5 Things in Your Drawers Worth More Than You Think

Happy Cinco de Mayo! In honor of the day, here are cinco things sitting in most people’s homes that are worth more than you think. If any of these sound like you, this is a good week to dig them out — Premier travels to a new city every week and pays by check on the spot.

1. Broken, single, or tangled gold

The bracelet with the busted clasp. The single gold earring whose match disappeared in 2009. The chain that’s been a tangled nest in the back of a drawer for a decade. None of it is junk — gold is gold by weight, and we don’t care if it’s pretty. We weigh it, we test it, we pay for it.

2. Class rings

Most people see a class ring as sentimental clutter from a graduation 40 years ago. We see 10K or 14K gold — and class rings tend to be heavy. They’re almost always one of the more surprising payouts of the day at our events.

3. Pre-1965 US coins

Check that jar of “old change” in the closet. Any U.S. dime, quarter, or half dollar dated 1964 or earlier is 90% silver. So are most silver dollars (Morgans, Peace dollars, certain Eisenhowers). A single roll of pre-’65 quarters is worth far more than $10 in face value.

4. Sterling silver flatware

That fancy silverware set that comes out twice a year for holidays? If it’s stamped “Sterling” or “.925”, it’s real silver — and a full set can run into the thousands by weight alone. (Silver-plated is a different story, but we can tell the difference in seconds.)

5. Old watches — even broken ones

Vintage Rolex, Omega, Hamilton, Bulova, Longines, Elgin, Movado — name-brand watches hold value whether they’re running or not. Solid gold cases are an automatic win. Don’t toss the watch box, even if the watch hasn’t ticked since the Reagan administration.

If any of this is sitting in a drawer at your place, today’s a good day to grab a coffee, dig around, and bring it by. Find your nearest event on our schedule, or sign up for our email blasts so you’ll know the moment we’re in your area.

¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo!