Holy crow, its worth HOW much?

[Lallapalalable]

I've had a Life magazine from December 22 1941 sitting in my dresser for about nine years now, and I come to find out its worth over $130, where I bought it for $13 at an antiques barn in Maine. It features some of the first published pictures of the Pearl Harbor attacks, included a hypothetical invasion of America, and even had a few old-timey Kellog's Bran Flakes ads that talk exclusively about constipation.

900% profit, 13000% markup

So, aside from my shameless bragging about how I have something totally awesome, I wanted to ask what was the coolest/most valuable thing you have ever come across for a fraction of the cost, or no cost at all? Yard sales, estate sales, sitting in grandma's attic, and basically anywhere you could have bought something sold by someone who had no clue what they were selling you. Im always looking for treasures like this at yard sales and ramshackle storage spaces, so this is pretty interesting to me.

 

[ImprobableJoe]

I found a 1980s Ibanez Tube Screamer overdrive pedal at a pawnshop once, in the original packaging. The owner of the shop apparently thought it was the more recent made in Taiwan version and priced it at $35. Turns out to be worth a couple of hundred bucks.

 

[ExeFBM]

I used to collect and sell 35mm film trailers, and stumbled upon an ebay auction for a trailer listed as 'Black Eyes'. The seller had it listed as an indie film, presumably because that's what the id band said around it, and he'd never heard of the title. Luckily I had, and recognised it as the name that Star Wars Episode 2 shipped out under. Managed to sell it for almost 9 times what I paid for it. Gotta love those fan boys.

 

[PatrickTheScienceGuy]

I found a 1980s Ibanez Tube Screamer overdrive pedal at a pawnshop once, in the original packaging. The owner of the shop apparently thought it was the more recent made in Taiwan version and priced it at $35. Turns out to be worth a couple of hundred bucks.

NICE!!!

 

[DepricatedZero]

I'm trying to track down a copy of the 1915 June edition of Poetry: a Magazine of Verse

So if you have one of those lying in a drawer, you know. . .

 

[Lallapalalable]

I'm trying to track down a copy of the 1915 June edition of Poetry: a Magazine of Verse

So if you have one of those lying in a drawer, you know. . .

Any reason for that particular issue (not big on poetry myself, so if its quite obvious please forgive me)?

Edit: Would it be for the T. S. Eliot submission, or was that the first publication to feature Robert Frost? And no, I dont recall ever seeing that in my life . Probably verry 'spensive

 

[Doc.]

well there is my grandfather's big collection of those old gramophone disks, I never looked into it since i have never seen a gramophone, but they said it would be worth some money.

 

[DepricatedZero]

I'm trying to track down a copy of the 1915 June edition of Poetry: a Magazine of Verse

So if you have one of those lying in a drawer, you know. . .

Any reason for that particular issue (not big on poetry myself, so if its quite obvious please forgive me)?

Edit: Would it be for the T. S. Eliot submission, or was that the first publication to feature Robert Frost? And no, I dont recall ever seeing that in my life . Probably verry 'spensive

Ya it's the original publication of the Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by Eliot.

My girl is a huuuuge Eliot fan. I've gotten her two first editions so far, but this is what I really want to get her.

 

[Lallapalalable]

awww! Its not even for you! Dats sho shweet!

 

[Lallapalalable]

I used to collect and sell 35mm film trailers, and stumbled upon an ebay auction for a trailer listed as 'Black Eyes'. The seller had it listed as an indie film, presumably because that's what the id band said around it, and he'd never heard of the title. Luckily I had, and recognised it as the name that Star Wars Episode 2 shipped out under. Managed to sell it for almost 9 times what I paid for it. Gotta love those fan boys.

So wait, he never even viewed it? Or researched it?

 

[ExeFBM]

I used to collect and sell 35mm film trailers, and stumbled upon an ebay auction for a trailer listed as 'Black Eyes'. The seller had it listed as an indie film, presumably because that's what the id band said around it, and he'd never heard of the title. Luckily I had, and recognised it as the name that Star Wars Episode 2 shipped out under. Managed to sell it for almost 9 times what I paid for it. Gotta love those fan boys.

