We have found some great old hand tools, lanterns, camping supplies and actually some antique books and glassware for pocket change. I have items that I'm working on now to sell on ebay that cost me almost nothing. That money will come in handy for items we do need.
As an aside...
You can make a nice bit of side money offering to clean out attics and garages. This service is called Property Preservation. Realtors, rental property managers and those managing estate sales hire you to assist in cleaning out and even disposing of items left (abandoned) on the property. We have performed this type of service several times and always came out way ahead just from the items we were PAID to throw away! I found some awesome vintage clothing, books and glassware to sell. My husband found a used tailgate for his pickup truck in a pile of weeds he was mowing down. The tailgate was in great shape and fit our old Ford perfectly.
All you need is a stack of business cards, pickup, trailer, know how to mow grass, weedeat and clean a house and you have everything you need to make money. You also get a great opportunity to recycle OPS (other people's stuff.)