Mariah Carey fans could make $2,000 this Christmas – here's how

Mariah Carey fans, listen up – you may be sitting on thousands of dollars ahead of Christmas.

A recent study has revealed that those tour merchandise tees collecting dust in your closet could gain you some quick Christmas cash.

Since Carey's return for her favourite season, searches for the star have soared by 78 per cent in the last week of November.

According to research from custom t-shirt retailer Spreadshirt, merchandise from Carey’s 1998 Butterfly tour is selling for up to $150, with unsold listings of up to $2000.

On average, Mariah Carey tour tees are selling for $48.87, double that of Ariana Grande ($24.89), Katy Perry ($22.50) and Christina Aguilera ($20.88).

The data is a part of a larger research project, that places classic Mariah Carey merchandise among some of the most valuable vintage tour tees sold this year. Others to appear on the list are an original 90s Nirvana In Utero t-shirt, a rare 90s Grateful Dead t-shirt, and a vintage Kanye West Late Registration t-shirt.

Here are the top five Mariah Carey merch to look out for:

2010 Angels Advocate tour long-sleeve – up to $479.99

Spreadshirt

1998 Butterfly tour – up to $420.00

Spreadshirt

2000 Rainbow tour (white) – up to $360.00

Spreadshirt

2000 Rainbow tour (black) – up to $359.99

Spreadshirt

1996 Daydream tour – up to $339.10

Spreadshirt

Speaking about the findings, Trendlistr director Louisa Rogers said: "There are two layers which determine the value of an item. The first relates to its 'intrinsic' value: what materials is it made of? What is craftsmanship like? And how many of these pieces are surviving/out there in circulation?

"The second consideration relates to the external factors that will influence the value of a piece. Buying authentic band merchandise is a shortcut to looking like a 'better' fan — were you there the first time around (or did you add to cart later?)"

She continued: "To determine a vintage item's value, see what the brand name or item sells for (or similar equivalents) on different resale sites such as eBay, Vinted, or Depop. Remember that the price it is listed at doesn't always reflect what it eventually gets sold at, but it's a good start! Using Google Lens to find similar listings can help with this. The main thing is to avoid stains. marks and scuffs where possible."

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