In today’s world, when more books are digital rather than tangible, some of the most valuable thrifted finds get overlooked—like bookmarks. Usually made of paper, plastic, fabric, metal, or even sterling silver, many petite page holders can be quite valuable. Still, due to their size, they can easily get lost in the shuffle at an estate or yard sale.
Yes, it’s true—some of us still prefer holding an actual book and flipping a paper page rather than tapping an iPad or Kindle. And don’t even think about folding a page corner to mark your spot. No! Real books deserve actual page holders. Better yet, they make perfect gifts for old-style bookworms, which is excellent news for resellers.
Big Little Bookmarks
I reacquainted myself with bookmarks at a recent estate sale of a former college literature professor. The garage overflowed with books, magazines, and art. But in the bottom drawer of a side table, I discovered a small cardboard box that, at first glance, looked ordinary. But after digging through the safety pins and paper clips, I found a lovely collection of silver plate bookmarks. Some were colorful cat page markers; others were elephants, crosses, hearts, and horses, each ready to hold a page for a reader—several bore brand names like Brighton and Smithsonian Catalog.
My spidey sense told me these were special, and it turns out I was right—within days of listing them online, most sold for between $20-$25 each, which, in my book, was a solid return on a very minimal investment.
Reselling Bookmarks
If you’re reselling bookmarks online, it’s wise to research popular brand names and sales history to help you find pieces with good resale value. I rely on the Worthpoint Price Guide, which gives me more than 10 years of sales trends. This extended history helps me separate the steady sellers from those fading from the spotlight, which, in turn, helps me price accordingly.
Additionally, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with how to use proper keywords in product listings. For example, the board game Munchkins, which celebrated its 25th year in 2024, includes game pieces called “bookmarks,” which often are branded with perhaps Disney, Marvel, or Star Wars. If you weren’t aware of this and listed what you thought was just an average set of Disney-themed bookmarks for a book lover, using keywords like “gift for reader” and “page holder” would pull in the wrong online buyer traffic.
Good keyword research helps you discover accurate keywords that also include longer, more specific phrases (also called long-tail keywords) like “Munchkin game pieces” or “Disney Munchkins bookmarks.”
Hold Your Place with Style
Here are some bookmark brands to keep on your radar. They have a substantial resale value and are easy to ship.
Book Darts—These little arrow-shaped gems are usually made of bronze and come in a round tin. Created by a husband-and-wife team, book darts, which can be pricey, are now trickling into the secondary market.
Brighton Collectibles Bookmarks—Founded in 1972 by another husband-wife team, Brighton Collectibles is a popular gift brand for handcrafted jewelry and accessories. The store has only three bookmarks on its website, making its earlier pieces all the more coveted by collectors.
Tiffany & Co. Bookmarks—Almost anything with this company’s classic name is collectible, and bookmarks, especially the sterling silver pieces, are no exception. For example, a vintage Tiffany sterling silver bookmark featuring the god Atlas sold for $115 in 2025.
Smithsonian Catalogue—I could not find any new bookmarks on the Smithsonian website, but discontinued pieces are steady sellers—especially the gold Cloisonne bookmarks with enameled figures like cats and flowers.
Vintage Advertising Bookmarks—While many are made of paper or celluloid plastic, don’t let their humble makeup fool you. I conducted a brief search in the Worthpoint database and found that advertising bookmarks have held their value depending on brand name and condition. For example, a 1906 Coca-Cola die-cut celluloid (plastic) owl bookmark sold for $324 in 2023. A Pepsi-Cola cardboard feather bookmark collection sold for $700 in 2015.
Physical Books vs E-Readers
We may be in the digital age, but as I mentioned earlier, the printed page has a certain charm that digital forms can’t match. A recent Pew Research study revealed that “the U.S. market demonstrates a continued preference for print books with 767.36 million units sold in 2023.” The study also noted that while the number of e-readers should hit 1.2 billion by 2027, an estimated 1.9 billion readers will read physical books by 2029.
Of course, there’s a Reddit group for almost everything, including bookmarks. The latest group question, “What is your favorite bookmark?” revealed a wide range of answers, from old Pokemon cards to book purchase receipts and beloved pieces with sentimental value.
“I have a little magnet bookmark with a picture of Darth Vader holding a book,” Reddit user bjwyxrs said. It’s so old and overused it’s falling apart, but I love it so much that it’s been taped up multiple times.”
And it’s not that bookmarks are only ideal sentimental gifts; they also turn the popular refrain “go big or go home” on its head. Because sometimes, it’s the littlest things that offer the greatest value.
Between excursions to hunt for antiques and vintage décor, Lynda Houston is busy restoring her 1950s cottage in Cincinnati, Ohio. She and her partner, Dave Beck, operate TheRustInPeaceShop on Etsy.
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