What Is Actually Worth Money Today — And What Isn't
You may not like every answer on this page. But you'll appreciate the honesty. Before you sell, donate, divide, or throw anything away — know what has real market demand right now.
Most People Guess. We Know.
At Burgess Auctions, we've sold thousands of estates across Central Indiana since 1996. We see what buyers actually pay — not what a price guide says, not what a dealer offers, not what something cost new. What a willing buyer will pay in today's open market, in competitive bidding, with real money on the table.
The market has changed dramatically over the past twenty years. Items that brought strong prices in 2005 may struggle today. Other categories — especially firearms, precious metals, vintage kitchen collectibles, and niche enthusiast markets — have become stronger than ever.
That ugly cast iron skillet grandma used every day might be worth more than the china cabinet that always looked expensive. That old revolver in the sock drawer might be worth ten times what any gun shop will offer. The market doesn't care what something cost. It cares what a buyer will pay today.
The most expensive mistake families make is deciding what something is worth before talking to anyone who actually sells it. This guide is our honest attempt to help you avoid that mistake — before you sell, donate, divide, or discard anything.
You're in One of These Situations
This guide was written for people who need honest answers before making decisions about physical assets. If any of these describe your situation, you're exactly who we wrote this for.
Your Grandparents Bought for a Different World.
Several forces reshaped the secondhand market over the past two decades and the shift has been dramatic in some categories.
Younger buyers live smaller — apartments, condos, starter homes with no room for a ten-piece dining set. Formal furniture fell out of fashion. Shipping costs made large items economically difficult to move. The rise of online platforms moved niche collector communities into global markets — which is excellent news for certain categories and devastating news for others.
At the same time, specific collector markets have intensified. Firearms. Coins. Vintage cast iron. Mid-century modern. Vintage audio. Farm equipment. These categories have active, passionate buyer bases willing to pay serious money for the right pieces — often more than anyone in the family expects.
The painful truth no one wants to say directly: sentimental value and market value are not the same thing. An item can mean everything to a family and bring almost nothing at auction. The reverse is also true — ordinary-looking items surprise everyone in the room.
Knowing the difference before you make decisions is the entire point of this page.
Categories That Often Hold Strong Value — Sometimes in Unexpected Places
These categories consistently perform well in the current Indiana market. This is what we see at our own auctions, with our own buyers, in real competitive bidding.
Firearms & Sporting Equipment
One of the strongest and most consistent categories in the current market. Pre-1964 collectibles — Colts, Winchesters, military surplus — draw national buyers and consistently outperform dealer offers. Modern sporting rifles, quality shotguns, optics, and reloading equipment also perform well when marketed to the right audience.
A gun shop's buyout offer is typically 40-60% of what a firearm would bring at auction with competitive bidding and the right buyer network. The first offer is almost always wholesale.
→ See what gun collections actually bring at Burgess and our gun collection appraisal services.
Coins & Currency
Pre-1964 silver coins — Mercury and Roosevelt dimes, Washington quarters, Franklin and Kennedy halves — routinely sell at strong multiples of face value based on silver content alone. Morgan and Peace dollars, proof sets, American Silver Eagles, and gold coins also perform reliably in competitive bidding.
Large coin collections are among the easiest assets for heirs to undervalue because collector premium and silver value are often very different things. A collection that looks modest may contain key dates, varieties, or condition rarities that dramatically change the math.
We recently sold a 50-year single-owner collection from a retired Hamilton County auctioneer. The results through competitive bidding were excellent — significantly beyond what any local dealer would have offered.
Common wheat pennies and circulated modern coins usually have little additional value. The jar of "old change" in the basement deserves a look before it goes to a bank. The difference is in the details — which is why professional coin grading matters for significant collections.
→ Not sure what your coins are worth? Get a certified appraisal.
Gold, Silver & Jewelry
Real gold and silver jewelry — marked 10k, 14k, 18k, or sterling — has a melt value floor that makes it consistently worth selling properly. Even broken gold jewelry has value. Designer pieces, quality estate jewelry, and signed pieces can significantly exceed melt value.
What often surprises families: some jewelry that looks inexpensive is worth considerably more than jewelry that looks expensive. The metal content matters more than the appearance.
