6 Items From the 1950s Worth a Lot of Money Today

Rafael Tenorio / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Commitment to Our Readers

GOBankingRates' editorial team is committed to bringing you unbiased reviews and information. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and services - our reviews and ratings are not influenced by advertisers. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and our products and services review methodology.

20 Years
Helping You Live Richer

Reviewed
by Experts

Trusted by
Millions of Readers

As the first post-war decade, the 1950s launched modern American popular culture and gave rise to some of the world’s most coveted and valuable collectibles.

Bill Ryze, a certified chartered financial consultant (ChFC) from Tennessee and a board advisor at Fiona Financial, has worked in the financial services industry since 2003 and has been managing investments since 2006.

In the post-pandemic years, he has seen more and more investors turning to collectibles as alternative hedges against rising inflation.

Among the most coveted are “collectibles from the 1950s that hold historical significance and are sought after by collectors because of their antique value.”

If you have any of the following items from the decade that gave rise to Marilyn Monroe, television and rock and roll, call an appraiser — you might be sitting on a fortune.

Also see items from the 1990s that are worth a lot of money.

Vintage Vinyl Records

Ryze said that because the ’50s were such a groundbreaking era for music, vinyl records are among the decade’s most valuable collectibles.

“Look for rock and roll classics like early Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly or Little Richard records,” said Ryze. “Jazz gems like the original Blue Note releases, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane albums are the most sought-after. R&B treasures like Motown and doo-wop records have significant value. Also, 78-rpm records like Elmore James’ “Dust My Broom” are timeless classics. Similarly, jazz enthusiasts can look for Charlie Christian’s “Jazz Immortal,” a classic esoteric 10-inch LP from 1951.”

Here are some examples:

• In 2015, 18-year-old Elvis Presley’s first recording from 1953 sold for $300,000.
• There are currently dozens of 1950s jazz records selling on eBay for between $1,000 and $5,000, including several from the artists Ryze mentioned.
• Several 78-rpm records from the ’50s are commanding more than $5,000 on eBay.

US Stamps

Ryze also cited U.S. stamps as some of the decade’s most valuable items — and there are plenty to choose from. According to the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, the U.S. issued seventeen commemoratives totaling roughly 2.1 billion stamps, averaging over 123 million per issue, in 1950-51 alone.

Here are some of the most valuable stamps from the decade, according to Mystic Stamp Company:

• 1956 Liberty Series $5 Alexander Hamilton: Up to $10,900
• 1952 $2.00 Federal Duck Stamp — Harlequin Ducks: Up to $2,250
• 1954 $1 Woodrow Wilson, red violet and black: Up to $1,500

Mid-Century Furniture

Depending on rarity and condition, mid-century furniture from the 1950s can fetch eye-popping prices at auctions and private sales.

“Collectors and interior designers eagerly seek icons like Eames, Saarinen and Wegner,” said Ryze.

• An original first-generation Eames chair from 1956 is selling for $34,995 on 1stDibs
• A 1952 Saarinen tulip table with T-chairs is selling for $19,150 on 1stDibs
• A 1950s Wegner Papa Bear chair is selling for $23,995 on Hobbs Modern

Cars

The ’50s were the golden era of automobile manufacturing and American car culture — Ford Thunderbird, Chevy Bel Air, Chevy Corvette and Chrysler New Yorker might ring a bell.

The decade’s most valuable vehicles, manufactured both in the U.S. and abroad, are among the most expensive items of any kind from any era.

• In 2022, a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe sold for $143 million at a secret auction at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany, crushing the previous record by more than $95 million.
• In 2016, a Ferrari 335 fetched $35.7 million at an Artcurial Motorcars auction in Paris, making it the world’s most expensive car at the time.
• In 2015, a 1956 Ferrari 290 MM sold for $28 million at an RM Sotheby’s auction in New York.

Barbie Dolls

The Barbie doll debuted in 1959 and went on to become one of the most enduring icons in the history of American toys — and if you have the right one, it can sell for a fortune.

In 2006, an original ’59 “No. 1 Ponytail” sold at auction for $27,450.

Comic Books

The Golden Age of comic books lasted from roughly 1938 to 1956, and some of the most valuable ever printed from that era were published toward the end in the early to mid-’50s.

• According to GoCollect, Showcase #4 from Sept. 10, 1954, which introduced the Silver Age Flash, is worth up to $1.05 million.
• Pristine issues of Showcase #4 from September 6, 1959, which introduced Hal Jordan and Silver Age Green Lantern, have sold for up to $105,000.
• Action Comics #252 from April 30, 1959, which introduced Supergirl and Metallo, can be worth more than $50,000.

Share This Article: