This week on Organize and Cherish, we walk through what to do when you pull something out of your storage room and wonder if it's worth something. We chat about how to match your research method to the item and your situation, so you're not spending $200 to find out something is worth $40. And we make sure you factor in your most valuable resource: your time.
In this episode, we talk about:
- This week on Organize and Cherish, we break down a tiered, low-stress approach to researching the value of items you find in your storage room — free tools first, professionals when it counts.
- We explore how to decide which level of research an item actually deserves — because not everything warrants a trip to the appraiser, and some things absolutely do.
- We talk about why your time is part of the value equation, and how keeping that in mind helps you make smarter, more intentional decisions about what to do next.
Review full show notes and resources at https://theorganizedflamingo.com/podcast
Review the Transcript:
 Okay, so you're digging through your storage room like we have this entire year. Maybe, uh, you're doing or trying to tackle a weekend project, or maybe you're doing one of those big clear-outs right now that we've been talking about all year. And then you pull something out, and then you kinda have this like, uh, huh, kind of reaction.
Just the huh. So it could be the, that piece of art that you inherited. Maybe it's the toy that is still in the box from decades ago. It's maybe some kind of vintage tool or a piece of pottery that you don't fully recognize and you bought it one time thinking you were gonna do something about it and it's still in there.
It could be something that feels old and interesting, and you can't quite put your finger on why, but it just makes you go, “Huh.” So it's that moment that I see a lot of people, clients, community members, my own self, where you get caught between two very human responses, and that's, what if this is worth something?
I mean, it's brand-new, or it looks old, it looks valuable. And then the second one is, I have absolutely no idea what to do with that thought. Okay, so now what? So today we're going to talk about exactly what to do in that moment, or at least to get you closer to an action, to take action, because we're all about taking action, moving one foot in front of the other and doing something about it, the stuff that's in your storage room, right?
That you've… That's been piling up, that you've been meaning to tackle. And in one of those moments, w- we are going to talk about not just the feeling, but the, the action to take for that next step. Because finding something potentially valuable in your storage room isn't a reason to have this, “Oh my gosh, I think it's going to be worth a million dollars,” and panic.
But it's also not a reason to rush into the nearest auction house, because you know for sure. You saw it in a show, and you know it's worth something, okay? This is going to be one of those moments where you can pause. We're gonna do a little research, and then make an intentional decision. So we're not going to let that moment distract us from the overall intention in your storage room, which is to finally have intentionality in there, to keep the things that you're actually using, that there is a rhyme and a reason, and it's not just a storage room that is piling up dust and piling all this unknown stuff that eventually will become trash, okay?
So we're all about intention, and that is what today is going to be about. Let's get to it.
Welcome to the Organize and Cherish podcast with The Organized Flamingo. I am your host, Stephanie, your compassionate and efficient professional organizer. Whether you are part of the sandwich generation, helping a loved one declutter, or just trying to simplify life, this is the place for you. Together, we will tackle those overwhelming piles of stuff, uncover purpose in what we keep, and let go with dignity and care.
Because it's not just about throwing everything away, it's about respecting memories and simplifying life. Sound like a plan? Let's jump in and get organized Okay, so let me start with something that I want you to hold onto throughout the entire episode. So the goal here is not to become an expert in antiques or collectibles or art history.
Okay? You don't need to know everything. If you do, and that was your major and your passion, well, that's a different story. But even then, I don't want you to get stuck there. What you need is a process, a way of moving through the questions without getting stuck in it, and that's what I'm hoping to help you with, not just with all of our services and the podcast, but in today's episode specifically.
Because what I see happening all the time is that someone finds something, maybe it's valuable, they don't know what to do, and so nothing happens. It either sits on a shelf, or worse, it goes back into the storage room where it came from, and now it has a new job. It's the mysterious thing in the corner that nobody touches.
You do nothing. It just sits there. So you're not getting the most money, financial value, emotional value out of it. You're also not throwing it away. It's just going right back into the cycle of doom and into the dark hole of the storage. That is not keeping with intention, okay? That is keeping with avoidance.
And I say that with all the love in the world because I personally have been there, and I have seen countless people go through this. I think most of us have. So what I want to give you today is more of a tiered approach, a way of researching the value of what you've found that matches the level of effort to the actual situation.