Quality Watches
Rolex, Omega, Breitling, Patek Philippe, and vintage American watches — Hamilton, Waltham, Elgin — continue to find strong demand. A watch sitting in a drawer for thirty years may be worth considerably more than anyone in the family realizes. Don't send it to a jewelry store buyout counter before getting a second opinion.
Cast Iron, Vintage Pyrex & Quality Kitchenware
This category surprises families constantly. Vintage cast iron from makers like Griswold, Wagner, and Favorite Piqua Ware has a passionate collector market — especially pieces with large logos, smooth cooking surfaces, rare sizes, or matching lids. What looks like an old skillet may be worth considerably more than the china cabinet sitting next to it.
Vintage Pyrex mixing bowls, refrigerator dishes, and patterned sets can also bring surprising prices, especially desirable patterns in excellent condition. High-end kitchen brands — Le Creuset, All-Clad, Staub, KitchenAid stand mixers — also retain meaningful value.
This is one of the most underestimated categories in estate liquidation. Do not donate kitchen items before getting a second opinion.
Better Antiques & Primitives
Not all antiques — the right antiques. Early American primitives, painted furniture with original surfaces, unusual advertising, early cast iron, quality stoneware, and pre-1900 folk art continue to find buyers. The key word is original — repainted or refinished pieces lose significant value. Reproduction antiques have little market value.
Farm Equipment, Tractors & Quality Tools
Vintage tractors — especially Farmall, John Deere, and Oliver — working implements, and machinist-quality tools draw buyers from across the region. Indiana farm estate auctions regularly attract bidders from four or five states. Well-maintained hand tools, quality woodworking equipment, and shop tools also move reliably.
Working condition matters, but even non-running equipment has collector value when it's the right model in preservable condition.
Militaria & Vintage Advertising
WWI and WWII military items, medals, uniforms, and edged weapons continue to perform with the right audience. Vintage advertising — porcelain signs, tin signs, gas station memorabilia, country store items — has a passionate collector base willing to pay serious money for the right pieces. These categories reward access to the right buyers more than almost any other.
Collector Vehicles & Clean Estate Vehicles
Low-mileage estate vehicles frequently outperform expectations at auction. A car that has been garaged, maintained, and driven lightly finds buyers who will compete for it. Clean trucks, muscle cars, Corvettes, and well-preserved American sedans all have active buyer markets. Barn finds in preservable condition can also surprise everyone in the room.
The difference between a wholesale offer and a competitive auction result on the same vehicle in the same condition can be substantial — sometimes thousands of dollars.
Vintage Stereo & Audio Equipment
McIntosh, Marantz, Dynaco, and other vintage American hi-fi equipment has experienced a dramatic revival. Tube amplifiers and quality turntables are actively sought by a collector market that skews surprisingly young. If a basement or spare room contains old stereo equipment, it deserves attention before it goes to a thrift store.
Mid-Century Modern Furniture
MCM still has genuine demand — clean-lined sofas, Eames-era chairs, teak credenzas, and quality Danish modern pieces find buyers readily. This is one area where furniture can still bring serious money. The critical distinction is authentic period pieces versus later reproductions. Original label or documentation matters.
Not Sure What You Have?
You don't need all the answers. You just need a second opinion before anything leaves the house.
Call Zack: 765-445-7814 Tell Us What You HaveConvenience Has a Cost.
We worked with an out-of-state estate representative handling an Indiana estate that included a clean, low-mileage 2012 Hyundai. She wanted the fastest, easiest option and considered an instant-buy offer to avoid the hassle of waiting.
Same car. Same condition. Same market. The difference was exposure to the right buyers through competitive bidding.
Months later, we saw the buyer at one of our auctions. He was still driving that Hyundai — and still loved it. The auction created a better outcome for everyone. The estate received substantially more than the instant-buy offer. The buyer got a clean, well-kept vehicle at a fair market price.
The highest value isn't always created by finding a buyer. It's created by finding the right buyer.
Most Families Don't Have One Problem. They Have Ten.
A typical estate might include a home, two vehicles, a firearms collection, coins, jewelry, tools, furniture, and a lifetime of collectibles. Most companies can help with one of those categories.
