You may not think of Barbie dolls as a big collector’s item, but these plastic gals can go for fat stacks. Incredibly fat stacks, even, with a Midnight Tuxedo Barbie starting at $1,000 and getting all the way up to $23,999 for the original Blonde Barbie released in 1959. Not bad.
Barbie superfan Bettina Dorfman in Germany owns more than 17,000 dolls, the world’s largest collection by far, and her outrageous collection is valued at more than $220,000, enough to buy an entire house, no mortgage required. Your own doll collection might be something worth digging out.
Stetson Hats
In 1865, an ailing East Coast hatmaker named John Batterson Stetson headed west in search of gold. John didn't strike it rich, but he ended up with something much more valuable: the design for the first cowboy hat that defined the look of the American cowboy.
The hat's wide brim shaded the eyes and neck, and when rotated upside down, the crown can hold water for a horse or rider.
Vintage Furniture
As we all know, fashion styles come and go, and the same goes for interior decor. Furniture that was popular back in your grandparent's time is now highly sought after with the resurgence of vintage, retro, and mid-century interior decorating.
If you're not into that style yourself, it might be worth putting that 1960s teak Parker sideboard you've got stored away up for sale.
Retro boogie boards
You've probably played with a boogie board down at the beach, but those aren't going to set your retirement fund up. On the other hand, there is a growing market for retro professional bodyboards throughout the world, especially down under. These vintage boards can get expensive.
There are individual boogie boards that are going for upwards of $10,000, and an anonymous collector put his entire collection up for the low, low price of $7,400. Practically a steal! If your years of riding the ways are over, you can still do something with your collection.
Homemade Quilts
Monochromatic vintage coverlets are considered very rare and quite valuable. These back-to-basics patterns (usually a single color mixed with white) were widespread in the '30s and '40s and are a reminder of early quilters' designs when color and fabric options were limited.
The most valuable quilts in today's market are blue and white, red and white, and red, green, and white, in that order. Another consideration is how rare a quilt is. For example, during the Depression, many "Grandmother's Flower Garden" quilts were made.