15 Insane Thrift Store Finds People Still Can’t Believe Are Real

Some people go thrifting for a cheap mug. Others accidentally walk out with a tiny miracle. Second-hand stores have a chaotic talent for rewarding patience! Below are real stories from shoppers who expected “meh” and got “no way.” If luck had a clearance aisle, it would look like this.

“Well. I discovered my craziest find today. A gold-plated tooth with part of the tooth still in it, LOL. I’m wondering more about the story of how it ended up in a bin.”

“Best $4.99 ever spent!”

“OKAY... UHMMM, I JUST FOUND $700 CASH IN A SUIT POCKET AT TRIFT STORE!!!!!!”

“If this is what I think it is...”

• If you mean a vase, then yes, lol! © Far_Yak_7435 / Reddit
• “Swung” vases are usually colored glass pieces that are put into molds, and then quite literally swung by the artist in a pendulum motion to make the top shape elongated and unique. Viking is one of the glass companies that made them in the 60s and 70s. They’re pretty cool! © bluesteam7 / Reddit

“I found the holy grail for $80! I’m pretty sure this is what winning the lottery feels like! It’s an MCM Orange Parkway Freestanding Cone Fireplace.”

“I don’t know what this block of wood is, but I love it. So tactile!!!”

• Yo! I made one of these! For one of my final projects in design school, I had to build a monolith out of wood. The idea was that it had to be an interesting, comfortable handheld object. I’m sure there were more design specifications, but that was the gist of it.
  First, we shaped it out of clay. Then, we cut it apart and rebuilt it in the wood shop. Finally, we spent about 80 hours sanding it down to a soft perfection. Mine was more bird-shaped, but this one is nice, too.
  It’s been almost 20 years since I went through design school, but I know the monolith is tucked away in a drawer or box somewhere. After all that sanding, there was no way I wasn’t keeping it. © GoinWithThePhloem / Reddit

“It’s been on my thrifting wish list to find a big gold ring, and this one didn’t disappoint! An 18-karat gold ring with a diamond for $2.50!”

“I was absolutely speechless when I saw what my mom found at the flea market this morning.”

• My mom just showed me these, but she found a lot of earrings for $1 a pair this morning. She didn’t even realize these were marked 18k! © scragry / Reddit

“The coincidence of the century!”

• I live in a small town and work in a role that puts me in contact with the public, so I know all the thrift store operators and secondhand shop owners in my community. They know what I like and that I’m a regular buyer. If they get something I might like, they usually give me a call or send me a text.
  Today, I received a text with a picture of this hat. For context, I’ve been wearing this style of hat pretty much every day for the last 15 years. I went to the shop and saw the hat. It’s 100% wool and fits perfectly.
  Then, I flipped it over and saw the label: it’s a Hanna hat from Donegal, Ireland! My surname is Hanna. My family is from Donegal, Ireland, and the company that made this hat has been owned and operated by my family since 1924. It fits me like a glove.
  The shop owner gave it to me for free. He said it had my name on it. © cah29**2 / Reddit

“Today might have been the best day of my life! I had never seen uranium glass in person before, but I bought these because they were beautiful. I still can’t believe it!”

“I picked this up at a pretty wild estate sale. It’s such an awesome piece! I still can’t believe it!”

• I just wanted to give you a heads up in case you didn’t know. Don’t put them on your car, even as a joke. © leilalover / Reddit

“1960s Gucci Horsebit Loafers found at the thrift, with interesting info on the box!”

• From what I understand, Gucci couldn’t export their Italian products into Mexico back then, so they licensed a few companies over there to make bags, shoes, and other leather goods that were sold in tourist hotspots. Since I’m in Canada, Cancún is one of the main destinations people travel to for vacation, so I’m guessing that’s where these were originally bought. © deletedis / Reddit

• The tag on the sole says “Gucci HECHO EN MEXICO 1966.” The key part is that they came with their original dark green Gucci box with gold lettering that has some important information on it. The bottom of the box says “Manufacturado por Vomo S.A. DE C.V.” and on the inner lid, it says “Microonda S.A. DE C.V.”
  So, it looks like these companies would’ve been the ones involved in producing Gucci items in Mexico at the time. © deletedis / Reddit

“I thrifted this cute little jewelry holder made out of what I can only guess is an orange peel for $5.”

“I can’t believe it’s real! Local thrift find—For $20??!!! Sold!”

• I cannot understand what I am seeing. © -Cool_Ethan- / Reddit
• This hurts my eyes to look at, but I think that’s why I love it. Haha, nice find! © CL0UDY_BIGTINY / Reddit

“I’ve had my eye out for a small honey pot for a while now. I spotted this and thought it was cute, only to pick it up and see it was Le Creuset! I couldn’t believe the price, either.”

Next time you pass a thrift store, maybe don’t. Walk in and dig around! Your “just browsing” moment could turn into your favorite story to tell forever. And if you’re still in the mood for jaw-dropping real-life surprises, we’ve gathered plenty more unbelievable stories waiting for you in another collection.