The majority of resold war medals during the past year come from towns such as Essex, Whitby, Manchester, London, and Swindon, according to a recent report from Vintage Cash Cow, the easy way to sell old stuff. Over the past year the company bought over 2,200 pieces of war memorabilia, the biggest driver behind this resell market being Essex, which is leading the contribution list with 323 war medals sent in. Whitby is the runner up, with 63 medals, followed by Manchester (40) in third place, London (36) and Swindon (27).

Steve Child, medals and militaria expert at Vintage Cash Cow, says, “With the increased interest in genealogy and family history in recent years, collectors have the opportunity to research and trace the owners of these medals and their incredible bravery. Many people will be able to relate to the medals from the First and Second World War, as they likely had relatives who fought in them. Some medals are rarer than others, with the Victoria Cross being one of the rarest. Since its introduction in 1856, just over 1,300 have been awarded, meaning that each is incredibly special and can be worth upwards of £200,000.”

In addition, the report reveals that the top 10 UK counties making the most money from their pre-owned goods while contributing to a more sustainable economy are Greater London, Essex, Hampshire, Greater Manchester, West and North Yorkshire, Cheshire, Devon, Kent and East Sussex. Since March 2020, a total of 130 tonnes of items have been submitted to Vintage Cash Cow, all worth over £1.5m. More details can be found here: www.vintagecashcow.co.uk/about/2020-21-in-review/.

To mark the start of this new annual report, Vintage Cash Cow launches its biggest campaign to date, the Spring Clear Out: www.vintagecashcow.co.uk/about/spring-clear-out/. This takes place until 14 May to encourage new and existing customers to declutter their homes by reselling their unwanted, unused, old or vintage items. The company has set itself a target of rehoming 40 tonnes of goods between the campaign dates, progress which can be followed in real time on the landing page. This sustainable goal could be achieved with the help of over 8,000 customers sending in an average box of 5kg.

Any existing or new customer who sends a box until 14 May will be enrolled into a prize draw where one winner will be picked to receive £1,000 and this amount will be matched with a donation to a charity of his/her choice.

David Weaver, co-founder of Vintage Cash Cow, explains, “We find that people are usually sitting on untapped opportunities so we want to help the whole country realise the potential of the items they’re about to throw away as part of their spring cleaning efforts, or which just lie around the house or are stored in their attics. It’s a shame for them to take up space when they could actually increase people’s income in a sustainable way. We’ve got the system in place to resell and rehome their goods and extend their life cycle, keeping the items out of landfill and creating a positive environmental impact.”

How does this work? Turning clutter into cash is now an easy three-step process. The Hunt: customers hunt around the home for old and once loved treasures they’d like to sell and pack them into a box. The Appraisal: the box is posted to the Vintage Cash Cow head office with a choice of free Post Office drop off, or a free home collection. The team of experts carefully appraise the items and make the customer a cash offer for it all. The Decision: the customer can accept the offer and receive the payment via same day bank transfer or cheque in the post, or choose to have the belongings returned for free. A no
obligation, free of charge service to help take the hassle and haggling out of selling.