Take a look in your attic: these 5 items from the 70s could be worth thousands of dollars

The 1970s were a time of dramatic shifts in the United States that gave rise to the ‘Me Generation’. The hippy fashion of the 60s gave way to mod, glam and punk. It was the decade of new music styles including commercial pop music, heavy metal, funk jams, punk rock, hip hop and who can forget disco.

It was also the decade when several beloved Hollywood franchises made their debut one of which would spark a highly-valuable merchandising trend in toys. Not to mention in the 1970s much of the modern technology we take for granted these days was invented.

All of this makes it a nostalgic decade for those who lived through it even if there are some parts of it they would rather forget. Some of the memorabilia from that era, which is now in the sweet spot of vintage collectible items, may be stashed away in attics, basements and garages across the nation.

So, when you go to do your next tidying up this spring you may want to keep an eye out as there are people willing to pay a hefty chunk of change for those objects. Lest they “spark joy” in you, and even if they do, it could be a good idea to do a quick online search to see what those 1970s objects could fetch from collectors. Here’s a look at some of them that are worth a little fortune these days.

5 items from the 70s could be worth thousands

GOBankingRates took a look at what collectors in the market for vintage 1970s items are willing to pay and came up with the following.

Iconic toys

‘Star Wars: A New Hope’ hit theatres across the nation in 1977 and was a massive success that led to the franchise that continues to this day through numerous spin-offs. However, iconic toys from the original can fetch large sums of money at auction, especially if they are rare and in good condition. Some examples that GOBankingRate gives are

Classic video games

Video games consoles began appearing in homes in the US in the 1970s. While simple, Pong, one of the earliest video games for mass consumption, came out in 1972 and could be worth selling. If you have an original Atari Pong C-100 you may be able to get between $100 and $150 for it.

Atari’s classic video games are some of the most prized by collectors. Here are some others that could be worth the effort to put on the market:

Apple Computers

While they might not have been the first personal computers available to the public, the Apple I Computer, released in 1976, is sought after by collectors being that it was the creation of both Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, legends of the tech world.

If you have one of these in working condition, you could be sitting on a gold mine. One sold at auction for $220,000. The Apple II can also fetch a fair sum of money, estimated to be worth more than five times its original price of $1,300 in 1977. You’ll need to have all the parts and have it in decent condition.

Vintage clothes

Elite fashion designers began mass-marketing their clothing lines that appeared on the runways in the 1970s to moderately affluent shoppers, making them household names. If you happen to find original pieces from this era when digging around in the attic, cleaning our the basement or garage you may be able to sell them for hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Brands that are highly prized include Dior, Bob Macki, Gucci, Halston and Yves Saint Laurent. GOBankingRates recommends checking with Thredup, which will purchase your clothes for resale on its site, if you don’t want to hassle with selling them yourself.

Vintage electronics

At the end of the 1970s music lovers were freed from the shackles of only being able to listen to their personal music over expensive sound systems at home or in their car. If you find a Sony Walkman TPS-L2, which first hit the market in 1979, you may be able to get $2,300 or more for it.

And don’t forget to keep your eye out for vinyl records which have made a comeback, even new ones can cost a small fortune.

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