In 1865, an ailing East Coast hatmaker named John Batterson Stetson headed west in search of gold. John didn’t strike it rich, but he ended up with something much more valuable: the design for the first cowboy hat that defined the look of the American cowboy.
The hat’s wide brim shaded the eyes and neck, and when rotated upside down, the crown can hold water for a horse or rider.
Perfume bottles
There are plenty of ways to make sure you get the best bang for your bottle, as shown on Dr. Lori's Youtube channel. A 1940s bottle with its full stopper and good design could get you up to $75, while a 1960s crystal bottle might get you $25 to $35 dollars, as long as it's real crystal. Real crystal has lead in it, so it will be heavy and clear.
Real early twentieth-century bottles are worth a whole lot more – a Rene Lalique bottle went for $80,000 recently. Be sure to pay attention to the brands of those old bottles.
American Girl Molly
Molly McIntire, of the 'American Girl' doll series, grew up during World War II and moved to America. This doll has such a life story it might as well be somebody's grandmother. Molly dolls first found their way into American toy stores in 1986, and they were discontinued in 2013, only to make a comeback in 2018.
An original Molly from 1986 is considered a collector's edition, and one of those was sold for $1,200 in 2018. Molly dolls from different years can still be worth more than their original value, but not as much as their 1986 sisters.
Vintage Furniture
As we all know, fashion styles come and go, and the same goes for interior decor. Furniture that was popular back in your grandparent's time is now highly sought after with the resurgence of vintage, retro, and mid-century interior decorating.
If you're not into that style yourself, it might be worth putting that 1960s teak Parker sideboard you've got stored away up for sale.
Barbie Dolls
You may not think of Barbie dolls as a big collector's item, but these plastic gals can go for fat stacks. Incredibly fat stacks, even, with a Midnight Tuxedo Barbie starting at $1,000 and getting all the way up to $23,999 for the original Blonde Barbie released in 1959. Not bad.
Barbie superfan Bettina Dorfman in Germany owns more than 17,000 dolls, the world's largest collection by far, and her outrageous collection is valued at more than $220,000, enough to buy an entire house, no mortgage required. Your own doll collection might be something worth digging out.