America’s favorite decade is officially worth a fortune.
The 1950s hold a special place in the American imagination — chrome diners, tailfin cars, poodle skirts, and a postwar optimism that produced some of the most beautifully designed consumer objects in history. Collectors cannot get enough of it right now and the prices on eBay reflect a market that is hotter than it has been in decades. Here is what is moving fast and selling high.
Vintage Chrome Kitchen Canisters
In sets of four — flour, sugar, coffee, tea — with the original rubber seals and bold mid-century lettering are selling for $80 to $300 per set depending on condition and design. The ones with hand-painted fruit or floral decoration command the highest prices. A complete matched set in excellent condition is worth significantly more than individual pieces.
Fiesta Ware Dinnerware
In the original pre-1973 colors — red, cobalt, ivory, yellow, green, and turquoise — is one of the most actively traded vintage pottery categories in America. Original red Fiesta Ware was made with uranium oxide that gives it a slightly radioactive reading — which paradoxically makes it the most collectible color. A complete place setting in original red sells for $200 to $500. Individual pieces in any original color sell for $20 to $100.
Vintage Atomic Age Clocks
With sunburst and starburst designs in gold or brass — the wall clocks that decorated every mid-century living room — are selling for $100 to $600 depending on size, maker, and condition. The Sputnik-inspired designs with long metal rays extending from the clock face are the most sought after.
Original 1950s TV Trays
In matched sets of four with the original folding stand sell for $80 to $300. The ones with colorful painted scenes — flamingos, autumn leaves, barbecue motifs — are worth the most. Individual trays sell for $20 to $80 depending on the design.
Vintage 45 RPM Record Players
The small portable turntables designed specifically for the new 45 format that Elvis and Chuck Berry defined — sell for $100 to $400 in working condition. The brightly colored plastic models from companies like RCA and Columbia are especially charming and especially collectible.
Mid-Century Modern Lamps
In working condition with original shades are selling for $150 to $800 depending on the designer and manufacturer. Teak base lamps with fiberglass shades, ceramic lamps in organic shapes, and brass arc lamps from the period are all highly sought after. Signed pieces from known designers command significant premiums.
Vintage Cocktail Shakers and Bar Sets
From the 1950s in chrome with enamel decoration — the sets that lived in the home bar or sideboard of every aspirational mid-century household — sell for $80 to $400 depending on completeness and condition. A complete set with shaker, ice bucket, tongs, and matching glasses in original condition is worth significantly more.
Original Paint-by-Number Paintings
From the 1950s — completed — are selling for $50 to $400 depending on subject matter and execution. Large format paintings with unusual subjects command the most. A large completed paint-by-number of a tiger or a matador in a period frame sells for more than you would believe.
Vintage Bowling Bags and Shoes
From the 1950s in good condition are selling to fashion collectors and vintage clothing buyers who love the bowling alley aesthetic that has come back strongly in recent years. A matched set of a vintage bowling bag with shoes in wearable condition sells for $100 to $300.
Early Television Guides and Program Schedules
From the first decade of television — especially issues featuring famous early TV personalities on the cover — sell for $20 to $200 depending on the issue. The first year of TV Guide (1953) sells for significantly more. A collection of early television ephemera can be worth real money to entertainment history collectors.
The 1950s are back. And this time they are expensive.
