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35 Times People Bought Ridiculously Cheap Things That Turned Out To Be The Best Purchases
Generally in life, the adage that “you get what you pay for” remains true. But every now and then, either through a lucky good investment or just a second hand seller who doesn’t know what they are doing, people end up striking gold.
Someone asked “What is the cheapest thing you bought that turned out to be very valuable or expensive?” and netizens share their best stories. From lucky cash finds in lost envelopes to folks who got something that ended up being massively popular, get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and be sure to comment your thoughts and experiences below.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
I paid 50 dollars for my Dogs adoption fee. He ended up barking for help when I had a seizure caused by medication.
Priceless puppy!
Donald 1 year ago
This is why I always push people to adopt unless you need the dog to perform a specific task like hunting, livestock guarding or outright protection. Get yourself a nice preowned doggo, you'll save tons of money and they remember. All the kindest, most loyal dogs I've met were rescues.
RELATED:
#2
My dog was a long term resident at the shelter so she was only $10, but she’s so incredibly valuable to me. ❤️🥹.
Daniela Lavanza 1 year ago
Thanks for giving her the comfort of a loving home. Enjoy good times with her, you both deserve them.
Alexandra 1 year ago
Thank you so much for this! We need people like you.
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Monster Munch 1 year ago
Our dog (pictured) was so malnourished, stinky and scared that no one wanted him. He came from Hungary straight to our house in uk - so we never had a chance to meet him before , it was a huge risk . Patience, love and lots of treats worked. Cost us about £350 and a few grey hairs but we love him more than anything
athornedrose 1 year ago
my cat was the same. longtime resident. one of the elderly members of the community regularly paid the adoption fee (secret until you already signed up to adopt) of good pets overlooked because of age or other "unadoptable" traits. love my old boy.
Tracy Wood 1 year ago
So happy you gave him love&a happily,safe home&how sweet of that elderly member of the community ❤
Load More Replies... María Hermida 1 year ago
A lot of people refuse to adopt older dogs, and I cannot understand why. They know they've been rescued and they are tremendously grateful, loyal and friendly. They are calm, they don't destroy stuff and all they need is a good bed, food, short walks in the sun, and a lot of love. I have two foster grannies, mother and daughter. They've had a loveless, joyless life and ended up in the kennels. I wanted the most "unadoptable" dog, and I got two. They've been imprisoned together all their lives, I'm not going to separate them now. They'll be together till the end. They are extremely affectionate creatures. I'll never regret taking them home.
Tracy Wood 1 year ago
You are an absolute angel. Thank You SO much for what you did&your kind heart❤.Wish there were more amazing people towards animals like you
Load More Replies... Just me... 1 year ago
I like to say we got our dog, Tucker, off the "bruised & reduced" rack at the local pound. He had been returned twice and had quite a rap sheet. For the bargain price of $20, we adopted the best dog ever.
Howl's sleeping castle 1 year ago
You have to pay to adopt a pet? I got all my cats (different times) for free from rescue centres
María Hermida 1 year ago
Depends. The non-profit I volunteer for charges a fee, I can't remember exactly now, between 50 and 80 euros. However, before the adoption the dog/cat has a complete check up to make sure it doesn't have any transmissible illnesses, it is dewormed, vaccinated, neutered and microchipped. You get a report on the animal's condition, if s/he has any, so you know exactly what you are taking home, if the animal will need medication, special food, etc. A lot of the dogs and cats have also spent some months in a foster home to make sure they are socialised, at least a little, and to know exactly how the animal reacts to different people and situations, whether they get on well with children, other dogs, cats... Some people complain about the fee, but just neutering is twice as expensive.
Load More Replies... Tracy Wood 1 year ago
You're awesome for giving her a safe,happy&loving home&her love will be worth way more then any monetary value❤🐾
#3
Bought a lottery ticket for $2.
I won about 800k from it
Bought a house with that money and now I work a regular job while saving for retirement.
UpQuarkDownQuark (he/him) 1 year ago (edited)
I’ve bought an average of a couple of $1 lottery tickets a month for about 25 years. Well, it finally paid off. I won $43 last week! And my total investment was only…wait. Dammit!
Salty_Sasquatch 1 year ago
At last someone who knows what to do with the money after winning the lottery.
Hobby Hopper 1 year ago
I'm happy for the OP, but remember when you could buy a home and retire *without* winning the lottery?
Papa 1 year ago
Good for you. I know a guy who won $40,000 on one and used it to buy a new truck (it was a long time ago). After a few years the truck was worn out and he was right back where he started.
Upstaged75 1 year ago
Yeah, that happens because people are stupid with their money. He could have invested instead of blowing it all on something like a truck.
