With 30 years of reselling under my belt, I’m the go-to guy when friends need a quick appraisal. And over the years I’ve noticed a recurring phenomenon: The vintage items most people consider valuable usually aren’t, and the things they want to toss are often hot collectibles.
Here’s why: Many of us get our idea of what’s valuable from our parents. But markets change, and new collectors have different tastes.
What disregarded treasures are hiding in your home right now? The answers might surprise you. In this series, we’ll explore hot collectibles you might already own.
1. Furniture by Arthur Umanoff
Born in New York City in 1923, Arthur Umanoff’s design career began at the esteemed Pratt Institute in the borough of Brooklyn. He preferred to work with iron and leather, using these coarse and heavy materials to design surprisingly refined and minimalist furniture.
Umanoff’s pieces regularly appeared in publications such as House Beautiful and Better Homes & Gardens magazines throughout the 1950s and ’60s, and his partnerships with major manufacturers including Howard Miller helped establish him as a tour de force in midcentury design.
Though Umanoff died in 1985, his work lives on in the permanent collections of New York’s Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian and countless homes around the world.
On Etsy, this iron and leather Umanoff wine rack is listed for $260, and on eBay, this set of three barstools sold for $150.
2. The Ericofon
Half Jetsons, half Mad Men, the Ericofon was a huge leap forward in telephone design when it debuted in 1954. The phone was originally developed for institutional use by the LM Ericsson Company of Sweden. Over time, new versions were released for home use in Europe, Australia and (after much legal wrangling with Ma Bell) the U.S.
Sometimes referred to as the “Cobra Phone” because of its vague resemblance to a defensively-poised snake, collectors love the Ericofon. It fuses midcentury industrial art with new materials (plastic) and a sleek one-piece design.
Both dial and touch-tone versions sell well, with bold colors (red, blue, pink and green) commanding the highest prices. On eBay, this blue Ericofon sold for $650, and this fully-restored Ericofon in mandarin red sold for $295.
3. Rolodex and Rolodex supplies
Like filing cabinets and dot matrix printers, Rolodexes are obsolete technology. Still, only one of those tech dinosaurs has developed a cult-like following filled with eager buyers.
Introduced to the world by Arnold Neustadter in the 1950s (the exact year remains somewhat of a mystery), Rolodex was an icon of the American office until the personal computer and BlackBerry showed up. The brand-name Rolodex is a mash-up of the phrase “rolling index” — it’s essentially a circular, rotating desktop file containing contact information for family, friends and business associates. As people changed jobs or moved, their old contact cards could be tossed and a new one put in its place.
A hyper-organized individual, Neustadter thrived on details, information, and accessibility. And as the owner of Zephyr American Corp. (a manufacturer of business equipment), he had the means to translate his ideas into physical form. From the 1950s through the early 2000s, Rolodexes were the lifeblood of every American office worker — the first thing you’d grab if the fire alarm went off.
Today, Rolodexes appeal to collectors of midcentury products and those of us who simply prefer to have physical copies of important information. The most sought-after models are:
- Model 2400-T
- Model 4024-X
- Model SW-24C
- Model 5350
On Etsy, this Model 3500-S Rolodex is listed for $139.99, and on eBay, this box of 1,000 Rolodex C35 replacement cards recently sold for $100.
The urge to purge
As I write this, thrift shops where I live are filling up with newly donated goods. It’s either due to pre-holiday house-cleaning (making room for guests and the inevitable mountains of gifts) or action on a New Year’s resolution to declutter.
Whatever the motivation, purge carefully. Often, the most unlikely objects (a Rolodex, for instance … or old weird-looking phone) can be worth a tidy sum. Discover scores of other hidden treasures by exploring my deep dives into valuable vintage items.
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