It's oh-so-easy while growing up to chuck those freshly cleaned dishes back in the cupboard, hammer away happily on a typewriter's fragile keys or tear open your new train set with abandon. But these everyday objects take on a new, potentially profitable, sheen with a healthy dose of nostalgia.
That's all to say: '70s kids, get up into the attic for your Tuesday night casserole dish and the Star Wars duplicate you never opened. There's a chance that your old IKEA sofa could be more valuable than you think.
© Gado via Getty ImagesCan or can-not, there is no try. These '70s countertop staples are still saving us hassle today
Countertop can openers
It wouldn't be the '70s without a surplus of canned food, but getting the things open is a struggle as old as time. Electric can openers in the 1970s took some of this struggle off already-tired shoulders and stayed popular into the '80s and '90s.
It's no wonder we're all wishing to make this mundane task a little easier and sometimes you can't beat the original. Plenty go for around $20, but if you've got something special, like a nifty hybrid knife sharpener and can opener all in one, then prices can reach $60 or over the $100 mark for some particularly special pieces.
© Getty ImagesThe grooviest home decor item invented to date, these strange jelly lamps are now a coveted collector's piece
Lava lamp
While lava lamps pre-date the grooviest decade, launched in the mid-1960s, models from the flower power years can still bring in some significant cash.
Plenty of '70s models listed on eBay are up for around the £100-£130 mark so it could be well worth bidding a fond farewell to your years of psychedelia for a pretty impressive sum.
© Portland Press Herald via GettyCasserole dishes may have gone out of style but they can still turn a tidy profit
Iconic cookware
Whether you opted for snowflakes or daisies, Pyrex dishes were a staple of the '70s and '80s. If you've got any of this iconic cookware hiding in your cupboard or stored away with the festive mugs, we recommend a bit of Spring cleaning.
You're not guaranteed a goldmine, with some dishes on eBay starting from around £10, but there's a chance you may get lucky: Some vintage CorningWare sets are currently up for sale in the hundreds. And, it doesn't stop there! A 2-piece CorningWare set is currently up for over £7,300.
© Getty ImagesClick, clack, thunk. It's the sound of a stressed Seventies secretary at work
Typewriters
When convenience starts removing the more whimsical side of life, like the melodic clunk of a typewriter, we all seem to long for something less streamlined and more mechanical.
A hand-typed letter certainly has something more special to it than a text and the vintage technology is readily available. Prices start at about £30 on eBay but special edition machines can head upwards of £700.
© SSPL via Getty ImagesNothing beats your favourite film on demand, except maybe a hidden treasure in the attic
VCR recorder
If you remember the day you stopped running from the bus to your TV set at home, there's a chance you've encountered a VCR. Long before streaming services, when the thought of Netflix or Amazon Prime would be tantamount to a hoverboard, a video recorder made you the coolest kid on the block.
Watching films or recording the latest episode of your favourite show might not sound revolutionary now, but we're clearly feeling nostalgic for early tech inventions. You could make a good profit with one VCR recorder listed for over £250 and others circling £100.
© AFP via Getty ImagesLuke Skywalker fronted the beloved sci-fi franchise and made it onto wishlists around the world
Luke Skywalker action figure
© Getty ImagesChoo, chug or chuff, your old train sets are steaming ahead to a new owner
Train sets
© NurPhoto via Getty ImagesEarly IKEA is a coveted find for furniture lovers
IKEA furniture
Vintage furniture has a reputation for quality, from raw material to long-lasting construction. While IKEA might bring to mind horror stories of flatpack arguments, even the Swedish furniture company has a more, if you'll pardon the pun, solid reputation in its past production lines.
Their 1970s Cavelli armchair could potentially go for over £10,000, and even older models can fetch more. In other words, it might be worth looking for gold in the sofa itself, rather than just its cushions.
© Getty ImagesThe original 'Walkman' made music portable and buyers are keen to splash out on that heady nostalgia
Original 'Walkman'
The first Sony 'Walkman' snuck in just before the decade's end, arriving in stores in 1979. Private listening wasn't just confined to a slammed bedroom door, now you could moodily walk through the local park with headphones blaring AC/DC's Highway to Hell.
If you're happy parting with your 'Walkman' in favour of a Bluetooth headset, it could be worth a rummage in your cupboards. Complete kits are listed for as much as £1,500 on eBay. Perfect pocket money for a new set of vinyl records – wait, vinyl's back too?
