If you’re an antique lover, your home is likely dotted – if not delightfully filled – with pieces from the past. I myself was raised among Victorian antiques in red-brick houses, complete with formal dining rooms and parlours, and I still can’t get enough.
Whatever your particular passion, many of us grew up with the idea that vintage pieces should increase in value over time. And while some collectables certainly do become more desirable as outdated home trends come back around, the truth is, “antique” doesn’t always mean “valuable” – at least not in the monetary sense.
If you’re carefully storing stacks of heirloom antique crockery with plans to pass them down someday, it may be worth considering whether the next generation truly wants them – or whether they’d prefer a single meaningful piece instead.
While some antiques always sell, as tastes shift and lifestyles evolve, so does what people prize. In today’s world, a rare Pokémon card might – gasp! – fetch more than a Chippendale dresser. With many households embracing simpler living and prioritising experiences over possessions, certain vintage items can start to feel less like treasured keepsakes and more like obligations. Letting them find a new home with someone who will truly appreciate them can be both practical and surprisingly freeing.
With that in mind, we’ve gathered a list of vintage items that may be ready for their next chapter. Some simply take up valuable space, while others may even pose safety concerns. As a gentle rule of thumb: if a piece no longer serves your life or brings you joy, it’s probably time to pass it along.
Bulky armoires
According to Max Wilson, co-founder of Pocket Storage, oversized antique armoires or wardrobes have fallen out of favour largely because of their footprint. “While traditional dark wood furniture is returning, extremely large, dark, heavily carved armoires can overwhelm smaller or open-plan homes,” he says.
The same goes for other bulky staples of decades past – entertainment units, roll-top desks, and large china cabinets – which have seen a broad dip in value. “It’s no longer common to showcase a full china collection,” notes Sentinium Design principal Yazmin Gutierrez, adding that these pieces often take up wall space better suited for art or a mirror to open up a room. Likewise, with televisions mounted on walls and streaming replacing DVDs, many entertainment units now sit empty.
Full formal dinnerware sets
“Large ornate dinnerware services are just not practical, especially the ones trimmed in gold or silver because you can’t put them in a dishwasher,” explains auctioneer Bene Raia. Additionally, formal dining has seen a dip in popularity and practice. Raia recommends getting rid of these larger dinner services.
And while donating is always a good idea, don’t hesitate to hold onto your cherished dishes if your heart tells you to. “If you absolutely love the pattern, then use it every day and enjoy it,” Raia adds.
Unmarked glass
According to Raia, antique and vintage clear glass that is not marked has minimal resale value. “It is not unusual to see a whole table of clear glass priced at £10 at the end of a flea market,” she says. This differs from marked glass – such as Waterford or Gorham crystal – which, while it may have declined in value in recent years, can still be worth holding onto.
Old textbooks and encyclopedias
“I know it pains many people to discard books, but old textbooks and encyclopedias just take up room,” says Raia. “All the information they contain can be easily searched.”
Rather than tossing them, consider donating heavy volumes – crafters are often happy to give them a second life, keeping the tomes out of landfills in the process.
Collector plates
Collector plates – often made in sets of 10 to 24 by companies like Franklin Mint, Bradford Exchange, and Danbury Mint – once featured everything from fairy tales to Disney characters.
“The marketing and sales pitch was that these ‘limited edition’ plates would be investment pieces for the future,” explains JustAnswer appraisal expert Nora Curl, but, because of mass production and market oversaturation, they’ve largely been devalued.
Moulded figurines
According to Curl, the same principle applies to moulded polyresin figures and knickknacks produced by many of the same companies. (Yes, that includes Royal Doulton figurines.) Unfortunately, the only real value these pieces tend to hold is the sentimental value you place on them.
“Another item that just collects dust and has very little intrinsic value are Hummel figurines (pictured above),” says Raia. If your decorative figurines are in good condition, she suggests donating them so someone else can enjoy them – but keep in mind that pieces with even the tiniest flea bites or chips are unlikely to attract much interest.
Glow-in-the-dark clocks
“One seemingly innocent item with potential health consequences is vintage alarm clocks with glow-in-the-dark faces and dials,” says JustAnswer appraisal expert Nora Curl. In the early 1900s, radium was used, among other things, to paint the dials and numbers on clock and watch faces so that they would glow in the dark. This practice continued into the 1970s, well beyond the time that radium paint was found to be a serious health hazard.
These days, your radium clocks have likely lost their glow, but that doesn’t mean they are not potentially toxic. While well-sealed and intact radium clocks from the 1970s and earlier may not pose a significant health risk on their own, if they were to be opened or break, the flaking radium paint could escape and reach your skin. For this reason, Curl recommends responsibly getting rid of any radium clocks or watches in your possession.
To check your vintage clocks for any that may fall into this category, look for names like Westclox (Big Ben/Baby Ben), Waterbury, Ingraham, Swiza Sheffield, and Seth Thomas. (A Geiger counter will give you a more accurate reading if you have any concerns.) According to Curl, if you have this type of clock in your possession, it is best to first place it in a sealed bag or container while wearing disposable gloves. Disposal rules vary by area. Generally, a Google search will lead you to specific guidelines for radium disposal.
Dolls
You may be holding onto childhood baby dolls, hand-sewn outfits, or carefully boxed porcelain dolls for sentimental reasons – and that’s understandable. These pieces often carry beautiful memories. From a resale perspective, however, most dolls have declined in value over time, with the exception of truly rare or one-of-a-kind examples. (If you believe you have something special, it’s worth doing a bit of research.)
“Dolls, specifically Barbie dolls, have had very bad results as opposed to 20 years ago,” says Heritage Auctions appraiser Marsha Dixey. “Even porcelain dolls from Germany or France have been selling significantly lower than they used to.”
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Louise Parks is a Los Angeles-based writer with a penchant for all things home, design, and entertaining. Her work has been published across a number of publications including Martha Stewart, Apartment Therapy, and The Kitchn. When she’s not helping readers design, decorate, and care for their homes, she can often be found hiking with her dog, sipping an iced oat milk latte, or pulling over mid-drive to explore roadside antique stores.