Maybe it's low cost, low effort options, so that's where we're going to start. Maybe you're ready to take like medium options, kind of somewhere in the middle. And then when it actually makes sense, we're going to the professional higher energy options, and you're going to get to determine which one you are available to accomplish.
It also gives you the option of putting it in a well-labeled section that says, “When I'm ready to tackle, this is what I want to do.” So you're going to keep with intention. And woven into all of this is, uh, something that I want you to keep at the front of your mind, which is your time, in that your time has value as well.
That's part of the equation. So we're gonna talk about that more as we go, okay? So let's start with- Kind of our first usually go-to, which is the free and low effort option. This tier or starting point, and the beauty of it is that it is a starting point, right? And it can kind of propel you to see if you are ready to take more action and put more effort into it.
So this one really doesn't cost you a whole lot, probably nothing except a little curiosity, some of your time. If you don't have a cellphone num- a cellphone or internet, obviously that will n- need to be mitigated in some way. I know many of you that do listen to this podcast, you listen to us on the web, uh, in a public library, which I'm so grateful for.
So this is more, you will need kind of internet of some sort, so I just need you to make sure you're connected to that. And outside of that, it shouldn't cost you very much, and hopefully within a 15 minutes of your time. Okay, so what we're gonna do is you're gonna start with what you can see. So before you search anything, like Google anything on a search engine, before you even photograph anything, you're going to really kind of look at the item and you're going to look for a maker's mark, maybe a stamp, maybe a signature, a tag, a label, anything.
Maybe there's a date anywhere, somewhere, even a partial one. There's, maybe if there's some text at the bottom. We're just gonna look at the item all the way around in every angle And those are going to start to be your clues, and they're going to make your search a lot more effective. So you're going to either write it down, whichever means of taking notes that you prefer is.
So if some of you are virtual digital note takers on your apps, on your notes, pages, Google Notes, whatever, or your Apple Notes. Some of you are paper and pen notes. Um, but what I don't want you to do is put it in a sticky note and just tape it on to the nearest wall and then forget about it. Okay, this is going to be a place like your actual storage room note-taking notebook.
And write down, uh, the item and anything that you might see, and then yes, if you have a cell phone, and you have enough storage, go ahead and take a picture of the item and from different angles. And then we're going to take the next step. And the reason we don't, I'm not saying immediately go to the digital be- is because number one, not all of you have, like I said, a high-end, latest model technology cell phone.
And even if you do, you might not be equipped to know what to do. Taking pictures on your phone does require storage and capacity in within your, your electronics, and you might not have that or don't want to use it for that. So I just want you to do the, like least effort that anyone can do, which is take note with your eyes and take note somewhere, wherever your, again, your preferred notebook is, and then we're going to the next step, which could potentially be to take a picture.
And it also helps you to slow down and actually notice details that maybe you otherwise had skimmed past. Okay? Af- right after this, we're either going to do a Google Lens. Nowadays int- as, as of 2026 when we are recording this episode, Google Lens is a really great option. Maybe AI if that's your thing, like a Claude, a, you know, ChatGPT, whichever Google, Gemini, whichever one you're using.
This one has changed the game for identifying mysterious objects, and I want to make sure that you know about it if you don't already. There is a little bit, I would say like our, our community is like a 50/50 split. Like you're like all in, like, “Yeah, let's use technology AI to the best of our ability,” and you, you, you should and you could and you want to use it.
And then there's this very good split of you that are like, “I, I'm not ready.” It's either just too much, environmentally too much, all the different reasons. Okay, and I get that. So that's why I do talk to both of you because we here at the Organized Living Group, we do cater to both. We have clients that we've worked with for decades, and you're just not ready for that, and you don't want to.
And then we've got the other half. So that's why I'm saying take advantage of it But if you're not ready, I get it, and I will have solutions for you as well. So if you are ready, then Google Lens is a great one, like I said. Um, Google just has a good search engine to begin with, even before AIs became a popular way to search.
This has been around for a long time for them, so they've perfected it pretty well. So you're going to point your camera at an object, or you upload the photo, and it searches the internet for visually similar images. It's free, it's fast, and it's remarkably good at identifying categories of items, especially things like, like pottery, glassware, art, vintage toys, anything collectible, great way to search for those things.
And then you can access it through the Google app as well on your phone. But Google Photos, I think if you use, like, an Android, you might be able to search it from Google Photos. And as of right now, it's lens.google.com, but I know they're working on their Google search with Gemini, which is their AI option.
