Wilko fans try their luck flogging ‘rare’ carrier bags on eBay – is your merch for long gone shops worth anything?

WILKO fans have taken to eBay to try their luck selling old memorabilia after the chain fell into administration.

Listings for carrier bags from the bargain retailer started popping up on the marketplace after it was first revealed that it was on the brink of collapse.

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Wilko appointed administrators yesterday, with all control of the business being passed over to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

The future of the chain now hangs in the balance, as rivals consider snapping up between 200 and 300 shops.

And now some shoppers have sought to cash in by selling their old branded merchandise to fans of the bargain retailer.

The Sun checked eBay and found around half a dozen collectible Wiko items for sale, or recently sold.

One of them included a “rare, old vintage” bag with “Wilkinson” across the middle – the chain’s original name.

More recent carrier bags of various sizes are also being auctioned on the website, alongside a Wilko bag for life.

If you have some old Wilko-branded items lying around your home, it could be worth trying your luck flogging them on eBay.

But if you’re hoping to make big bucks, Anita Lo, owner of vintage fashion and antiques boutique, Clara’s Box, says you might be disappointed.

She said: “People can keep and retain old Wilko carrier bags and merchandise for sentimental value but in terms of resale, they won’t be worth much more than their original value at the time of purchase.”

The old vintage eBay carrier bag sold for £1.49 with one bid yesterday, with others listed for less than £3.

The price of items on eBay varies based on things like demand at the time and how common it is.

Shoppers often become quite nostalgic about defunct retailers, so there’s nothing people won’t be willing to pay more in the future.

Anyone can list something for sale on eBay and charge whatever amount they wish, but it’s only ever worth what someone is willing to pay.

By checking the recently sold items you will get a more accurate indication of what people are willing to pay.

When we checked, we found nostalgic items from retailers like Debenhams, Toys R Us, Woolworths, BHS, and C&A.

These included catalogs, carrier bags, work uniform items, and even badges.

For example, a Toys R Us video games adviser badge sold for £8.99 on eBay on August 11.

And a Woolworths branded, vintage baseball cap sold for £4.49 on August 10.

While most of these sold for under £10, we explain below how to spot more valuable items that you may have kept hold of.

Could my old shop memorabilia be worth something?

We picked Anita’s brains to find out of it’s worth checking your cupboards and attics for merchandise from other retailers.

She said it’s worth keeping an eye out for items from well-known stores that are in good condition.

Anita said: “Receipts aren’t of much value, however packaging, catalogs, and carrier bags from the 1970s and before will sell.

“For example, 1920s Debenham & Freebody – a department store in London that later became part of the Debenhams chain – boxes are listed for auction for around £30-50.

“The same can be said for antique and vintage Harrods, Liberty, and Biba packaging.”

And there is a market for these items at auction.

In May 2022, a collection of vintage carrier bags from the 1950s attracted the attention of collectors and fetched £60.

Sellers can also fetch good money on eBay, with a vintage Harrods bag fetching £27.81 on August 3.

But we’ve found that some sellers can ask for hundreds for an item, with one hopeful flogging a Kwik Save bag for a whopping £225.

There was a time when catalogs were commonplace in pretty much every household, and if you kept hold of some, you could be sitting on a nice little sum.

Anita said: “Old catalogs, think the late 1800s to early 1900s, from Liberty and other well-known department stores, are highly collectible.

“They are typically resold for between £30 – £100, depending on their date, condition, and content.

“The better the condition and rarer the item is, the more valuable it will be.”

We found an old Argos catalog from 2010 that sold on eBay for a huge £70 on August 10.

While a slightly older one from 1982 went for £49.99 on August 11.

Anita says you should also keep an eye out for merchandise from stores that mark anniversaries.

“These would have limited production quantities and will be harder to find on the market,” she added.

For example, we found a limited edition Dior anniversary bag that sold on eBay for £18 on June 25.

And Anita says it’s this kind of designer brand that often brings in the most money.

She told The Sun: “If it’s a luxury brand, people are willing to spend money on old carrier bags from the likes of Chanel and Mulberry.”

Selling an item at auction or through a dealer

There are many different factors to consider when trying to value an item, including its condition, so it’s important to do your homework first.

If you have something you’d like to sell at auction, you can use websites like Yell to find auctions in your area.

You’ll need to enquire with the auction house, or seller usually via email or over the phone.

If you are looking to buy a piece of memorabilia online through a marketplace such as eBay, it’s important to know exactly what you are purchasing.

This is because anyone can list something on eBay and charge whatever amount they wish.

You should also be wary of fakes online – and keep in mind that on eBay a buyer could pull out, which means the item won’t have sold for the price it says it has.

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