If You Have This Piece Of Crockery In Your Cupboards, You May Be Sitting On A Goldmine

Forget the living room or even the bedroom: the kitchen is the most important room in the house. We make a lot of precious memories there, cooking, eating, and sharing valuable time with our loved ones. The kitchen may also be filled with meaningful hand-me-downs – prized crockery, say, or beautiful glasses from late relatives. In fact, whether we realize it or not, we may be harboring old items in our pantries that could be worth good cash. And there’s one type of dish in particular that could rake in an incredible sum.

If you find that dish in your kitchen, then, you may have to make a big decision. Does the sentimental value of that particular piece outweigh the potential riches it could bring in? And if the answer to that question is “no” and you finally decide to sell, there’s very likely to be an eager buyer waiting to snap your coveted possession up.

Yes, there are collectors out there for practically anything of value – including kitchenware. And if you’re in need of some easy cash, it’s certainly worth digging about your shelves to see if you have any money-spinners just gathering dust. This means that covetable dish and others like it.

Some items, in particular, could be worth eye-watering amounts in today’s market. In January 2020 one such piece of crockery was listed at a stunning $20,000 on eBay. But what exactly should you be looking for when you clear out your kitchen? And why is that particular dish we’ve been talking about so collectible?

Mind you, don’t just go searching through your kitchen. After all, most of us go on to accumulate wardrobes full of clothes or a whole library’s worth of books. These often-treasured possessions can eventually take up too much space if we overindulge. And if that happens, there may come a time when we need to make a big decision.

As difficult as it may seem, a clear-out could be in order – especially if huge piles of stuff are threatening to take over the house. Naturally, then, when that moment arrives, we need to decide what we want to keep and what we can get rid of. And when looking over all the things that we’ve collected throughout the decades, we could find a few forgotten gems that have been hidden away.

Still, it’s the kitchen that could harbor the most secrets. Why? Well, old items are often pushed to the back of cupboards, of course! But don’t just take all of your old crockery to Goodwill. Remember, you may have some pieces that – just by themselves – are worth a lot of money. And that includes the desirable dish.

Certain types of Ball mason jars could bring in a sizable amount, for example. And if you have any green-and-amber ones, you could be in luck, as these are particularly valuable. It’s believed, in fact, that the rarest mason jars could bring in at least $400 each.

But there’s another item in your kitchen that may be worth even more than that – particularly if you’re an avid cook. After all, if you love spending time whipping up meals, there’s a good chance that you’ll have plenty of tools with which to do so.

Perhaps, then, you’ll have some cookie cutters in the kitchen. And, yes, these too can bring in plenty of cash if you’re willing to sell them to an avid collector. The coveted “Heart in Hand” cutter, for instance, is worth in excess of $1,000.

Other styles of cookie cutters, meanwhile, can fetch up to $500 per set. When having a clear-out of your cupboards, then, it may be an idea to keep hold of anything that you’ve previously used for baking. But these certainly aren’t the only hidden gems that could be residing in the kitchen.

Stand mixers, too, have been known to bring in a good amount of money for sellers. If you have a KitchenAid, for instance, it could sell for more than $100. And, naturally, if you have a product like that in your home, you should probably resist the urge to throw it away.

If you’re partial to a Cosmopolitan or Old Fashioned, on the other hand, then you may also be harboring a precious ornament. You see, vintage cocktail shakers are very popular with collectors – particularly ones with eyecatching designs.

One shaker from 1936 is believed to be valued at nearly $4,000, for instance. And if you have a 1920s-era piece that has been crafted to look like a lighthouse, then you’re really in luck. That particular item is said to be worth close to $24,000 if it’s in good condition.

If you’re not a lover of cocktails, though, then there may be something else in your kitchen that’s worth a lot of money. After all, regardless of our respective eating habits, we all use cutlery when sitting down for meals at home. And, in most instances, the utensils themselves are made from sturdy metal.

If you possess an antique silver set of knives, forks and spoons, however, then you may have some thinking to do. Yes, all the time spent polishing that cutlery may well pay off, as silverware of this type can attract plenty of big-money offers online.

As of January 2020, one silverware collection on eBay is being listed at just under $2,000. Several other sets have high prices on the auction site, too, with their respective sellers asking from around $400 to nearly $1,000. You could make some serious cash, then, if you have excess silver cutlery in your kitchen.

On top of all that, certain kettles are also quite valuable in today’s collectors’ market. Naturally, vintage pieces are particularly sought-after, and that’s good news for you if you’re looking to sell. That said, the price your kettle may fetch can depend on the type of material from which it’s been made.

Back in the 1800s, you see, kettles were mainly created from metals such as copper, cast iron, and steel. And that makes them valuable; one “Swedish-style” copper example was said to be worth about $150 in April 2019. But that’s certainly not all.

In addition, a Reed & Barton silver kettle from 1889 could fetch in just under $4,000. But even if you’re not squirreling away a more than a century-old piece, you may still have something very special in your possession – something, in fact, that has the potential to bring in serious cash going forward.

Take old CorningWare dishes, for example. You may immediately recognize these, too, for their attractive painted designs. But while CorningWare’s aesthetics may be appealing, that’s not the only reason why these kitchen goods were so popular in the past.

At the back-end of the 1950s, the Corning Glass Works business in New York came up with a new idea for a cooking product. Then, using a glass-ceramic material called Pyroceram, the company manufactured items that could withstand “thermal shock.” And if you’re wondering what that term means, it’s actually quite simple.

Thermal shock describes the moment when an item undergoes a radical shift in temperature – if you remove something from your freezer and immediately place it in the oven, for example. And if a piece of kitchenware experiences that process, it may risk cracking and shattering. With Pyroceram products, though, that wasn’t intended to be an issue.

