Jump into your loft, open those dusty boxes in the garage and unearth your treasure. This is Money has an exciting new series where our expert will value your collections and trendy items for free.
For me, there is a certain excitement when I approach a car boot sale, antique center or charity shop, not knowing what interesting items might be inside, ready to be given another chance at life.
Like searching for gold in the sand, I can spend hours scouring these places, hoping to find a bargain, whether to keep or sell.
At worst, it’s a fun hobby, but an opportunity to make money if you know what you’re doing.
Retro Revival: I recently bought a mint condition Atari Jaguar games console at auction for £200, and the toy auction was an eye-opener.
Lately I’ve also gotten into auctions. Earlier this month I bought an Atari Jaguar games console complete with a copy of Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story for £200, all working and in perfect condition including inserts, box and manuals.
I’ll save it, buy a few games in good condition over the next few years, and bring it out from time to time to try them out and enjoy a little nostalgia.
That auction was for vintage toys not far from my house (so no issues with shipping and packaging), but I bid online through The Saleroom and it’s safe to say some of the lots went crazy, which shows how much interest there is.
I actually had my eye on a mint condition Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Nintendo Entertainment System, but I was outbid: that batch of retro video games was incredibly popular.
But so were other more modern lots, like vintage My Little Pony sets and Barbie figures.
All of this feeds into my idea that a new wave of people in their 30s, 40s, and 50s are buying joyful items for their collections, not necessarily thinking about making huge amounts of money, but about having a tangible asset that’s a little bit of fun. .
Personally, I like to collect retro Nintendo video games and have hundreds of games for NES, SNES, N64, Gameboy and Gamecube.
My wife thinks I’m crazy, but it adds a bit of fun to my investment fund, a small percentage of which is now in physical assets, video games, consoles, magazines and anything related to Nintendo (and now Atari Jaguar).
Some games now cost hundreds or even thousands of pounds, as good or mint condition copies dwindle.
Why do I mention all this? Well, today a new bi-weekly This is Money series launches called Modern Treasures.
Collecting video games may not be your thing, but we want to delve into all genres, whether it’s toys, trading cards, sneakers, or something completely out of the ordinary.
For me, there is a certain excitement when you approach a car boot sale, antique center or charity shop, not knowing what interesting items might be inside, ready to be purchased.
The idea is that you, the reader, submit your collections or articles for our new resident expert, Dan Hatfield, to give them a value.
You may recognize it from This morning on ITV and on his own television show, Million pound pawn shop.
Dan will look at your post-war items and take advantage of his contact book to give you as accurate a valuation as possible.
For his first column, he reviews two hardcover copies of the first edition of Jurassic Park and In Cold Blood.
You really put effort into your expertise in your response, so please submit your articles for an honest, expert opinion.
Dan is delighted to start the series with This is Money. He says his obsession with interesting items and how to buy and sell them began in his formative years.
He told me: “I’m a proud history buff, so any item with a story really catches my eye, whether it’s a piece of art from the 16th century, a gold family heirloom, or a collectible from the ’90s that’s currently is undergoing a nostalgic renaissance, which is what we’re looking for in this series.
‘It’s difficult to pinpoint the genre I like the most because everything and anything fascinates me, although I am a fan of ceramics, jewelry and silverware.
“Having worked with people for over two decades to realize the value of their items, I really want to show the rest of the nation how they can make more money on items they didn’t even know had financial value.”
You may be a serious collector, you may be someone who has inherited items you know nothing about, or perhaps you have created an accidental collection over the years.
Whatever your story, get in touch, no matter how quirky or niche your articles may be. Maybe you’re sitting in Modern Treasure…
Send your modern treasures
Dan Hatfield: Our columnist is ready to value your modern treasure
Dan Hatfield is This Morning’s money-making expert and resident lender. He is an international specialist in antiques, jewelry, diamonds and collectibles.
Dan’s first non-fiction book, Money Maker: Unlock Your Money-Making Potential (£16.99, published by Hodder Catalyst) is available now.
Modern Treasures seeks reviews for its items and collections.
Please send as much information as possible, including photographs, to: editor@thisismoney.co.uk with the email subject: Modern Treasures
We are only looking for post war items and may contact you for more information.
Dan will do his best to respond to your message in his biweekly column, but will not be able to respond to everyone or correspond privately with readers.
Nothing in your answers constitutes regulated financial advice. Posted questions are sometimes edited for brevity or other reasons.
As with everything, if you are looking to sell items and collections, it is wise to get a second and third opinion, not rely solely on Dan’s suggestions.
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