So just know that that might change a little bit. But basically, on the internet, take a picture, show the internet what you have, and have it do its magic by looking up relatable, similar type of items, and see what comes back. Same thing with the AI assistants. That'll have its own take a picture, ask what it knows about it, um, and then you go from there Is AI always right?
No. Is it a perfect appraiser? Absolutely not. But as a first pass, as a way of figuring out what category of thing you're even dealing with, it can save you a lot of time, so take advantage if you can. If you're using the library, have a librarian help you, uh, or a public place where there's computers, go ahead and have them help you if they can, um, and then you'll go through the same process, okay?
There's also the eBay sold listings. So if you're not wanting to take pictures of your stuff yet or go through the whole technologically friendly path, you can still use the internet, but not use, like, your photos and stuff. So you can use eBay. One of my most favorite free research moves, and I want to walk you through it because, um, most people miss it, and they think that eBay closed down, like, a long time ago.
It did not, and it hasn't, and it's still alive and kicking. So go to eBay and search for your item, and this is the part that most people skip, right? So filter the results to show only sold listings. Not active listings, sold. Now, you can go and search for the active listings just to see what people are posting, but you wanna know if it's worth anything, and the only way to know that is to see if people have ever bought a similar item.
Is it popular? Is it not? Is it going to sell? Now, if you're just looking to see what the item is and where in the world, you know, it, it, it's from or whatever, fine, just go to the main search. But sold is where you will find if people are actually buying this thing and if it's worth anything. So why does it matter?
This active listing will tell you that the hopes that people are hoping to get, and I don't want you to get stuck in the hope. I want you to get into the action of making a decision about this item, so that's why I want you to look into the sold filter. Um, if you search for a particular piece of vintage glassware and there's, like, 30 active listings, like, let's say priced at $200, but the sold items show that they're consistently going for $40, that's your real data point.
And that misconception gets missed because some people, what they will do is they will post it on the, on eBay, yes, in hopes to get that much money. Let's say it's like a 200… It's a $40 thing, but they're trying to get $200 for it. Well, sometimes what they'll do is they'll post it just to have an inventory and say to their insurance companies or their inventory company that, you know, “Yes, I have an item sol- you know, being listed for this much.”
And so it's not, but it's not real life. Let's now talk about, a little bit about the library piece. You know, books still exist, my friends. And I know that's feels sometimes antiquated, actually, but I do wanna acknowledge that our community loves a good library. But it's one of the best free resources, and there are reference guides and almost like encyclopedia type, but modern, uh, where you can ki- you can see past items like pottery, silver, Hallmark, you know, any vintage toys.
Especially if you plan on maybe j- you just wanna know what it is and keep it, and you don't necessarily mean to buy it or you just wanna appraise it and, and just know what you have. A library is a great option. Um, and of course librarians are excellent researchers, and they'll usually know exactly which reference book you need without you having to wander the stacks for like an hour, right?
So take advantage of that resource as well. Hi, Cherish friends. Life can get overwhelming, especially when you're juggling caregiving clutter and everything in between. That's why I created the Organize & Cherish weekly email that goes out every Wednesday straight to your inbox to help you keep the momentum, inspiration going with tips and reminders of our upcoming events.
All you have to do is head on over to organizeandcherish.com and sign up for the email newsletter. It's free, and you can unsubscribe whenever you'd like. It's my way of helping you simplify your life and respecting memories along the way. Now back to our show Okay, before we move on to the medium and high-end options here, or more time options, I do want to talk about time because what I'm about to talk about does require more time.
And before we do move on, I want to pause and remind you that your time has value. And I know that sounds obvious, but I want to be really direct about it because I see people that fall into what I think of as the research rabbit hole, hours and hours spent trying to nail down the exact value of something that turns out to be worth, you know, let's say $30.
Not to say that $30 is not a lot, but for the effort that you put in, hmm, maybe not so much. You know? Maybe you've spent six hours of, of your weekend, you've exhausted… You're exhausted and you're frustrated, and then you haven't Actually thought about how long this is going to take, and then that decision ends up being more frustrating for you because you start realizing that the time just took you way too long.
