You may have “junk” in your basement, garage or attic, such as

. Before you toss them out, consider that the value of such ephemera is skyrocketing.

A widely accepted rule is that older items are worth more. However, these days, even more recent items are also commanding high prices.

“Vintage sports cards from the early periods of a sport are almost always highly collectible,” said Al Crisafulli, auction director at Love of the Game Auctions, an Internet sports and memorabilia auction service that helps families sell collectibles. “But don’t assume sports cards or other memorabilia have to be old to be valuable. Modern cards of such stars as Tom Brady and Michael Jordan can sell for lots of money.“

Crisafulli offers tips to help determine if your belongings are valuable:

• Sports cards from the 1960s and earlier are collectible, and those from before the 1940s can be extremely valuable. Big-name Hall of Famers like Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Lou Gehrig, Honus Wagner, Mickey Mantle, and others bring high prices.

With old cards from the 1880s and early 1900s, look for tobacco and candy brands, such as Old Judge, Piedmont, Sweet Caporal, or American Caramel. Really old memorabilia from the 19th and early-20th centuries, such as photographs, postcards, bats, gloves and balls, are also collectible.

To sell sports items for top dollar, consider a specialty auctioneer that has the expertise to professionally research  items and maintains lists of bidders specializing in this area.

• Prices on recent, modern-day baseball, basketball and football cards have risen rapidly. The three keys are condition, star power, and cards from early in player careers.

Do you have major current stars, like Mike Trout, Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady and LeBron James? Or do you have greats from the recent past, like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Derek Jeter or Joe Montana?  Check if they are denoted as Rookie, Prospect, Draft Pick, or other indicators they’re from a player’s first season. And cards that look pack-fresh with sharp corners and a well-centered image command highest prices. Additionally, unopened packs and boxes from almost any year can be valuable.

• Do you have old advertising posters depicting sports stars or famous entertainment personalities together with food, tobacco or sporting goods brands? Many original signs, store displays, and promotional items are collectible, especially those dating from the early 1900s into the 1960s. But low-quality reproductions aren’t. Look for memorabilia spotlighting sports heroes, superheroes, early Walt Disney characters, and Star Wars subjects.

Source: StatePoint Media