The UK is a nation of hoarders, yet you would be surprised at the number of weird, wonderful and sometimes valuable things that we all throw into our rubbish bins.
If we deem something worth throwing out, it most likely means we don’t believe it to have any more value to us.
Yet there are many items in our rubbish that we bin without ever giving a second thought, meaning, occasionally, something truly valuable slips through our fingers and into the waste bin.
Here at Junk Hunters we’ve made some remarkable finds over the years from waste the public has thrown out, including first edition Charles Dickens novels, Louis Vuitton handbags and expensive fine jewellery.
We’ve compiled a list of some the strangest and most valuable things we’ve found in rubbish. Have a look through and see if you’ve ever binned something equally as valuable or unusual.
1. A set of historical antique statues
A beautiful pair of antique statues were waiting to be collected and taken to the junkyard, but they resold at auction for £2,800.
2. Louis Vuitton handbags
A set of Louis Vuitton handbags in good condition were found buried in a skip in London. They were worth up to £700 a piece.
3. First Edition of Charles Dickens Novels
You don’t have to be a book fan to realize first edition classic literature is valuable. First edition Charles Dickens novels are worth up to £500 online, but we found a pair buried in rubbish.
4. Medals
We picked up a collection of medals and cups belonging to a former snooker champion in London. Among them was also an exclusive retirement souvenir.
5. Silver and gold jewelry
Rather than take the time to untangle a mess of precious metal, someone tossed a load of silver and gold jewelry in with their junk. It resold for £800.
6. Life Fitness Treadmill
While most put their unused fitness goods on auction sites, one UK citizen put a working treadmill on the scrap heap. A Life Fitness Treadmill was picked up in good condition, worth around £2,300.
7. Fully functioning MacBook Pro and Notebook
UK citizens have even thrown away the latest working technology, such as MacBooks and NoteBooks. These are very easy to resell.
8. Money
Believe it or not, we’ve found wads of cash discarded along with other waste.
9. Snooker table
Battered old snooker tables are usually sent to scrap, but not luxury models in mint condition. One we collected as waste was worth up to £3000.
10. Adult toys
Britons don’t seem to worry much about making us here at Junk Hunters blush. We’ve discovered a variety of adult toys in junk over the years.