Do you have trash or cash in your attic? JO HAYWOOD talks to antique experts to find out what modern memorabilia is really worth keeping.

IF YOU live with a natural born hoarder, with dusty boxes piled six-deep in every corner of your home, don't panic. It might look as though they have bats in their belfry, but they could in fact have loot in their loft.

According to antiques expert Paul Hayes, a regular on the BBC1 daytime show Cash In The Attic, today's seemingly mad purchases could be tomorrow's collectibles.

"The biggest thing that is going to hit us is celebrity memorabilia," he said. "Keep limited edition CDs, concert and cinema programmes, and merchandise connected with bands, films and TV. Our society is so celebrity-led, you can't lose in the long-run."

Trish, who did not want her surname used, of Cavendish Antiques, in Stonegate, York, agreed that our obsession with celebrities was going to shape the future of collectibles - with one important proviso: "Think about providence. Without proof of where or rather who it came from, you will struggle to sell it on. Anyone can write David Beckham on a bit of paper and say it's his signature."

Even if the signature is kosher, it does not always mean that it will sell, as Paul once discovered to his cost.

"I was at an antiques fair and there was an autograph of Cliff Richard from the 1980s on a piece of paper, going for £12.50," he explained. "I bought it and put it on eBay and it only fetched $2.50, so I lost more than a tenner. If the autograph had been from the 1960s, when he was at his peak, I think it would have fetched more."

As well as celebrity memorabilia, Paul also advised hanging on to toys, particularly if they were boxed and in pristine condition.

"Today's toys and games industry is heavily influenced by TV and film-related things," he said. "You have Big Brother board games, Teletubbies models and lots of other things. These are the collectibles of tomorrow.

"If you can afford it, buy two and then at least one can be played with while the other is stored away."

Early computers and software, like the computer game Space Invaders, are also likely to make a pretty penny at the sale rooms in years to come, but this does not mean you should save every disk and mouse that lands on your desk.

"It's true that your rubbish can be someone else's treasure, but that does not mean all your rubbish is worth something," said Trish. "Be selective. And if you are going to go for computers, just remember that the earliest models were about the size of a house, so you might have some storage problems.

"Not every computer is worth keeping either. It has to be a first of some sort. The first Pentel for instance or one of the first Space Invaders."

If you think you might have items worth a lot of cash lurking about in your attic, you can find out more about the potential market by taking your collectibles to an antiques fair for valuation, surf the internet for information or take a photograph to a good auctioneer who will do some research on your behalf.

When it comes to actually making money, you can choose to sell to a dealer, over the internet or via a reputable auction house. The latter will always try to get you the best price because it is in their interest, as they generally take a ten per cent commission.

But even if you have an original Teletubby, previously owned, signed and regularly cuddled by David Beckham, don't automatically expect to make your fortune. Antiques is a fickle business.

"Collecting is a bit of a minefield because no one ever really knows what's going to take off," said Trish.

"But if we all liked the same things and collected the same things, life would be incredibly dull, wouldn't it?

Updated: 08:43 Thursday, February 26, 2004