of data will never be worth this much.
An old AAA Root Beer advertisement sold on eBay for over $1,200, and a vintage Coca-Cola flew past that, going for $117,000. Retro signs for beers such as Pabst and Old Milwaukee can also reach four figures. Back to the garage!
Vintage Magazines
Hoarders rejoice: old issues of magazines can be worth mucho moolah! Yes, it's true, the magazines that showed up at your door, whether or not you wanted them, could pad your wallet in a surprising way. Ordinary copies that went for a dollar back in the day now might be worth anywhere between $20 and $30. Rarer issues, however, have been appreciated in an incredible way.
A copy of Beeton's Christmas Annual 1887 went for a whopping $156,000 during an auction in 2007. Designers love to use these old issues for inspiration, which has been part of the reason the mag market has gone so bullish.
Women's Suffrage Memorabilia
August 2020 marked the centennial of the 19th Amendment's ratification, which means "votes for women" collectibles are back in the limelight.
Items that date directly to the movement's most active years (1890–1917) are considered museum-worthy with values in the thousands; later pieces, such as buttons and pins, are probably worth much less.
Perfume bottles
There are plenty of ways to make sure you get the best bang for your bottle, as shown on Dr. Lori's Youtube channel. A 1940s bottle with its full stopper and good design could get you up to $75, while a 1960s crystal bottle might get you $25 to $35 dollars, as long as it's real crystal. Real crystal has lead in it, so it will be heavy and clear.
Real early twentieth-century bottles are worth a whole lot more – a Rene Lalique bottle went for $80,000 recently. Be sure to pay attention to the brands of those old bottles.
American Girl Molly
Molly McIntire, of the 'American Girl' doll series, grew up during World War II and moved to America. This doll has such a life story it might as well be somebody's grandmother. Molly dolls first found their way into American toy stores in 1986, and they were discontinued in 2013, only to make a comeback in 2018.
An original Molly from 1986 is considered a collector's edition, and one of those was sold for $1,200 in 2018. Molly dolls from different years can still be worth more than their original value, but not as much as their 1986 sisters.