People are often looking for ways to make a few extra bucks, and some people are filling their wallets by cashing in on old jewelry, china, ornaments, antiques and other dusty trinkets.
One of those people is Louisbourg, N.S. resident Steve Price, who has collected more than 500 teapots over the years.
His collection is so big it takes up an entire room in his house.
“They’re probably valued at about $10,000 for my whole collection,” he says.
Price’s collection is just one example; there are many Maritime homes decorated with untold treasures of all shapes and sizes that are collecting dust, but could be making money.
Antique shop owner Kathy Sullivan says second-hand items bought at bargain prices can turn a profit on the collector’s market.
“There’s a big demand for this,” says Sullivan. “There’s a lot of people that even come in on vacation and they’re looking for trinkets and a lot of people re-sell these trinkets.”
Some people have always been treasure collectors, while others luck into their troves.
“Sometimes you go in and buy a whole house full of furniture and there’s a lot of trinkets that come with it,” says Sullivan. “Or, you go to an estate sale. Sometimes people just pull in the yard here and they just want to sell them all.”
Others find hidden gems by scouring flea markets and yard sales, or by looking online. Some treasures have too much sentimental value to be parted with, while others will move if the offer is right.
“I’m at the stage in my life that I wouldn’t mind downsizing a bit if possible, if the right price came along,” says Price.
“When you have these things, you just look at them and don’t want to part with them,” says Sullivan. “But yeah, there could be a few hundred dollars, or more than that, hanging around.”
With files from CTV Atlantic's Ryan MacDonald