Most companies handle one piece:
- ○ A coin dealer handles coins only
- ○ A gun shop handles firearms only
- ○ An estate sale company handles household goods
- ○ A realtor handles the property
Burgess coordinates all of it:
- ✓ Certified personal property appraisals
- ✓ FFL-licensed firearms handling
- ✓ Estate contents, collections, vehicles, and tools
- ✓ Real estate coordination
One call. One coordinated plan. You don't need four vendors and four timelines. Tell us what you're dealing with and we'll build the plan.
The Right Market Finds the Right Buyers — Even From Pennsylvania.
An executor from Pennsylvania found Burgess while researching his late father's coin collection. He didn't know any Indiana auctioneers. He spent time watching our auctions online, reviewed our results, and decided the market access was worth the logistics.
He arranged to bring the entire collection to Indiana. Competitive bidding delivered strong returns that more than justified the effort — results he confirmed exceeded what he had been offered locally.
Out-of-state executors and heirs work with Burgess regularly. We coordinate everything remotely and communicate the plan before anything is committed. You don't need to be present for the sale.
The right marketplace changes the outcome. Distance doesn't have to.
Categories That Have Softened Significantly
This section is the most important on the page. We include it because the kindest thing we can do is tell you the truth before you make decisions based on incorrect assumptions. These are the categories families most commonly overestimate.
Formal Dining Room Furniture & China Cabinets
The category that surprises families most. Large formal dining sets — the kind that seat twelve with matching buffet and china cabinet — have very limited market demand today. Younger buyers don't have the space or lifestyle for them. Pieces that filled a home with elegance for forty years can be genuinely difficult to sell at any price.
Large Bedroom Suites
Full bedroom suites — dresser, armoire, nightstands, headboard — are large, expensive to move, and out of step with current furniture preferences. Exceptions exist for genuine antique pieces or unusual quality, but most suites from the 1970s through 1990s struggle.
Silverplate — Not Sterling
One of the most common and expensive misconceptions. Silverplate — silver-colored but not solid silver — has very little scrap or collector value. Sterling silver, marked .925 or sterling, is a completely different story. If you're not sure which you have, it's worth finding out before you decide. Check Replacements.com to identify patterns.
Formal China Sets
Lenox, Noritake, Royal Doulton — beautiful patterns with strong emotional significance and limited current market demand. The collector base for formal china has aged out significantly. Most patterns bring a fraction of what they cost new.
Mass-Produced Collectibles
Bradford Exchange plates. Franklin Mint figurines. Precious Moments. Most Hummels. Collector plates issued specifically as "collectibles." Cruise ship art purchased on vacation. These were sold as investment-grade collectibles and rarely perform as such. The secondary market is very thin.
Most Upright Pianos
Moving a piano costs $300-$600. Most upright pianos bring little at auction. The math is difficult. Exceptions exist for quality instruments — a Steinway or Mason & Hamlin is a different conversation. Other instruments are different too: quality guitars (Gibson, Martin, Fender), violins, horns, and vintage amplifiers can bring significant money.
Most Books
With rare exceptions — signed first editions, specific technical references, pre-1900 volumes — books have very little resale value. A room full of Reader's Digest condensed books, paperback novels, or mid-century encyclopedias is unlikely to bring meaningful money at auction.
Most Modern Electronics
Flat-screen televisions, standard home stereo equipment from the 1990s-2000s, DVD players, and standard home computers have very little resale value. Vintage and specialty electronics are a different story — see vintage stereo above.
Common Mistakes That Cost Families Money
Throwing Away Small Containers Without Looking Inside
Drawers, safes, tackle boxes, gun cases, old purses, shoeboxes on closet shelves. These are exactly where families find coins, jewelry, and small valuables that were tucked away and forgotten. Never discard a container without opening it first. This is the most irreversible mistake on this list.
Assuming Large Means Valuable
The most imposing piece in a room is often not the most valuable. A simple painted blanket chest from 1840 can bring more than an ornate Victorian sideboard from 1890. A cast iron skillet can outperform a china cabinet. Size and appearance are poor indicators of market value.
Taking the First Offer
The first offer — from a dealer, an estate buyer, a neighbor — is almost always a wholesale offer. It reflects what that buyer can resell it for, not what the market will pay. The difference between a dealer offer and an auction result on the same item in the same condition can be substantial. Get a second opinion before you accept the first number you hear.
