#Valuable #Items #Home #Trucks #Games #Vacuums #WorthPoint
For collectors and resellers alike, almost every outing is a chance to hunt for inventory or the perfect new addition to your collection. At a friend’s house for dinner? You might find yourself flipping over the plates in search of marks. Out on the town? You might notice another night owl’s vintage Lucite handbag winking at you from across the bar.
But, as my recent thrifting expedition reminded me, sometimes the most interesting collectibles or resale gems are already in your home, quietly waiting to be noticed. Whenever I inspect an awesome assortment of antique toys or home goods, I find myself wondering: How many people already have something this cool in their homes, something unexpectedly valuable, something they just never bothered to research?
This brings me to one of my all-time favorite thrifted finds. Whenever I go thrifting, I always look for something exciting, whether it’s a camera, designer shoes, or striking folk art. On this particular trip, so many interesting vintage toys kept catching my eye. But in the midst of my toy hunt, I decided to stop and take a look at a different type of toy, one that lots of collectors and resellers don’t think about: the humble vacuum cleaner.
I confess that I hadn’t given vacuums much thought until I watched an episode of the HBO series How To with John Wilson that profiled vacuum collectors. Watching these collectors speak with such love and zeal about their vacuum collections made me realize how much I’d overlooked this item’s potential. I decided to keep my eyes peeled for them on future thrifting forays. Sure enough, once my eyes were open, I found a vacuum treasure trove. They were clustered in the shadow of a large red Carrom game board and nearly hidden behind a bright display of vintage lamps. Naturally, I pulled up the WorthPoint app and jumped into the research process, and what I found was an awesome surprise.
Want to see how much vacuums might be worth? Check out the latest episode of This Week in Thrifting. And, for those of you who still aren’t sold on vacuums, don’t worry! We have lots of other toys in this episode for you to enjoy. That said, don’t dismiss a vacuum until you find out what it might be worth. Who knows? The dependable upright model that’s served your floors for years just might become your new favorite collectible.
In addition to her role as HIP’s curator of photography, Allison Radomski is a writer and filmmaker. She spends her days hunting for analog cameras, scoring her own movies in her laundry closet, and building her collections of Polaroids and handkerchiefs. She has degrees in cinema & media studies and religious studies from the University of Chicago.
WorthPoint—Discover. Value. Preserve.
