Buffalo Antique Dealers Are Paying Big for These 9 Items — Check Your Attic Before You Toss Them

Pre-1990 Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres Memorabilia

The Bills teams of the late 1960s through the 1980s — before the Super Bowl era — are now deeply collectible. Items from the O.J. Simpson era (1969–1977), the Joe Ferguson years, and the early Jim Kelly period (his 1986 rookie card) are in active demand. A Jim Kelly rookie card in near-mint condition can sell for $1,000–$3,000 depending on grade.^[5]

For the Sabres, the original French Connection line of Gilbert Perreault, Rick Martin, and René Robert drives collector interest. A 1970 inaugural season Buffalo Sabres pennant in good condition sells in the $65–$150 range. Signed items from Perreault command more.

What to look for: Game programs, original pennants, player-issued photographs, autographed items, bobbleheads, ticket stubs. The 1973 Stanley Cup Finals appearance and 1980 Bills AFC Championship season are particularly sought-after.

Anchor Hocking Fire-King Dishes

Anchor Hocking's Fire-King line — produced from the 1940s through the 1970s — has become one of the most actively collected categories in American kitchenware. The most valuable is jadeite: the opaque pale green glass used in mugs, plates, casserole dishes, and baking pans.

Fire-King jadeite pieces marked with older block-letter stamps (pre-1960s) are especially valuable. A complete set of jadeite restaurant-style mugs can sell for $200–$500. Rare pieces like a Philbe pie plate can exceed $1,000. More common 1960s–70s patterns like Peach Lustre and Wheat run $5–$50 per piece, but a complete set in excellent condition can bring $200–$400 as a lot.

Check the bottom of any vintage kitchenware for the Anchor Hocking or Fire-King mark.

Vintage Kodak Cameras — Made Right Next Door in Rochester

Rochester, New York — just 75 miles from Buffalo on the I-90 — was the home of Eastman Kodak for over a century. This gives vintage Kodak cameras a special local significance for WNY households — and a real collector market to match.

The most valuable Kodak cameras from the 1960s–1980s include the Kodak Retina IIIC ($150–$250 working), the Kodak Medalist ($200–$600), and a Cine-Kodak 16mm movie camera in working condition ($400–$900). Brownie cameras from the 1950s–60s are easy sells at $25–$80 each.

The key is working condition. A Kodak camera in working order with original leather case and instruction manual is worth two to three times as much as the same model non-working.

Buffalo Savings Bank Coin Banks

Buffalo Savings Bank was a fixture of Western New York financial life for over 150 years before being absorbed by Goldome Bank in the 1980s. The bank gave out promotional coin banks — small ceramic or metal replicas — to customers opening accounts, particularly for children's savings programs.

These promotional banks are now collectible locally. Buffalo Savings Bank coin banks regularly appear on Etsy and eBay, with prices ranging from $15–$80 depending on condition and style. Items branded with defunct WNY institutions carry a local nostalgia premium.

Curtiss Candy Company Memorabilia

Curtiss Candy Company produced Baby Ruth and Butterfinger candy bars. Pre-1980s Curtiss branded items — tins, wrappers, promotional signs, store displays — are collected as part of the broader advertising collectibles market. A vintage Curtiss Baby Ruth tin in good condition can sell for $40–$120. Even vintage candy wrappers in excellent condition from the 1960s–70s sell for $30–$75 each.

Vintage Tops Friendly Markets Items

Tops Friendly Markets has been a Western New York grocery institution since 1962. Items branded with the original Tops logo — promotional items, employee pins, store merchandise — have developed a collector following driven entirely by WNY nostalgia. Tops-branded items sell reliably to local collectors and WNY Facebook groups. Vintage bags, promotional items, employee anniversary pins, and old grocery items with the original logo are worth setting aside.

Western New York Transit Tokens

Buffalo had an extensive streetcar and bus system throughout the first half of the 20th century. Transit tokens from the Niagara Frontier Transit Authority and its predecessors are collected by transportation history enthusiasts. A single WNY transit token typically sells for $5–$25. A collection of 20–30 tokens from different eras can sell as a lot for $100–$200. Tokens from the Buffalo streetcar era of the early 20th century can reach $30–$60 each.

1970s–1980s Bar Signs from Buffalo Taverns

Buffalo's neighborhood taverns produced a rich trove of vintage advertising. Signs advertising Genesee Beer, Iroquois Beer (a Buffalo brand discontinued in 1971), Simon Pure Beer, or Schaefer with Buffalo bar branding are among the most sought-after. A vintage Iroquois Beer sign in working or restorable condition can fetch $150–$400. Genesee-branded signs from the 1970s sell for $75–$200.

Even non-working neon signs have value — collectors restore them. Old tin bar signs in good condition also sell well at $30–$100 each.

1960s–1970s WNY Industrial Advertising Items

Buffalo was an industrial powerhouse. Bethlehem Steel, Republic Steel, Hooker Chemical, and dozens of other manufacturers had Buffalo-area operations. Corporate promotional items, employee awards, and advertising pieces from this era are collected as part of American industrial nostalgia. Items include: steel company paperweights, Bethlehem Steel promotional calendars, Republic Steel employee anniversary pins. These typically sell for $20–$150 each, with the most valuable being items that clearly identify specific WNY companies.