When it comes to de-cluttering your loft space - or anywhere else in your home for that matter - how many times have you come across old items from your childhood?
Lets face it, a lot of us can be quite sentimental when it comes to hanging on to some of our prized possessions and toys from when we were a kid.
According to storage solution company Space Station more than 70 per cent of us admits to holding on to things we don't have the space for but can't part with.
From old toys and gaming consoles to childhood books and accessories, you name it and we probably have it somewhere it no longer needs to be.
But before you go de-cluttering all your childhood favourites, it's worth knowing if you may be sitting on quite a bit of money as some retro items can fetch a pretty penny.
If you grew up in the 90s to the 00s, then chances are you grew up with the likes of Beanie Babies, Lego and Harry Potter books - all of which are selling for steep prices these days.
Beanie Babies and Harry Potter have made news for how much they have managed to rack up, with a first edition of Harry Potter selling for a whopping £30,000.
Vlatka Lake at Space Station commented: “We all amass various belongings throughout our lives – they tell our stories and offer us a look back into the past in some instances. However, eventually these belongings can become more of a hinderance if we start to need more space around the home."
“Before you donate or throw your unwanted items away, it’s worth checking sites such as eBay and Amazon to see how much they are selling, as it could be thousands! Making some extra cash from your old belongings might make it that bit easier to part with them.”
While some of us may find it hard to part with childhood memorabilia, the knowledge that it could make you three, four, five and even six figure sums could make it easier to bear.
That's why storage expert Vlatka Lake has has revealed the old items you should look out for in your loft and how you can make the most out of your clutter.
The expert does say that you should keep an eye out for any first or original editions of any items, such as books and gaming consoles, as they will most likely fetch the highest prices on places such as Amazon and eBay.
What toys are worth the most?
Beanie Babies – up to £350,000
They were all the rage back in the nineties, but if you still have a few hanging around in your loft, don’t throw them out. A whole host of the stuffed toys, including Peanut the Elephant and Peace Garcia, regularly go for four figure sums online, while a 1997 bear commemorating Princess Dianna once sold for £350,000.
Harry Potter Books – up to £40,000
If you have a complete set of the wizarding series, make sure you hold onto them just in case. According to a list of criteria from Abe Books, original versions can sell from as little as £200 to over £40,000.
Old money – up to £300
It’s well worth examining old copper jars for rare coins. 20 pence pieces with no date on them and two pence coins from 1983 with the words ‘New Pence’ on them, can sell for hundreds of pounds. With the old £10 note no longer in circulation, it’s worth searching to see if you have any old notes lying around.
Lego – up to £7,000
As one of the most popular children’s toys across the world, plenty of households are bound to have old boxes of Lego. There is a big demand for rare individual Lego blocks, however, old Lego sets can also sell for a lot more now than when they were new. The 2007 edition of the Star Wars Millennium Falcon is available on Amazon for more than £7,000, 20 times its original value.
Tech – up to £500
Although many people believe tech loses value as it gets older, many classic games consoles and music devices hold their worth and sometimes sell for big money. The resurgence in popularity of record players has seen their price rocket, and old games consoles such as the SNES or Nintendo 64 can now sell for several hundreds of pounds. Old Apple products are also worth looking for – an iPod Classic in mint condition can be sold for more than £200.
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