You don't have to have ammo tins from the Civil War to strike it rich. There's some collectible ammo you can find at a garage sale.
If you know someone who has a bunch of antique old ammo boxes, you quickly find they're somewhat fanatical about collecting them. To be honest, a lot of it's junk. However, there are some diamonds in the rough if you know what you are looking for.
Sure, there are Remington, Winchester, Colt and Smith & Wesson boxes of ammo that have a unique value because of name recognition. However, some boxes are worth a high dollar for other reasons.
Here are 10 old boxes of collectible ammo we found through various online auctions.
10. Winchester 9mm Long Rimfire - $250
You know you got your hands on something when a 9mm round is meant for a shotgun. You just don't see that everyday, and you probably won't see many boxes in this good of shape. If you have something similar, count yourself lucky.
9. Western Cartridge Co .30 Newton - $300
For most, if they saw this box of old ammunition, they probably wouldn't know much about it. What makes this unique is that Winchester actually purchased Western. Regardless, this isn't something a sharp eye would pass up.
8. Remington UMC Nitro 20 Ga - $500
A lot of ammo collectors like their ammo not only for the scarcity, but also for the design of the box. This artwork showing an American hunting scene is all it takes for some to pull out the checkbook. I know for me, if someone in my family stumbled upon this at a garage sale for a few dollars, they'd buy it for me for that alone!
7. Winchester Repeater 12 Gauge - $550
With a name like Winchester, many people would collect and hold onto a box like this just the nostalgia. However, these early smokeless shotgun shells are a rare find. One thing to keep in mind, though, is the condition of the box.
6. Peters Prairie Chicken 20 Gauge - $650
Most ammunition collectors look for a very long time to find a box of these. The 20-gauge rounds were not made in abundance. Therefore, when you see these, the asking price is normally pretty steep. As far as collectible shotgun shells go, these are the cream of the crop.
5. Remington Rocket 22 Short - $875
Do you remember when you couldn't buy .22 rifle cartages anywhere a few years ago? Apparently, that wasn't the first time. If you have your hands on a few boxes of these, or even a brick, consider yourself lucky.
4. Winchester Express 50-95 - $1,300
These rare boxes of blackpowder ammo were only made from 1897-99, according to the seller. To fetch that price, all the ammo is there and in pretty condition. Stuff like this just has to be passed down through the family. However, people often have $1 grab boxes at estate sales. Who knows? Maybe you can get lucky.
3. Winchester .45 Colt Government - $1,500
You don't see these at your average garage sale. However, if you catch someone who doesn't know what they have, would you tell them, or just hand them the $5 asking price and walk away? The price listed above is for a sealed box in pretty darn good condition. If you have something close, expect a little less.
2. UMC Henry Rifle .44 Flat Rimfire - $1,600
If you have a box of these stashed away in a gun safe, congratulations. If you have a couple of them, put them on the auction block and get yourself a nice down payment on a new truck. These hard-to-find boxes are often pretty beat up, but they still bring in a nice penny. Mint condition boxes are rare, so if you have one, you might consider putting it in a safe deposit box.
1. U.S. Cartridge Co. Army 44 Colt - $4,500
Okay, this is no joke. There aren't many boxes of this highly collectible ammunition left in the United States due to age alone. However, something like this is only going to keep increasing in value. As per the seller of this item stated, this is circa 1872 and was used by the U.S. military. This would be incredible to have just for the history alone!