So wait, he never even viewed it? Or researched it?

Viewing it's tricky without a 35mm projector. I was working as a projectionist at a multiplex at the time, so that side was easier for me. As for research, I guess he tried imdb.com, which brings up several films called 'Black Eyes', but no mention of Episode 2. Also he was selling several at once, so I'm guessing he picked up a batch lot and was selling them on individually. Most people just buy them to own them, rather than ever watch them.

 

[Lallapalalable]

Just found a first edittion "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" in some box in my basement. $50-$95. Not bad.

 

[Giliell]

Lord of the Rings, German, Anniversary Edition.
Regular price when I bought it as a teen (long before the movies) was 50 German Marks, about 25 Euro
At the hight of the hype it fetched about 250-300€ on ebay regularly.
If I'd only known back then...

 

[Inferno]

Well my GP collected coins. There was one (The 5 Shilling - Austrian money from 1985 I think) that was printed only a few times and after the Euro was introduced there were even fewer. So it is now worth somewhere between 5000 and 10000 Shilling. (We never got its value determined because as long as my step-dad lives, he won't sell it anyway, the sentimental bastard :lol: )
I obviously have no idea if he actually bought the coin for more than 5 Shilling but knowing my GP I doubt it very much.
How much is it worth now, in Euros? Well if I take the normal conversion rates, I'd say somewhere between 400 and 900 Euros. (Not sure about the exact conversion rates, but it was roughly 13.7 before...)

So BOOOOOYA!

 

[Josan]

Ehh... so I have this really, really old bible lying around somewhere...

 

[Moky]

I didn't find anything, but the mention of a Bible made me remember that my friend found a leather bound, 1st edition of the Satanic Bible... He HAD it until his mom tossed it out or gave it away.

 

[Lallapalalable]

Well my GP collected coins. There was one (The 5 Shilling - Austrian money from 1985 I think) that was printed only a few times and after the Euro was introduced there were even fewer. So it is now worth somewhere between 5000 and 10000 Shilling. (We never got its value determined because as long as my step-dad lives, he won't sell it anyway, the sentimental bastard :lol: )
I obviously have no idea if he actually bought the coin for more than 5 Shilling but knowing my GP I doubt it very much.
How much is it worth now, in Euros? Well if I take the normal conversion rates, I'd say somewhere between 400 and 900 Euros. (Not sure about the exact conversion rates, but it was roughly 13.7 before...)

So BOOOOOYA!

I used to work at a gas station by an airport, so I always ended up getting shitloads of foriegn and old coins. I have a bunch of silver quarters and dimes that have, right now, a 10:1 value. So, each dime is a dollar and each quarter is $2.50, and I have about 13 dollars face value of those coins. One lady even bought a pack of cigarettes with two eisenhower bicentennial dollars, a silver certificate (1935ish), and the rest in silver quarters and dimes (a bulk of my collection was from that sale alone).

But, while not a sentimental bastard, I am a bit of a numismatic, so they wont be ending up in a display case anytime soon

 

[Lallapalalable]

Going in the opposite direction (and yes, I AM THE NECROMANCER!), I came across price listings for a MTG card I sold way long ago for about $5 to see that it now sells for ~$80. So, not too happy atm. :evil:

And as if to taunt me, the store I sold it too has yet to sell it back and every time I go in I see it staring at me, asking "Why did you leave me? I thought you loved me!" However, another that I have has been dramatically increasing in value, so maybe someday the difference will balance, but my luck now is that the market will collapse long before I decide to sell it.

 

[Duvelthehobbit666]

I recently got some beer mugs which might be worth a bit. I also have a Honma 3 wood and driver which I got for 150 euros for the pair which would cost about 1500 euros when bought in the store.

 

[Dustnite]

I have a painting of one of the original Thunderbird pilots that I found in the attic when I was 8 years old. We were living on base at the time and apparently the pilot had lived in that house once upon a time. I've had the painting appraised at $4500, but I would never sell it.