Your mother’s (or grandmother’s) kitchen is probably not the first place you’d expect to find hidden treasures worth a serious chunk of change. However, if you know what to look for, you just might find some unexpectedly valuable items hiding in plain sight.
Whether you’re hoping to identify culinary family heirlooms before they’re donated to the local thrift store — to keep for yourself or sell for some extra cash — these are the five kitchen items from yesteryear that experts say could be worth more (or much more) than you’d expect. They might even be in your kitchen!
Related: Christmas Sugar Cookies5 Hidden Treasures That Could Be Hiding in Your Grandma’s Kitchen
Credit: Rory Sanders
1. Cookbooks
You might not think so, but a humble, hard copy cookbook might be in high demand. “There are so many cookbooks out there that are valuable,” says Nevada-based reseller Sarah Archibald of Childhood Finds. “Even those spiral-bound community cookbooks can be worth money to the right person, especially if it’s a well-known or famous place.”
Other examples include older Dollywood cookbooks and the now-classic Entertainingby Martha Stewart, which can fetch over $200 “easily,” says Archibald. Some titles have nostalgic appeal, like Betty Crocker’s Picture Cookbook and Betty Crocker’s New Picture Cookbook, both of which can sell for over $100 in good condition.
Credit: Danielle Blundel
2. Sterling Silver
FYI: The value of silver hit an all-time high of more than $83 an ounce in late December 2025. Experienced collectors, like Alexander Widener of interiors store Widener Company, can spot sterling silver by its distinctive “glisten,” or by detecting a difference in its heft compared to silver-plated pieces. Beginners should look for a hallmark or stamp of “sterling” and/or “925,” the latter of which refers to the 92.5% silver in a piece (the remaining 7.5%, often copper, is added for strength). British or French silver will include hallmarks “that tell you where it was made, the person who made it, and the year it was made,” says Widener, who suggests a quick Google search to help identify smaller, distinctive stamps.
Be on the lookout for baby cups, teaspoons (a popular collectible for decades), and serving gems. “Serving pieces will often have sterling silver handles, such as a cake knife, which was often a gift for a wedding,” says Widener, who notes that even a small piece can have significant value. “The price can get up there. One sterling teaspoon can be $50. If a piece is from a high-end maker like Tiffany or Christofle, you could spend $150 on a fork.”
3. Stainless Steel Flatware
You don’t have to find a drawer of sterling silver to score big. Archibald sold a whopping $16,000 worth of used stainless steel flatware in 2025 alone. Why? For starters, vintage flatware sets are often discontinued, which means the only way of replacing items is to buy them secondhand. “People are always looking to complete sets,” explains Archibald. “Many have reached out to tell me they are trying to fill out a set they inherited from their grandmother or mother.”
Archibald says the most valuable pieces in a typical five-piece place setting are teaspoons, salad forks, and dinner forks. In-demand brands include Oneida, Reed & Barton, Dansk, and Towle. “You can typically identify a maker for stainless on the back of the piece. You can also tell if it’s stainless from the back of the piece as well. It will say ‘stainless’ or have numbers such as 18/8, 18/10, or 18/0. These numbers tell the metal makeup of the piece, specifically chromium and nickel,” Archibald says. Stainless steel flatware is often resold as place settings or by mini replacement sets such as four dinner forks, eight dinner knives, etc. “I’ve sold single dinner forks and single teaspoons in some sought-after patterns for over $50 apiece!”
4. Vintage Pyrex
Not all vintage Pyrex is created equal, but some colors and patterns are highly desirable to fans of the colorful cookware. Collector Amanda Block of Pyrex Therapy says demand is high for pieces from the 1950s and 1960s, including blue and pink patterns such as Gooseberry, Butterprint, Pink Daisy, and Snowflake, which can fetch top dollar if in good condition. Extremely rare pieces — promotional designs, those part of a limited run, and pieces in original packaging — can command hundreds to thousands of dollars. These collectors aren’t playing around!
Credit: Thomas Bethge/Shutterstock
5. Vintage Spatulas & Serving Utensils
No, not every spoon and spatula will produce a big payday, but some command more than you might think. “A single spatula with the right brand and color can sell for $50 or more,” says Archibald. “These pieces bring back nostalgia and are built to last, which is part of what makes them so desirable now.” EKCO is a desirable brand, and sets of matching utensils in a fun color such as turquoise or orange (regardless of the maker) can also sell well.
Have you ever spotted any of these gems in a family member’s kitchen? Let us know in the comments below!
Further Reading
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