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Nikki Angulo 1 year ago
See, that’s the right way to spend lottery money! Buy a house, (maybe a new vehicle if you need to) and if there’s any left over, put it in savings, or like this person did, but their salary (what they would normally be spending on rent or a mortgage) into savings for retirement!
Macoyote 1 year ago (edited)
Not as valuable, but in 2008, I missed lunch and bought a snickers bar to keep me going until dinner. Noticed red letters inside the wrapper so I saved it to research later. It was a contest to win a trip to the 2009 Super Bowl with various lesser prises of NFL merchandise, gift cards, etc. I won an all expense paid trip for two that included a week in Orlando and Tampa, Disney World, Universal Studios, dinner with Michal Strahan, brunch before the game with Merle Hodge, the EA Sports Super Bowl party, fabulous accommodations, lemo's, autographs, souvenirs, you name it. It was fabulous! Thank you Mars Candy Company.
#4
After my office chair broke, I was going to go to a cheap furniture store (the range) to get another crappy chair for €150, which was the most I could spend at the time. But on the way there I stopped by a second hand furniture store in my town, and they had a sturdy looking office chairs (steel wheel frame instead of plastic, fairly comfy, seemed like they'll last some time), for €50. I bought one, and few months later decided to look up what kind of chair is it. Turns out it's a Herman Miller Mirra 2, which seem to retail for around **€1300 more** than I paid.
Angrywolf 1 year ago
Had almost the same experience!, Got a chair from "marktplaats" {Dutch on-line second hand marketplace} for just a bar of chocolate, Turns out it's a H.A.G credo and they used to cost more than 750€!
Cosmikid 1 year ago
Me too! Went into our Savers - they had 4 office chairs- all middling- and one great looking one. Sat on it- it was soaking wet; seat full of water. That was why it was there- and nobody wanted it. I... dried it out! Fancy that! Paid $10 - retails over $1,000. I smile about that .
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Giulio Verdekiwi 1 year ago
never save on chair if you do an office job. you'll pay back in medical bills
#5
My boyfriend bought me a cheap graphics tablet for maybe $50 or something. He knew that I loved to draw. With this tablet, I found a job as an artist and made my dream come true.
AppleInMyHeart 1 year ago
yes.. this is me! i started out like this..then opened an online drawing class...then became an illustrator!
The Cute Cat 1 year ago
Last year I bought a Lenovo yoga L390 for $300 for my kids to study. That thing is actually work better then my new laptop that I use to work.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 year ago
You don't "have" to have talent! You can practice and gain skill in drawing/art! While yes, some people just have artistic talent "out of the box", you absolutely CAN learn to draw! <3
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nala simba 1 year ago (edited)
This one needs instructions on how to hold a pencil! That looks very painful.
#6
My daughter bought a painting for $0.50 at a thrift shop and found an envelope with $1,000 in back of it.
detective miller's hat 1 year ago
When my old neighbour died, his relatives found a stack of "thrift store paintings" (what they said) in his garage. One of them turned out to be an original Renoir.
People lie carbs dont 1 year ago
Awe snap haha ! That stuff never happens to me 😂! But still , looks like the good lord def. Provided her a nice blessing ! Pretty cool !
Ray LeBlanc 1 year ago
Darn Now I remember where I put that envelope of money , two days before my wife gave the painting away.
#7
Only cost me like £20 to marry my wife. There is nothing else I will ever have that is more valuable to me than her.
The best things in life are (nearly) free.
Auntriarch 1 year ago
Hehe, I paid the licence fee (300 dirhams), Mr Auntriarch turned out to be very good value!🥰
Michael Largey 1 year ago
When my wife was a kid, her mother used to joking say to her children when they acted up "I'm going to put you on the street corner and sell you for a dime!" When she gave my wife away at our wedding, I gave her a dime in payment. It was minted in the city where I was born and in the year my wife was. My mil had a hole bored through it and wore it with a chain as a necklace.
Toothless Feline 1 year ago
Spouse and I went the cheap route on our wedding. Held it at my parents’ church (which I had grown up in), had reception in the church’s parish hall with cold cuts and snack trays (midafternoon so no call for a full meal), no bar (church wouldn’t have allowed it anyway), my parents paid for the rehearsal dinner, spouse’s mom made the dresses (both bride and MOH), a single attendant on each side. If you don’t include what we spent on the rings, we actually made more in cash gifts than we spent on the wedding.
no adhesiveness 2020 1 year ago
I hate to break it to any of you, while you are happy with your purchase, you are missing a TON of expenses!
María Hermida 1 year ago
Unfortunately, in real life you need the "worthless" piece of paper for many important things. For example, if one of you is very sick the other one cannot take any decisions. Without that piece of paper, for the law you are just flatmates.
