Every estate sale has at least one box that gets priced at a dollar and picked over last: chipped-looking cookware, a rusty old machine nobody recognizes, a stack of yellowed books nobody bothers to open. It’s easy to assume that if something looks old and worn, it must be worthless, and plenty of genuinely valuable items get donated, tossed, or sold for pocket change simply because nobody stopped to look closer.

The truth is that age and wear are often exactly what collectors are looking for, not a sign to skip past something. Here are seven categories of antiques that regularly get mistaken for junk, and why they deserve a second look before they leave the house.

Singer Treadle Sewing Machines

A foot-powered Singer sewing machine, often housed in an ornate cast-iron treadle base with a wooden cabinet, looks to most modern eyes like obsolete, oversized furniture rather than a functioning piece of history. Because so many were manufactured over such a long period, most individual machines aren’t worth a fortune, but certain models, decorative cabinet styles, and machines in genuinely excellent original condition can command real interest from collectors and sewing enthusiasts alike, according to Singer’s own guide to determining what an antique sewing machine is worth. Even machines with modest resale value are often still fully functional a century later, which makes them appealing to collectors who want a working antique rather than a purely decorative one. Checking the serial number before assuming a treadle machine is just heavy, old furniture is always worth the five minutes it takes.

Cast Iron Cookware

A rusty, discolored cast iron skillet pulled from the back of a cabinet or a basement shelf looks, to most people, like something that belongs in the trash rather than back in the kitchen. In reality, cast iron is almost endlessly restorable, and pieces from respected early manufacturers like Griswold and Wagner, identifiable by specific markings on the underside, can be worth considerably more than a similar-looking modern skillet, according to Griswold Cookware’s guide to learning about your vintage iron. Even common, unbranded vintage skillets are prized by cooks for their superior seasoning and heat retention once properly restored, meaning a rusty pan that looks ready for the scrap pile is very often just a good scrubbing and reseasoning away from being genuinely valuable, in dollars or in daily use.

Vintage Typewriters

A dusty manual typewriter, missing a few keys or covered in grime, tends to get written off as broken junk rather than a collectible machine, especially once computers made the whole category feel obsolete decades ago. Certain brands and models, particularly earlier examples with unusual designs or a documented, desirable manufacturer, can be worth a genuinely meaningful sum to collectors, while more common mid-century models still hold modest but real value, according to LoveToKnow’s guide to evaluating vintage typewriter values. Typewriters have also become popular as functional decor and even as writing tools again among people drawn to their mechanical simplicity, which means a working example is often worth more, both sentimentally and financially, than its dusty appearance suggests.

Handmade Quilts

A folded quilt found at the bottom of a linen closet, its fabric faded and its edges frayed, is frequently mistaken for a worn-out blanket rather than the labor-intensive, one-of-a-kind textile it actually is. The value of a handmade quilt depends heavily on its age, pattern, condition, and the quality of the hand-stitching involved, and a professional appraisal is generally recommended before deciding what an inherited quilt is actually worth, according to Quilting Daily’s guide on why and how to get a quilt appraised. Even quilts with limited resale value carry irreplaceable historical and sentimental worth as documented family textiles, since no two hand-pieced quilts are ever truly identical. A stained or torn quilt is rarely a lost cause either, since many can be stabilized or restored rather than discarded.

First Edition Books

A stack of old, unremarkable-looking hardcovers on a shelf is easy to dismiss as reading material nobody wants anymore, especially when the dust jacket is torn or missing entirely. But certain first editions, particularly of well-known authors and especially with an intact original dust jacket, can carry real value to collectors, while even common first editions in poor condition sometimes hold more worth than a used copy at a secondhand bookstore would suggest, according to Skinner Auction House’s guide to evaluating antique and rare books. Checking a book’s copyright page for edition and printing information takes only a moment and can be the difference between donating something with real value and correctly identifying a genuine find sitting quietly on a shelf.

Vintage Cameras

A boxy old camera with a leather case and a hand crank or bellows front tends to get treated as obsolete technology, tossed in a donation bin alongside other outdated electronics without a second thought. Certain vintage cameras, particularly well-regarded mechanical models from respected manufacturers and in good working condition, hold genuine appeal among both collectors and film photography enthusiasts who specifically seek out older equipment for its build quality and distinctive image characteristics. Even non-functioning cameras are frequently sought after for display purposes or for parts, meaning the assumption that a broken old camera has no value at all is very often mistaken. A quick look at the lens and shutter mechanism, rather than assuming age equals obsolescence, is worth doing before setting one aside for the trash.

Old Board Games

A worn box of Monopoly or a dusty game with a faded label often gets treated as incomplete, outdated clutter, especially when a few pieces are missing or the box itself is falling apart at the corners. Certain vintage board games, particularly earlier editions, unusual regional variants, or games tied to now-obscure but historically interesting themes, are genuinely sought after by collectors who specialize in game history and design. Even games with missing pieces sometimes retain value for their box art, boards, or individual components, which collectors and crafters alike are often happy to buy separately. Before assuming an old game is simply incomplete junk, it’s worth checking whether the edition, publisher, or artwork has any recognized collector interest attached to it.