by Yelena Moroz-Alpert
August 31, 2024
HouseBeautiful.com
One of those books could easily be worth $2,000—or more.
These days, a grandma’s living room is decorated with more than doilies and porcelain figurines. Chances are, your grandparents’ home design peaked in the 1960s and might include treasures such as a Noguchi coffee table or collectible museum posters. If you’re lucky, they may even have items such as Flow Blue plates and brass door stoppers that they pass on to you. Chances are, these heirloom goodies are worth more than you’d think.
“Over half the items in my home probably came from someone’s grandparents’ home,” Francesca Grace, a Los Angeles designer and stager at Francesca Grace Home, says. “I’m constantly scouring Facebook Marketplace for treasures that someone doesn’t know they have.”
See what designers keep their eye on when it comes to vintage living room accouterments. We listed 21 most coveted items that should not be put out at a yard sale.
Books
Scan the shelves. “Check the opening pages for the book’s edition,” Alex Mutter-Rottmayer at Hommeboys Interiors in Sonoma, California, says. “Who printed it? Rare books can be some of the most valuable finds that are often overlooked. Some of the most rare books have sold at auction for multiple millions of dollars.”
Wilson, North Carolina, interior designer Grey Joyner recommends looking for first and early editions. For instance, first-edition books by Ernest Hemingway are currently going for anywhere between $2,000 and $200,000, she says. If you suspect you may have inherited a collectible, it’s worth taking it to a local dealer to assess.
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