The Unexpected Value Of Your Vintage KitchenAid Mixer

Your house is more than your safe haven from the outside world, it could also be a veritable treasure trove of valuable items just waiting to be appreciated for their true worth. And many of those items could be hiding in plain site in your kitchen, like the vintage KitchenAid mixers that might be taking up a place of honor on your countertop. KitchenAid has been a name synonymous with high quality kitchen appliances for decades, and, for many, it's obvious why. Whether you still use your old KitchenAid mixer, or it collects dust on the counter because you don't have the heart to part with such an iconic appliance, these classics are hot commodities. Like the unexpectedly valuable vintage Pyrex you might have stashed away in your cupboard, mixers are often underappreciated and under-cared for. However, your old mixer could actually be worth thousands, even if it is no longer in mint condition.

Whether you have purchased a recent model or inherited one from your mother or grandmother, these versatile appliances (which does so much more than mixing -– you can use various attachments to make pasta, grind meat, spiralize veggies, and even make ice cream) are instant classics. With that said, if you've got a vintage model on your hands it could be worth giving your appliance a little extra love, and maybe even considering selling it for a small fortune.

Everything old is new again, or so the saying goes. Well, maybe not new but at least valuable in the case of many older items like rare and collectible old photographs and valuable vintage Christmas decorations that have been handed down through the generations. When it comes to KitchenAid mixers, this really isn't surprising. They have been around for more than 100 years, ever since the first model, the H-5, debuted in 1919 and was immediately labeled "the best kitchen aid" by an impressed executive's wife.

At the time, stand mixers were largely commercial products that were far too big to fit into a home, so an at-home option ushered in a new era for home baking and, as the pioneers of this movement, KitchenAid stand mixers became highly collectible. Today, the KitchenAid brand is known for its enduring quality, durability, and longevity. With the proper TLC, they can last for decades in good working condition, and even with minor flaws, they are highly valuable and sought after.

The brand is also known for using trendy colors that coincide with the time period the specific model was made. Colors like petal pink, sunny yellow, island green, and antique copper were first introduced in 1955 at the Atlantic City Housewares Show. While some colors end up being discontinued, models bearing short-lived shades do still exist and have become prized examples of the evolution of home baking and American trends, making them highly valuable on the vintage resale market.

Vintage is a somewhat vague term, as not everyone agrees on what classifies an item as vintage. Unlike the term "antique" which is generally accepted to mean something that is at least 100 years old or older, the term "vintage" generally applies to items between 30 and 99 years old, although some people would classify an item as vintage if it is as young as 20 years old. What it really boils down to is authenticity. If your stand mixer is an authentic KitchenAid and at least 20 years old (although the older the better), your mixer could be worth a small fortune, with resale prices ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars depending on the age, the condition, the color, and the model.

Research conducted by Global Market Insights shows that in 2023, the kitchenware market was valued at $70.1 billion and is expected to grow to $103 billion by 2032. This not only reflects the popularity of kitchen goods, but the growing interest popularized by social media and cooking shows. And when it comes to vintage markets, values are soaring, with Grand View Research finding that vintage sales made up over 40% of the revenues in the collectibles market in 2023. When you consider these impressive stats, it is clear that vintage kitchen items are, and will continue to be a hot commodity, and those old KitchenAid mixers could just be worth far more than a new one on today's market.