Yahoo Finance 6 Items That Might Become Vintage One Day and Will Be Worth Keeping
Many modern items that we enjoy today could one day be considered vintage collectibles. While there is never a guarantee that items will appreciate in value, some types of objects tend to become coveted decades later, especially if they elicit nostalgia or are no longer being produced. When chosen carefully, collecting modern items to keep for the future can be an enjoyable hobby that may also provide financial returns down the road.
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Buy for Your Own Enjoyment First
While stories of exorbitant prices paid for rare toys or video games make the news on occasion, many mass produced items from years past are not actually worth much today.
“When it comes to items like toys, trading cards and video games, there are millions of them out there,” said Ilena Di Toro, owner of JustMoviePosters.com. “Since rarity drives the price of an item up, chances are you aren’t going to get six figures for your item.”
Di Toro stressed that people should buy collectibles because they enjoy them, not because they expect to fund their retirement by selling their collections later. “If collecting gives you joy, great. Just don’t collect with the expectation that your items will pay off your college loans or fund your retirement.”
So while the items on this list have appreciation potential, the enjoyment you get out of collecting them should be your primary motivation.
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Cars
“The biggest factors in considering if something will be valuable in the future are scarcity and the emotional — nostalgic — response it evokes in collectors,” said Anthony Citrano, founder of Acquicent, a marketplace for trading shares of high-value collectibles.
Cars are one product category that seems likely to gain value in the coming years and decades. Cars that were aspirational for young people in decades past can become hot commodities when those former teenagers grow up and have money to spend on nostalgic purchases.
“An example are certain ’80s Italian exotic cars — Ferrari Testarossa, Lamborghini Countach,” said Citrano. “They were highly desired by those who were teenagers when they came out — and were seen in movies, TV shows, magazines, etc. — but those teenagers could obviously not afford them.
“Fast forward to the 2010s and 2020s, when the people who were teenagers in the ’80s now have a great deal of money. Yet there are relatively few of those vehicles around. As a result, the auction prices for those cars have tripled over the past decade. We are seeing a similar pattern in some of the iconic 90s vehicles for the same reason.”
Citrano believes this bodes well for the collectability of affordable sports cars of the 2000s as well, like the Nissan 350Z.
“It was offered from 2003-2008,” he said. “Not yet old enough to be a collectible, but it has all the right ingredients: It’s long out of production, was highly desired in its prime, and you can currently find them in good condition for $30K or less.”
A pricier option that may also appreciate is the first-generation Audi R8, he said.
“Highly desired while it was in production, and many purists prefer it over the second-generation — current — model for various gearhead reasons. These go for around $150K depending on condition, but if you’ve got that kind of money lying around, you could do much worse than invest in one of these.”
Gaming Consoles
Much like cars, many gaming systems and video games elicit nostalgia in those who grew up playing them. While no one can predict exactly which systems or games will be most coveted by future collectors, some good bets are limited edition consoles and obscure but innovative platforms.
Citrano suggested that the rare 20th anniversary Sony Playstation and Nintendo’s failed Nintendo 64DD peripheral have potential to increase in value due to their novelty.
“These currently trade in the $2K-3K range, but they are rare and weird enough that they’re likely to do well,” he said.
For current-gen consoles, be on the lookout for occasional limited-edition special versions of a console, such as Nintendo’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons Edition of the Switch.
Photography
Brian Dwyer, president of Robert Edward Auctions, believes original film photographs may surge in value in coming years. This is because of the transition to digital photography.
Dwyer said, “Type 1 photos from decades ago are already generating six-figures sales at auction, and with media outlets having sold off all of their photo archives, these original snapshots in time are incredibly rare and valuable collectors items.”
So holding onto original prints, especially of notable public figures and events, may prove to be a lucrative investment. Just be sure to store photographs properly to prevent degradation over time.
Sports Memorabilia
Sports fans frequently collect memorabilia of their favorite teams and players. This passion later in life can drive up prices for rare and authenticated items.
Dwyer noted that game-worn jerseys are particularly valued. As an example, he cited Michael Jordan’s jersey from the 1998 NBA finals selling for over $10 million last year.
“Jerseys that have been worn by notable players, especially in historic or career-defining games, will be valuable pieces in the years to come,” he said. “With sophisticated capabilities such as photomatching, we’re now able to tie a player and his/her uniform to an exact game.”
This precision of matching individual uniforms to specific games will only increase the appeal to collectors.
Comic Books
Comic books have long been collectibles, with rare and pristine issues already commanding huge sums. But comic book experts believe there is still room for continued appreciation of key issues, especially with comic-based movie franchises exposing characters to wider audiences.
“Comic book values started rising during the 2008 recession,” said Vincent Zurzolo, co-founder of ComicConnect. “And they’ve kept climbing ever since.”
He recommended paying special attention to first appearances or deaths of major characters, as well as comics marking the first publications of famous artists and writers. And while heavyweight heroes like Batman and Spider-Man are always in demand, Zurzolo pointed out that collecting lesser-known characters may help investors spot emerging trends early. He also stressed staying on top of pop culture to predict which books may surge next.
Zurzolo said, “Once a character is featured in a major movie and TV series, related comic values tend to skyrocket — so know what’s coming. More times than not, it will pay off.”
Toys
Finally, toys represent another category ripe for future collectability, said Jake Hill of DebtHammer. He singled out Star Wars figures as one toy line that collectors have continued to covet across decades. Hill also believes currently popular Funko figures may one day trade for high prices.
“Whichever toys you decide to collect, be sure to keep them in their original packaging and as pristine as possible,” said Hill.
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