Donating or Discarding Before Getting a Second Opinion
Once something is gone, it is gone. A phone call or a walk-through costs nothing and can prevent an expensive, permanent mistake. If you are unsure about anything — especially kitchen items, old tools, firearms, or anything in a container — ask before you act.
Confusing Convenience with Best Outcome
Instant-buy services, dealer buyouts, and estate buyer offers are designed around speed and wholesale margin. Sometimes convenience is worth the tradeoff. But families should understand what they may be giving up in exchange. The difference between a quick sale and competitive bidding can be thousands of dollars on the same asset.
That's Exactly Why We Do Appraisals.
Most people aren't expected to know what their parents' belongings are worth. That's not a failure of knowledge — it's a fact. Most of us buy things and rarely think about what they'd sell for thirty years later.
Burgess provides professional personal property appraisals for families, executors, and advisors who need to know before they decide. Whether you need a quick verbal opinion, a formal written appraisal for probate or divorce, or simply a walk-through of what deserves attention and what doesn't — that's exactly what we do.
A professional appraisal often pays for itself many times over when it prevents a costly mistake or identifies unexpected value. Appraisal fees start at $375 for the first hour.
Zack Burgess
CAI • AMM • CAGA • FFL • Indiana AU19600029Zack has been a licensed Indiana auctioneer since 1996 and holds the Certified Appraisers Guild of America (CAGA) credential. His valuations are informed by 30 years of live Indiana auction results — not catalog estimates or guesswork. If you're not sure what you have, call him directly at 765-445-7814.
Questions Families Ask Most Often
Firearms, coins and currency, gold and silver jewelry, quality watches, vintage cast iron cookware, farm equipment, militaria, vintage advertising, collector vehicles, and vintage stereo equipment consistently hold strong value. Formal dining room furniture, china sets, silverplate, mass-produced collectibles, and most upright pianos have softened significantly. The most important rule: never discard containers like drawers, safes, or tackle boxes without looking inside first.
Yes — and this surprises families constantly. Vintage cast iron from makers like Griswold, Wagner, and Favorite Piqua Ware has a passionate collector market. Pieces with large logos, smooth cooking surfaces, rare sizes, or matching lids can bring surprising prices. What looks like an old skillet may be worth considerably more than the china cabinet sitting next to it. Do not donate cast iron before getting a second opinion.
Most mass-produced collectibles — Bradford Exchange plates, Franklin Mint figurines, Precious Moments, and most Hummels — have very little secondary market value. They were sold as investment-grade collectibles but rarely perform as such today. The collector base for most of these categories has aged out significantly. Very early Hummels and certain signed pieces are exceptions, but the rule is that most bring far less than families expect.
Silverplate — items that are silver-colored but not solid silver — has very little scrap or collector value. Sterling silver, marked .925 or sterling, is a completely different story and has meaningful intrinsic metal value based on the current silver spot price. This is one of the most common and expensive misconceptions in estate liquidation. If you're not sure which you have, look for markings on the back of the piece before making any decisions.
Often significantly more. Instant-buy services are designed around wholesale margins and convenience — they offer certainty and speed in exchange for a lower price. Competitive auction bidding exposes the vehicle to multiple qualified buyers and typically produces a higher market-clearing price. The difference on the same vehicle in the same condition can be thousands of dollars. The right choice depends on your priorities — but families should understand what they may be trading away for convenience.
The most reliable way is a professional personal property appraisal from a certified appraiser with active auction market experience. Burgess Auctions provides CAGA-credentialed personal property appraisals throughout Central Indiana starting at $375 for the first hour. A professional appraisal often pays for itself many times over by identifying unexpected value or preventing costly mistakes. Call Zack directly at 765-445-7814 to discuss your situation.
Before Anything Leaves the House, Get a Second Opinion.
Before you sell it. Before you donate it. Before you divide it. Before you throw it away.
One conversation can change the outcome significantly. It costs nothing to have it.
Zack Burgess — Available to Talk
(765) 445-7814Burgess Auctions LLC | Knightstown & Carthage, Indiana | burgessauctions.com