The Time Lottery

It’s been a banner week for vintage finds. A woman in London this week was shocked to get half a million dollars for her 1730s cello.  She had purchased it 40 years ago for $12,000. 

An Ohio man found a soot-covered box in his grandfather’s attic and inside were $3-million worth of old baseball cards. Grandpa died in the 1940s but apparently forgot about the trading cards featuring Ty Cobb, Cy Young and others.

Meanwhile, I have been hanging onto my late-60s or early 70s Barbie, her clothes, the box she came in, various shoes, purses and other accessories and I see on Ebay that they are worth…about $100.  I also kept my Kiddles.  Remember Kiddles?  They’re little wee dolls that came in bubble-like plastic containers.  They were very popular for about a day, back in the day.  They don’t appear to have increased in value either.

When cigarette companies were no longer allowed to put their logos on lighters I put a whole bunch in a tin, believing they would become valuable.  You can get about $10 for the chrome ones.  My plastic ones are essentially worthless.

I have some magazines I’ve saved, too, like the issue of People after Princess Diana died and others that commemorate some momentous occasion.  I don’t think I, or anyone I know, will live long enough to see them become a retirement fund.

Perhaps my problem is that I’ve saved these things with the intention of having their value balloon in the future.  Those who hit it with an old item seem to have just lucked into it.  And I suppose I shouldn’t give up my day job to become a futurist.  Faith Popcorn, Dr. Tomorrow, your positions are safe.