January decluttering? Don't donate this yet: the everyday items that could be worth £50+

If you’re planning a New Years clear-out having hidden all your mess under sparkly fairy lights for a month and feeling virtuous about “decluttering”, pause. Some of the most ordinary things people donate, chuck or sell for pennies are quietly worth decent money.

Not “retire early” money, but meaningful enough to be useful money. The kind that pays a bill, books a weekend away or pads your savings without drama. And we’re not talking antiques and first editions, we’re talking the games your kids played once 10 years ago.

Here are some of the biggest culprits people are accidentally giving away.

Old computer and console games (yes, even scruffy ones)

Video games are one of the most underappreciated resale categories, especially if you grew up in the 90s or early 2000s.

• Pokémon games (Game Boy, DS) regularly sell for £50–£150+, even without the box
• Final Fantasy, Zelda, Mario and other big franchises hold value far better than people expect
• Condition matters less than you think – some buyers will happily pay just for the case, booklet or cartridge

If you’ve got old games rattling around a drawer, don’t assume they’re worthless because they’re not pristine. Nostalgia buyers care about completion, not perfection but, from personal experience, be prepared for a lot of questions to prove the authenticity.

Vinyl records (especially 90s and early 2000s)

Everyone knows “old Beatles records might be worth something”, but the real surprise is 90s vinyl. I still think the nineties was quite recent and please do not correct me. Vinyls are very hot right now with artists like Taylor Swift releasing a plethora of ‘Limited editions’ to appease and monetise the fervent collector fans.

Whilst we don’t know how limited these are and how much of an investment piece we might be, we do know that when CDs started overtaking vinyl, the pressings got limited so look out for:

• Britpop, indie and rock albums from the 90s that can fetch £50–£200+
• Original pressings matter, but they don’t need to be museum-quality

If you’ve got records from the pre-streaming era gathering dust, they’re worth a second look.

Pokémon cards and trading cards

If you owned Pokémon cards as a kid and didn’t actively destroy them or trade them all away, congratulations – you might be sitting on a small windfall.

• Holographic cards and early sets are the most valuable
• First editions are ideal, but not essential for hitting £50+
• Condition helps, but demand is strong enough that imperfect cards still sell

The key mistake people make is assuming “they’re not mint, so they’re worthless”. Often, that’s simply not true.

Jellycat and modern collectibles

This one surprises people the most.

Retired Jellycat toys regularly resell for £50–£150, and sometimes far more, especially if:

• they’re no longer made
• they still have tags
• they were popular designs

The same goes for certain LEGO sets, figurines and modern collectibles. If people are hunting them down on resale sites, value follows.

Books you might own that are quietly worth money

Books don’t look valuable, which is why they’re so often overlooked. And again, there is the perception that only dusty old tomes from the Dickens era will have any value. Think again.

Potter Mania: Early Harry Potter paperbacks and hardbacks can sell for £50–£200+

Let’s manage expectations first: most Harry Potter books aren’t worth a fortune. Millions were printed. But some early versions absolutely are worth £50+, and plenty of people own them without realising.

Yes lots of people had them, but that doesn’t mean they kept them. You don’t need a museum-grade first edition. You just need the right version. So which ones are we looking at?

Philosopher’s Stone (the one everyone asks about)

True first editions are extremely rare, but early UK copies can still be valuable.

• Early Bloomsbury paperbacks often sell for £50–£200+
• Early hardbacks with original dust jackets can also hit this range

What to check:

• UK Bloomsbury publisher (not US Scholastic)
• Early print runs on the copyright page
• Original cover art

Early hardbacks (books 1–3)

The first three books were printed in lower numbers than later ones.

• Philosopher’s Stone
• Chamber of Secrets
• Prisoner of Azkaban

Hardbacks with intact dust jackets regularly sell for £50–£150, more as a set. No dust jacket usually means much lower value.

Paperback sets (don’t overlook these)

• Paperbacks aren’t worthless by default.
• Early Bloomsbury paperback box sets
• Matching spines and complete series

A tidy early set can sell for £50–£100, especially pre-film editions.

Also look out for first printings of other popular fantasy and sci-fi (Terry Pratchett, Philip Pullman, Tolkien) are often collectible. Plus signed books don’t need to be fancy to add value to a fan or a collector.

Dust jackets matter more than people realise, but even well-read copies can still sell if the edition is right.

Before you clear out, do this

Before donating or listing anything for 50p:

• Search the exact item online
• Check sold prices, not wishful listings
• Look up individual components (cases, manuals, accessories)

You don’t need to become a reseller as a side hustle, you just need to avoid accidentally giving away money that could make your January a lot brighter.

Because sometimes, the thing you’ve been carrying through three house moves might finally be able to pay you rent.