If your grandparents are anything like ours, it’s impossible to leave grandma’s house without a trinket or two dug up from the basement storage. Well, here’s why you shouldn’t be too annoyed that your family is pawning their knickknacks off on you: those vintage baubles could be worth a pretty penny.

This goes double for kitchen items that may have been passed down to you, whether it’s that old-school casserole dish or the crusty mason jars you’ve kept because you figured you’d “clean them out one day.”

Here are five items you might have inherited from your grandparents (whether you wanted to or not) that might actually be worth some serious money nowadays.

 

1. Hand-Cranked Whisks

   Before KitchenAid stand mixers were commonplace, hand mixers were really the only thing to use. These hand-cranked whisks were a kitchen necessity, especially in the ’50s and ’60s.

   Nowadays, these hand mixers are pretty outdated, but that doesn’t mean they can’t sell for a decent price online! Some of these cranked whisks can sell on eBay for up to $75.

2. Bell Mason Jars

   For anyone who loves crafting and decorating, you know that mason jars are seriously in vogue right now. This is mainly because these jars have a cool, vintage aesthetic — even if they’re brand new.

   But that means that ACTUALLY vintage mason jars used to exist, and they still do! You can get them free from grandma’s house or you can buy retro jars online…for around $800. Yeah, they can be worth that much, especially if the glass is tinted some beautiful colors.

3. Cookie Cutters

   Not the plastic ones from your childhood, exactly, but old school, metal cookie cutters can actually be worth big bucks. Collectors look for extra-big or extra-small cutters, especially if they’re in unusual shapes.

   The classic “heart-in-hand” cookie cutter is worth at least $100, but it can be worth up to $1,000 if it’s in mint condition.

4. Cocktail Shakers

   If your grandparents love a cocktail or two, they might have some retro cocktail shakers hanging around their kitchen or basement. Ask if they want them and if they say no, GRAB those.

   Vintage cocktail shakers — especially ones with Art Deco designs or classic recipes printed on the glass — can be worth $200 to $300.

5. Pyrex

   Although clear glass baking dishes are popular today, Pyrex was much more colorful in the mid-1900’s. Ebay is full of bright Pyrex bowls and dishes, in both solid shades and opaque white with fun designs.

   If you’re hanging onto a set, you could be sitting on several hundred dollars’ worth of kitchenware.

6. Blue Willow China

   Thomas Minton, a fine china engraver from England, is credited with bringing the traditional Chinese designs to the West back in the late 1700’s. Though the designs were inspired by traditional Chinese pottery patterns, he decided to put his own spin on the fine dishware before releasing the line.

   Thomas Minton, a fine china engraver from England, is credited with bringing the traditional Chinese designs to the West back in the late 1700’s. Though the designs were inspired by traditional Chinese pottery patterns, he decided to put his own spin on the fine dishware before releasing the line. Although this iconic china has been produced in numerous countries, including the U.S., Puerto Rico, Poland, and Thailand, the plates manufactured in England are worth the most. If you happen to have pieces from 1780 to 1820 lying around, they could fetch you thousands of dollars.

7. Rare Pennies

   Did Grandma have a collection of old pennies? Well, some of those coins may be worth much more than a cent. For example, the rare 1943 Copper Wheat Pennies are fetching $85,000 and some change at auction. What the heck makes these so special? When they were minted, a few of them were mistakenly made with copper instead of steel.

What are some things you inherited from your grandparents that turned out to be worth much more than you originally thought? We’d love to hear about your finds!