Bill Lincoln said he was given three bags by John "Kenny" Collins, one of the men who has pleaded guilty to his role in the heist, on the Monday after the burglary.
Mr Lincoln said he was told they contained paperwork and "bric-a-brac".
He denies conspiring to commit the burglary and a money-laundering charge.
Describing the bags, he said: "I was told they contained paperwork, old photographs and bric-a-brac from a house that he had soldâ€¦ like memorabilia."
He said he then gave the bags to his nephew, Jon Harbinson, who said he would put them in his shed.
Six weeks later Mr Harbinson and Mr Lincoln returned the bags to Collins in a car park in Enfield.
When Collins was arrested a few minutes later, the bags were found to contain large amounts of jewellery.
Mr Lincoln said he had been given a separate bag of jewellery by Collins on the day before he was arrested, to see if he could sell any of it.
He said he put the bag in the airing cupboard, and "a couple of bits" behind a skirting board with a yellow duster.
He said Â£2,000 in Â£50 notes found under his microwave by police had been left to him by his brother who had died in his arms.
Mr Lincoln admitted leaving the country two days after the raid, saying he travelled to the Greek island of Symi where he "went fishing".
Carl Jones, of Park Avenue, Enfield; John Collins, 75, of Bletsoe Walk, Islington; Terry Perkins, 67, of Heene Road, Enfield and Brian Reader, 76, of Dartford Road, Dartford, have all previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary.
The trial continues.
One of the men accused of being part of the Hatton Garden raid has told the court he looked after bags given to him by one of the burglars.