Treasures you may have in your kitchen!

Today we get into the kitchen to cook up some payola pancakes with a side of cash browns. Quite literally, you might have thousands of dollars hiding in your kitchen right now and not know it. This area of collectibles is so enormous that it could fill easily ten books just describing all the items. We will focus on just a few areas in the world of kitchen collectibles to hunt for treasure.

Iron cookware – Griswold is consistently the most desired manufacturer of iron cookware with prices sometimes selling above a thousand dollars for individual skillets. If you have a Griswold logo skillet #13 Eire PA you have one of the skillets most desired by collectors! The #13 consistently sells in the range of $500. on Ebay. Even some Griswold skillet lids are worth a few hundred dollars. The first step when looking for high value skillet is to look on the underside of your skillet for the Griswold logo. The Griswold Company used many variations of logos. The logo that is most desired by collectors has the name Griswold in the center of a large cross and the words Eire, PA below the cross. Even if your skillet is not the #13, you should check what they are selling for on Ebay because many other Griswolds will sell for over $100.

Ice Cream Scoops – The most consistent sellers in this category are from the late 1800s and early 1900s. This was a time when men like Thomas Edison and millions of other inventors applied science and technology to every endeavor known to man. People invented square scoops, heart shaped scoops, round scoops and even tube shaped scoops to get ice cream from the container to cone, dish or bowl. The most valuable scoops to collectors are the ones with odd shapes. The square “sandwich” scoops consistently sell in the range of $50. - $150. on Ebay.

Corkscrews – Astonishingly, there are many corkscrews that will consistently sell in the range of $700 on Ebay. Generally, corkscrews that have interesting shapes bring the most money. Early 1900s Germany used to produce many interesting corkscrews shaped like women’s legs or shoes. These are among the most desirable by collectors.

Mason Jars/Ball Jars – A mason jar sold on Ebay last month for over $2000. In this category, it is the colored glass jars that bring top dollar. Some blue glass jars can be worth $50.-$100 each. The most valuable jars are colors other than clear or blue. Olive green, purple and pink are colors that could put a few hundred dollars in your pocket. The $2000.+ jar that recently sold was an olive green jar.

1950s & 1960s Appliances – Many of the old cast metal mixers, blenders and ice crushers sell well on Ebay. Collectors consistently pay money for these items not only because they are made of sturdy materials that still work flawlessly, but also because of the beautiful art deco and mid-century modern designs of the machines.

General tips – A great general rule to go by when going through kitchen related items is that pieces with advertising on them should always be checked as should any item like an egg beater or ice cream scoop that was made during the Age of the Inventors (late 1800s & early 1900s). If the utensil looks like it was built to be a unique solution to an old problem, it should be checked for value. It is also a good idea to look for items that are designed for one thing but look like something else. Whether it is a pair of legs that unfold into a corkscrew or a bulldog bottle opener, it should be checked for value online.

These are just a few categories of kitchen items out of a universe of thousands of items that you can search for to find a few extra dollars to make ends meet. Now, go cook up a few bucks and have great treasure hunt in your kitchen!