So here's a question I want you to hold on as we g- as we, as you listen to the rest of this episode, is how much is your time worth per hour? I'm not asking you to calculate it precisely, um, but I am asking you to have a sense of it, okay? Um, usually per hour is just the easiest, but you can just, you can just talk about a number and then average it.
But write it down, because if you spend three hours researching something and discover it's worth $50, and you could have sold it for a rough estimate of $50 without the research, that right, that's w- num- one of the examples where you technically are coming out behind if, if you value your time at all in that way.
There are things, and I wanna be clear that this isn't always about financial value. Sometimes the research is interesting. Sometimes you genuinely want to know the history of a piece before you decide what to do with it. I, I know I have. But, and sometimes the item has sentimental significance, and you'd like to spend that time no matter what.
Like, especially if it's a family heirloom, it brings you closer to finding some answers and finding more about your family or about something that you were really passionate about, and all of that is valid. But the time question is worth asking, especially as you decide which tier of the research to apply to any of, whatever given item you, you are going to research, right?
So not everything needs to go to an appraiser, and not everything needs an afternoon in the library. Some things just need 15 minutes, that free option I give you, Google Lens, a quick little search, and then you make a decision. Or you know what? You realize that you don't even want to spend 15 minutes, and it's time to donate it, okay?
Now that we've gotten that out of the way, the next two, I guess we, we're calling them efforts, right? Like the medium and, and, um, higher effort, meaning they, they just take more time and, and money. The, the kinda medium one is where you go when tier one has given you enough information to know what this item might be in an interesting range.
So, or maybe when the category itself is very complex, and that free research tool is just not giving you the confidence that you need. So Facebook groups and online communities, an amazing resource. No matter how you feel about Facebook, it's just been around long enough that it's, it has compiled enough community conversations.
Reddit also. So I, I'm saying Facebook groups and online communities. Kind of most people are probably the most familiar with Facebook groups, but Reddit is great as well There are groups dedicated to vintage pottery, mid-century modern furniture, antique tools, you name it. All of the categories, and then the subcategories, and then some.
So super niche. Many of these groups have members who are dealers, and then they're collectors and genuine experts, so they can offer help to identify the piece for free, just simply by you talking about it, going on the, on the group. You'll always want to just make sure you post some clear photos or description, multiple angles, and then ask a specific question.
That's where I have found the most success. When you specifically say, like, “Can someone, uh, help me identify this pottery mark?” It'll get you better responses than what is it worth, okay? Because that what is it worth is, like, the million-dollar question. So I would go s- more specific, and then you do your own research after that.
Um, a couple of caveats. Um, these are general community members, so they're not always certified appraisers. Their opinions are starting points, not definite valuations. So you just kind of wanna be aware of that and be thoughtful about sharing detailed information publicly about high-value items before you've secured them.
So if you do feel, like, pretty strongly that an item is worth a lot of money, you know, let's just make sure that it's well kept somewhere safe so you're not just saying, “Hey, I live in 123 Main Street Lane, uh, Main Street, you know, apartment five, and on the corner of whatever, and I have this 24 karat gold bar.”
Like, you know, just, just maybe, like, have that. Or what you think could be a 24 karat gold bar, uh, let's just make sure if you do think that it is of value, then have it be secured. Um, okay, so auction houses, free appraisal events. There's a lot of regional auction houses that do offer free or low-cost appraisal events, uh, sometimes in person, sometimes virtually.
They're worth knowing about because you're getting eyes from people who are actively in the market. So those are great options. Um, the goal of these events are usually for the auction house to find items they might want to sell or buy. So that means that they're motivated to be honest with you about the value.
They won't inflate a number to make you feel good if they think that it's just not sellable. So they're pretty, pretty honest because their whole, um, game, not auction's a game, but their, their whole business is to sell the item, so they want it sold. Um, that built-in incentive usually does work in your favor as a researcher.
Um, so what you will want to search is for your city auction house free appraisal, and that'll usually tell you if there's something available in your area. That's also a great way to get to know appraisers, um, and, and get to know their personality and then see if th- that's somebody that you want to work with.
And if you have more stuff than that one item, um, that's stopping you in your tracks, this could be a great person to, uh, work with going forward. Uh, there's the antique dealers and shop owners. So if you have a good antique shop in your area, um, not like a flea market unless they're, they focus on antique stuff or whatever your item is, I guess I should say, but like an actual dealer with real inventory.
