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Something valuable might be collecting dust in your garage without you knowing.

Find out if that old antique or passed down collectible is worth money at the New Mexico Coin-Stamp & Collectible Expo, being held from noon to 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10; and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11, at the Ramada Plaza by Wyndham sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Midtown, 2020 Menaul Blvd. NE. Admission is $5 per day or $10 for a VIP weekend pass. Guests who bring a canned food item will receive a collectible item. The food items will be donated to local food pantries.

Discovered treasure: The New Mexico Coin-Stamp-Collectible Expo features appraisals, 31 dealers

The expo will feature 31 dealers from nine different states appraising, selling and buying collectibles. Appraisals are free with the cost of entry.

鈥淭here鈥檚 people that have stuff in their attic that they inherited, that have no idea what it is,鈥� said John Krist, event organizer. 鈥淭heir dad or mom might have collected it. So people like that. They just bring whatever they find at their house. It鈥檚 kind of like the 鈥楢ntiques Roadshow鈥� and there鈥檚 people there that will tell you what it鈥檚 worth. And if you want to sell it, they鈥檒l make you an offer on it.鈥�

Krist said he has seen expensive and unique collectibles at the expo.

鈥淪ome guy paid $5,000 for a set of dinosaur bones,鈥� he said. 鈥�... (I鈥檝e seen) coins that people think are worth nothing. One of the lead dealers, offered some guy $25,000 for one coin. There鈥檚 a lot of people that found stuff (like) record albums that are worth a dollar or two, and some of them are worth $500.鈥�

Krist said attendees can also ask for assistance if they need help bringing in their collectibles.

鈥淚f they鈥檝e got a lot of stamps or a lot of coins, and they鈥檝e got them in a box, we鈥檒l help them bring them from their car into the hotel and get them set up,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e had one guy come in with 30 boxes of stamps. (We helped him) load them up, and one of the stamp dealers bought them off of him for like $7,000. (The stamps) were just sitting in his attic.鈥�

Krist said stamps, coins, baseball cards and postcards can be worth a pretty penny. He added one of the dealers will pay $20 to $30 for a postcard.

鈥淚t鈥檚 directly better when they have writing on them and then a stamp because people like reading the history of this person, where they went, you know, to England or something, and they like reading about what they did that day,鈥� he explained.

The range of collectibles is endless.

鈥淓verything鈥檚 collectible, from thimbles to matchbook covers to Hot Wheels,鈥� Krist said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing, the range of collectible things, toy soldiers, license plates, African art. There鈥檚 all kinds of stuff. I even met a guy that collects antique vacuum cleaners. There鈥檚 people that collect clocks, marbles, it鈥檚 just amazing how many different things (there are to collect).鈥�

Krist said a big part of why he puts on the expo is to get children involved in collecting.

鈥淎nd you always need that next generation if you want your collectibles to be worth something, somebody has to want them, so you have to have the next generation want them or the hobby just dies,鈥� he said.

Krist has been in the collectible business for 45 years. Years ago, he owned a shop in southeast sa国际传媒官网网页入口.

鈥淚 used to have a shop on south San Mateo and little kids used to come into my shop and buy baseball cards and stuff like that,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd now I see them grown up, you know, firemen, policemen, one of them is a lawyer. So it鈥檚 kind of neat to see kids grow up into the collecting hobby.鈥�

He added he has also seen families bond through collecting.

鈥�(There are) some families that collect stuff together, mom and daughters collect Beanie Babies, father and sons collect baseball cards and stuff like that,鈥� Krist said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a family affair.鈥