Indeed, CorningWare dishes could be moved from place to place without suffering any damage. For those who spent a lot of time in the kitchen, then, the items’ flexibility would’ve been very useful. But despite this, the glass-ceramic pots didn’t catch on straight away.

In fact, after CorningWare’s inception in 1958, it took another decade or so before consumers started to appreciate it. And from there, CorningWare dishes remained on the market for the next 30 years or so ahead of their discontinuation in 2000.

The brand still had a presence on store shelves even after that, though, as stoneware items were produced under the CorningWare name at the turn of the century. Then, in 2008, the glass-ceramic products finally made a comeback. And even taking into consideration that eight-year gap, it’s believed that in excess of 750 million units of CorningWare have been created since the late 1950s.

All in all, then, there’s a good chance that you may still have some CorningWare in your kitchen cupboard. Given its adaptability, you could even still be using it for cooking tasks right now. But maybe you should hold off on putting your next casserole in that Pyroceram dish, as it could be worth a pretty penny.

Specifically, people have been targeting CorningWare goods that display certain patterns. If you’ve got one that’s particularly prized, then, you should clean it up and consider selling. But why exactly has CorningWare suddenly become so valuable? Well, glass aficionado Dean Six has a potential explanation.

Six knows his stuff, too, as he’s the author of a 2014 book entitled Mid-Century Modern Glass in America. And the writer offered his opinion on the CorningWare craze while speaking with the Australian magazine That’s Life! in 2019.

Six told the publication, “One piece of CorningWare, in a pattern not widely produced, sold on eBay recently for $7,000. It was a 1970s product that fizzled.” Then the expert turned his focus to the collectors themselves, sharing some insight into why they may want the dishes.

“Collecting is often what you remember [from your past],” Six explained. “Which is why [CorningWare] is big now, because [the] baby boomers are buying back what they grew up with. Boomers are decorating with these pieces in their homes.” But the $7,000 dish isn’t even the most expensive one on offer.

The real winner is the CorningWare boasting the distinctive – and most instantly recognizable – Cornflower design, which can generate plenty of cash. Understandably, though, some of the costliest pieces available come from the rarer ranges.

Products featuring the “Floral Bouquet” pattern, for example, were sold from just 1971 to 1975 before being discontinued. Similarly, the “Wildflower” set left shelves in 1984 after seven years on the market. And as a result of these ranges’ relative scarcity, pieces in those patterns could bring in around $10,000 each from avid collectors today.

However, the numbers don’t peak there. One item, labeled as a “Vintage CorningWare Blue Cornflower Casserole Dish,” was priced at $12,000 on eBay in January 2020. And as we mentioned earlier, another CorningWare product was listed at $20,000 on the website in that same month.

There are various other CorningWare pieces on eBay with prices in the thousands, too. Of all those on offer, however, two, in particular, stand out for the eye-watering figures they may fetch. And the first of these could be found in the city of Baraboo in Wisconsin.

The set is described as a “RARE Vintage CorningWare 1960 to 1970 La Marjolaine Collectible.” And in the image accompanying the eBay listing, three dishes have been stacked on top of each other, with each featuring drawings of tomatoes, mushrooms, and peppers.

In total, the seller has priced that particular collection at just under $25,000. But yet that’s not the priciest set to be found on eBay. As of March 2020, there’s another user who’s looking to offload their CorningWare products from Columbia, South Carolina – and the amount that they’re asking for the items is astounding.

Specifically, the South Carolina seller has listed a CorningWare roast pan for cooking and a teapot that apparently serves six people. And both of these pieces are completely white, save for the distinctive blue floral pattern that marks out the Cornflower range.

So, how much are these items worth? Well, according to the person who has put them up for grabs on the auction site, a cool $32,000. And although there has yet been no taker for those particular pieces of CorningWare, such an incredible sum means it’s worth looking through your own cupboards – just in case.

Yes, if you still own a CorningWare dish or even a teapot, there could be cause to celebrate – especially if these goods are in excellent condition. After all, just one example may help you pay for a nice getaway if you find a collector who’s willing to buy it.

But, of course, CorningWare isn’t the only collectible out there – nor the only one that may be hanging around your home. If you or your loved ones have a few vintage figurines on display, for instance, then you should check their worth – as these too could earn you considerable sums of money.

If you have one of these figurines in a box in the attic, then, you may want to get it out and dust it off. You see, it turns out that some of these cute ornaments are worth more today than you may assume. But what exactly are these figurines, and why have they become so valuable?

Well, the tale begins on New Year’s Day, 1939, when future creator of the figurines Samuel John Butcher entered the world. Born in Jackson – a city in Michigan renowned as the place where the Republican Party first got its start – he was the middle child of five. And it seems that Butcher’s family didn’t have two cents to rub together during his youth.

Not too long after Butcher’s birth, though, he and his loved ones resettled in Redding, California. There the boy subsequently spent a lot of his time on art, as he hid under the table in the dining room in order to sketch and draw. But Butcher didn’t hide his ability forever; in fact, it soon became apparent to everyone around him.

And although it was difficult for Butcher’s folks to find the money for drawing pads, that didn’t deter the young man from pursuing his passion. Instead, he put his thinking cap on to find a way to equip himself, and consequently he discovered paper that a local factory had discarded in a garbage dump.

But art wasn’t Butcher’s only driving force. He also had faith, you see; in fact, he ultimately became convinced that he should dedicate his drawing ability solely to the Lord. And those skills were good enough to land Butcher a place at art college after he had graduated from high school.

Butcher actually won himself a scholarship to study at the College of Arts and Crafts – even if that meant moving away from home to Berkeley. While pursuing his education, though, he met his future wife. Then after completing his studies, Butcher set out on his vocation, sharing gospel stories through pictures. He also made ends meet by working as a janitor.