So they're really good, um, people to get to know. Many dealers will give you an informal opinion, um, especially if the item falls within their area of specialty. So they're a great place to start as well, but you do have to drive there, you have to, you know, bring the item. Um, and not everyone is as friendly, it, you know, to, to open to give you free advice.
So, um, I just have found that, you know, that that could be the case. The key is to be upfront and respectful of their time. They're running a business here, so, you know, saying something like, “I found this and I'm trying to figure out what it is and roughly what it's worth. Can you take a look?” Or you won't get a full like appraisal, but a conversation maybe just like, you know, “I don't even know where to, where to start.
Can you help me?” So that's a great way. Okay, so then now we go into the professional appraisal, more time, more energy. Okay, so this, this effort is where you go when the stakes are high enough to justify the investment. A professional appraiser usually costs money. Actually, not usually, they do cost money.
Typically, um, you know, we have found from a couple hundred dollars to more for complex or high-value items like artwork, you know, things are v- very rare. So the question you have to ask yourself before going this route is, do I have enough evidence from my first two efforts, the low effort and the medium effort, and two, to suggest that this item's potential value justifies the cost of finding out for certain?
So if you've done your research and you're constantly seeing indications of real value- Then this could be a great option. In finding a qualified appraiser, they're all around. You know, the key word here is qualified, though. Not all appraisers are created equal, and you want someone with credentials in the specific category your item falls into.
Um, so you'll want to look for appraisers who are members maybe of recognized professional organizations like the American Society of Appraisers, the Appraisers Association of America. There's International Society of Appraisers. Um, those are the main ones that I, I know of. Um, there's also regional. But these organizations require testing, continuing, like, their education, and they adhere to ethical standards.
So a certified member in the specific field your item falls into is what you're really looking for, and you can often search these organizations' websites for people in your area, and then you can go from there So I know that there's also the TV appraisers or online value estimators, so I want to name some of these because, um, they're tempting and they're everywhere.
So those are the online appraiser s- services. You might have seen it on TV where you submit photos and get a value estimate. Um, those work for some people. They vary enormously in quality, and many of them are not conducted by certified appraisers. Um, but treat them like it's a resource, right? Like a tier one or tier two.
It's a starting point, but it's not a final answer. So I just don't– but I didn't want you to confuse like the, the online value estimators or like the TV commercials that say, um, send a picture of it, you know, we'll let you know for like twenty dollars or something like that. That's a different service, and just be aware, and I would put them in the category of it's a starting point, but it's not your final unless they're credited in what it is that you're looking for.
So with that being said, let me know what you end up going with. Any of these. I love to cheer you on. What I do want you– to leave you with today is it's not really just about money or money at all. When you find something in your storage room that might be valuable, you're in this interesting moment, right?
Like a doorway almost where the object stops being background and becomes something you're actually paying attention to. And I think that attention is a gift regardless of what the item turns out to be worth. Because even if it turns out to be worth twenty dollars or five dollars, the process of researching it has taught you something.
And maybe you learned about a whole category of pottery you never heard of. Maybe you discovered that the item has a history connected to something your family did. And if it turns out to be worth thousands of dollars, well, great. Now you know, and now you can make an intentional choice about what to do with that.
But keep it because it's intentional, it's significant, you meant to, or whatever action you're taking, it's super intentional. Sell it because the money serves you better than the object. Donate it because getting it into the hands of someone who will really appreciate it feels right. Maybe give it to a family member who would love it.
All those are intentional decisions, and that's what we're going for. But what I don't want you is that the item stops you in your track, you go through this, um, exercise, and it, and then it feels like you just wasted your time, okay? And then you just put it right back into your storage room because the question felt too big to answer.
That's the only outcome that I would want to push you back on. Like, I want you to have remedy of some sort, and if it's feeling really like a big daunting task and question, and you're just gonna put it right back over and over again, give us a call, talk to a friend, talk about it out loud so that you can process it and it stops being a recycled item in your storage room.
Okay? Okay, so now you have a process. Let me know how it goes, and until next week, happy organizing. Thank you for listening to the Organize and Cherish podcast with The Organized Flamingo. If you enjoyed today's episode, I'd be so grateful if you left a rating and review on your favorite podcast player.
It helps others discover our show. For full show notes, resources, and more organizing inspiration, visit www.theorganizedflamingo.com/podcast. Until next time, happy organizing