Small items found in thrift stores can be worth far more than their price tag, according to the magazine Martha Stewart, which cited auctioneer and appraiser Bean Rae and interior designer Kate Pierce.
Rae said small silver photo frames, about the size of a palm, are among the most valuable finds. She once found a group of such frames and said they would even suit a dollhouse, noting their patterned design and high silver content make them a good find.
Jewelry and silver marks
Finding genuinely valuable costume jewelry secondhand is difficult but possible, Rae said. She advised checking the metal for the word sterling or the number 925, and testing unmarked pieces for flexibility, since real silver bends easily while a hard, unmarked piece is likely not genuine silver.
Rae also pointed to brass or silver napkin rings, especially sets of four, six or eight, as classic pieces that can fetch significant money and make good gifts for hosts.
Glassware and bar tools
Pierce said mid-century glassware is worth special attention, citing Culver patterns with gold detailing and Magic Folly Pin-Up Peek-a-boo glasses as especially valuable when kept in perfect condition and sold in sets of six to eight.
She said vintage bar tools give a bar a stylish look and a quality hard to find amid today's mass production. Pierce added that 1980s Memphis Group barware, by designers such as Ettore Sottsass, is rarer and highly valuable, recognizable by its bright colors and geometric shapes.
Teapots, candlesticks and boxes
For teapots, Pierce recommends looking for the brands Ruffoni, Mackenzie-Childs and Alessi, and checking the maker's mark on the base, since all original pieces are stamped.
She also advised choosing candlesticks made of solid brass, which are heavy and not magnetic, with hand-cast pieces bearing a maker's mark or seams carrying extra value.
Rae said small metal and silver boxes are also common finds, and as silver prices rise on the secondary market, even the smallest pieces can be worth far more than their price tag.
