fadtoedu01: Cleaning Out the Closet With "Pawn Stars"

Filed under: Storage & Organization, Know-How

Wonder what the junk in your closet is worth? Our writer got a crash course from "Pawn Stars"'s Rick Harrison... and found out just how much money she's sitting on.

My mother always says that she's going to leave all of her possessions to my brother when she dies, because she knows that I'll sell everything once she's out of the picture.

Look: Sentimentality isn't my strong suit. I prefer new to old and money to no money, thanks. I'm not one of those people who think that whatever it is inside that old hope chest is going to get me so rich that I'll be able to dive into a pile of gold coins like Scrooge McDuck in the "Duck Tales" opener.

But I took the opportunity to enlist the expert help of Rick Harrison from The History Channel's smash hit show "Pawn Stars". He knows all about finding hidden gems -- from the inventory in his Las Vegas pawn shop to the show itself.

pawn-stars Courtesy of The History Channel

"I pitched "Pawn Stars" out for four years," says Harrison. "Everyone told me that no one wants to see a show about four fat guys in a pawn shop."

Now they're the number one show on cable. You just never know.

So, I sent some old junk I found in my parents' house to get Harrison's expert opinion as to whether or not I can quit my job and spend the rest of my days laying on my couch and keeping up with the Kardashians (it's a full time job in itself, really).

Here's what I found...

http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,localizationConfig,entry&id=997770&pid=997769&uts=1303855522

http://www.aolcdn.com/ke/media_gallery/v1/ke_media_gallery_wrapper.swf

What Treasures are Hiding in Your Closet?

Remember when cameras had film? Yeah, me either. But apparently, they did. This movie camera probably documented countless family memories, but who cares? I know what those jerks looked like. My genius brain stores all the documentation I need (there's no "off" switch).

"This is a mass-produced camera," says Harrison. "They probably produced millions of them so it's not really that valuable."

Think about it like this: if it's something that was inexpensive and accessible to the masses, it's probably not going to be worth anything.

"Other cameras from the 1960s, like an original Nikon that's in really good shape can be worth up to $2,000," says Harrison. "But something like this isn't going to get you very far."

What Treasures are Hiding in Your Closet?

So you're sitting on the couch, eating your feelings in the form of a pint of Ben & Jerry's, and you see a commercial for something that is "valuable," "priceless," and "collectible." Limited time order, they say. Buy now, they urge. Only 42 easy payments of $19.99, they promise. Put down the phone. This junk isn't going to be worth anything, ever.

"When you buy something that's already deemed a collectible when it's brand-new, it's never going to be worth anything," says Harrison. "It's the things that people never thought would end up being worth money that end up being the most valuable. I've sold Zippo lighters for over $3,000 and people carry those around in their pockets every day."

The lesson here? You should always be skeptical when someone shouts from the rooftops how rare and collectible an item is, especially when it's on a TV commercial on Lifetime at 2AM.

If only my grandfather had known this when he bought this sculpture. And the 30 or so other ones we have lying around the house.

What a financial wizard he was.

What Treasures are Hiding in Your Closet?

When looking for antiques, remember this: just because something is old doesn't mean it's valuable. Need an example? Take a look at Joan Rivers.

"I have three billion-year-old rocks in my backyard, but no one's willing to buy them off of me," Harrison laughs.

In other words: don't make assumptions.

The pupils in my eyes had already turned to dollar signs when we unearthed this old phone from our crawl space. This thing doesn't even have buttons! It looks like something that would be in an old Western movie, or at least in a restaurant that's trying to manufacture old-school charm.

I will be rolling in dough, like a baker (is that an expression? It should be).

Wrong.

"These types of things aren't worth as much as you would think," says Harrison. "They're definitely collectible, but you have to remember that every house had one, so they're not that rare."

What Treasures are Hiding in Your Closet?

The word "rare" isn't always synonymous with "big money." Your weird cousin might collect unusual bocce balls, but just because something is rare or strange doesn't automatically mean it's worth anything.

"I'm sure dinosaurs turds are pretty rare, but I don't imagine that they're worth a lot," laughs Harrison.

This cash register was stationed on the bar in my grandparents' restaurant for years. "They would call this a candy store cash register, because the highest amount on here is $1," says Harrison.

Because it's functioning, in good shape, easy to clean up, and in relatively high demand, my ship has finally come in.

BOOM!

What Treasures are Hiding in Your Closet?

Total value: $1,720

But out of four old, seemingly rare items that I dug up, only one was worth the effort involved to drag them out of the basement.

Harrison says that this is something that happens all of the time.

"People always seem to think that grandma's wedding ring has a perfect diamond in it," says Harrison. "When I tell them it's not, they get mad at me. I have to say to them, 'I'm sorry your grandpa was cheap,'" laughs Harrison.

Is this really all that surprising? Unrealistic expectations make the world go 'round.

Moral of the story? I'm not getting rich any time soon.

By Amanda Waas