Common Items Most People Don’t Know Are Valuable

7. Cookie Jars

During the early and mid-20th century, decorative cookie jars were all the rage as household items. Mothers frequently baked fresh batches of cookies and stored them in intricately adorned and brightly colored jars, often featuring designs inspired by famous cartoon characters or whimsical images like gnomes or mushrooms, which delighted children. However, as store-bought cookies packaged in their own containers gained prominence, the popularity and practicality of cookie jars diminished, resulting in a notable decline in the production of these containers. Nowadays, spotting cookie jars is a rarity, with few being manufactured specifically for that purpose, as opposed to merely serving as generic jars.

Given that it's been a while since cookie jars were widely manufactured, encountering one today is likely to involve a vintage or even antique find. Specifically, cookie jars from the 1940s and 1950s hold significant value, as this era marked the peak of branded cookie jars adorned with iconic characters from movies and cartoons. To command top dollar, a cookie jar must be in impeccable condition, a rarity given the likelihood of wear and tear from years of use, particularly by hungry children reaching into it for an afternoon treat, increasing the chances of chipping or cracking.