Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/Justin Paget
Topics: Technology, Money, Life, iPhone
Jen Thomas
Own up: we all have one chaotic junk drawer, stuffed full of random charging cables, takeout menus from 10 years ago, odd batteries, birthday cards from years gone by, and defunct tech.
It turns out that you could be storing an insane amount of cash amongst the rubbish.
Next time you decide to go all Marie Kondo and sort out the drawers, take the time to double-check that you're not throwing away a goldmine.
Indeed, as the old saying goes, one man's trash is another man's treasure.
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So, pause before throwing it out, as one expert has revealed some items could be worth up to a whopping $50,000 or more.
Hands up who wants to tidy more often if it results in a surprise payday?
Adam Koprucki is the founder of Real World Investor, and he recently told the New York Post: “Most people throw away items that could pay for their retirement in just a few years,” ouch.
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“The truth is, certain everyday objects sitting in your home might be worth more than your stock portfolio by 2030.”
Everyone remembers the man who threw away a Bitcoin hard drive, right?
That mistake cost him around $514.37 million.
If you've got into the habit of turning your drawer into a smartphone museum, you might be in luck, says Adam.
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“The first-generation iPhone, released in 2007, sold for $499 new, but sealed examples now fetch upwards of $20,000 at auction. By 2030, mint-condition models could easily surpass $50,000," claims the expert.
It turns out this has already happened.
Yes, really, as in 2023, a first-generation, unopened, factory-sealed 8-GB iPhone sold for more than $63,000.
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An even rarer model, a 4-GB iPhone 1 from 2007, also sold for an eye-watering $190,372.80.
It's not just old phones that are worth the big bucks, either; first editions of books, games and retro toys can also be worth a lot too.
Koprucki mentioned Star Wars toys and Pokémon cards as some of the money spinners funding collectors' house deposits.
Those Transformers you used to absolutely batter when you were little? They're fetching $$$ now for those who were careful with them (but where's the fun in that!?)
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Original Transformers toys from the 1980s, in sealed packaging, can sell for up to $20,000 each. First-edition Harry Potter books that cost less than $20 new can fetch over $50,000 today.
“A sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. sold for $2 million in 2021," he revealed, and to put it into perspective, that game originally cost around $30.
Before you rush to throw stuff on an online auction site, the expert recommends you get it appraised privately first, so you don't undersell yourself.