Load More Replies... #8
$25 notary fee to get out of the Mormon church.
Lord of the laserprinter. 1 year ago
For tax reasons, same here in Germany you pay church tax in your faith and if you want to become godless heathen and no longer pay taxes you have to have to notarise it.
trollingergirl 1 year ago
Administrative fee approx. 20-30 euros in some German federal states for leaving the church at the responsible registry office - at the authority, because the church tax is collected by the state. Verwaltungsgebühr ca. 20-30 Euro in manchen deutschen Bundesländern für den Kirchenaustritt beim zuständigen Standesamt - bei der Behörde, weil die Kirchensteuer vom Staat eingezogen wird.
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Tamra 1 year ago (edited)
Wish there was more info on this. Why would one need a notarized document stating they're no longer a member of a church?
Monster Munch 1 year ago
That is one of the hallmarks of a high-demand, authoritarian religious group such as Mormons, JW, Ultra-Orthodox Jews, and Muslims. There are no physical restraints by the high demand religions, but the pressures and or consequences, whether stated or not are real to the person considering leaving. Barriers make sense for those churches. I think the mormon church is claiming there has been too much fraud so the requirement was necessary. Who knows if that’s true or they just want to make it harder on those leaving.
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People lie carbs dont 1 year ago
You mean to get out of a cult …. That’s what Mormonism is…
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People lie carbs dont 1 year ago
It’s a cult. That’s the least shocking of what goes on in the Mormon cult , honestly
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jonesnori 1 year ago
That's an expensive notary fee! When I was a New York notary, the fees were regulated and hadn't been updated in decades. They were more like 50 cents.
María Hermida 1 year ago
50 cents for a notary fee? That was when Triceratops roamed the Earth!
Load More Replies... Daniela Lavanza 1 year ago
Wait, OP has to pay to change his faith?!? Is this an American joke I'm too European to get?
People lie carbs dont 1 year ago
Amen !!! Alwyss glad when people are able to get out of those cults. It’s really sad how so many people don’t realize what really goes on within those groups … and sadly , many people who claim to be followers of Jesus / God think Mormonism is just some sort of Christian like denomination or whatever and while Mormons claim to worship Jesus / God, they do not serve the lord and instead are indoctrinated to adhere to many many false beliefs and practices that are flat out abominations against God and blasphemous , entirely .. the Book of Mormon is completely false and goes against the word of God and sorry, not trying to get into a huge lecture here , but people should def. Research what rewlly goes on within that group , especially in their temples and with practices such as baptizing dead people by proxy using children as stand ins, as well as the entire doctrine that they follow and all the free masonry types of secrecy & ceremonies/ rituals. Anything against God is of Satan.
Mare Freed 1 year ago
I used to be a notary public. The most I could charge was $5. I didn't renew when the time came.
#9
Bought a first edition of The Shining by Stephen King for $1 at a local library sale and sold it for $500 a few years later.
Kombatbunni 1 year ago
I have a signed copy of Salem’s Lot that I scored for a whole $10 from a local charity shop.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 year ago
I am just SO jealous. XD Stephen King is my favorite author XD My dad gave me my first King book when I was 10 (in my dad's defense, he had no idea King was a horror writer at the time, he just knew I loved to read so he chose the book by its page count/thickness, lol!)
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Zephyr343 1 year ago
My dad got an old cabinet from my great grandpa under the condition that he "also took those books with him." Apparently it's a complete set of first edition Edgar Allan Poe. My dad took showed his uncle who owned an antique book store. His uncle said "I have never seen a complete set of these." If they're actually worth anything, I don't know--maybe more sentimental than anything.
Babs McGurk 1 year ago
Several years ago I learned that Margaret Atwood was coming to the campus where I work for a lecture and book signing. I bought a first edition copy of "The Handmaid's Tale" online, and asked her to sign it for me. I haven't had it appraised, but it's gotta be worth more than the $20 I paid for it.
Emma London 1 year ago
I have the first edition of Segal's Love Story for free from the local charity shop. Probably not worth much, but it's nice to own.
Wendell T Sasaki 1 year ago
Fantastic. When I was a Kid I bought 2 copies of Conan The Barbarian comic book for $1.00. Now supposedly they are worth $500.00 each.
#10
Saved up $150 for a Roomba. They accidentally sent me the model that was $700 at the time. 6 years later and David still works perfectly fine.
#11
I went to an auction last year, looking for tools. They had an old busted up jukebox. I had no interest in it. They started bidding at $500 before going down to $25. I bid and no one else did. Dragged it home and was trying to figure out what I was going to do with it. A jukebox broker I had chatted with before the auction got a hold to see if I ended up buying it. He then gave me $2k for it. I owned it for about a week.
Brian Droste 1 year ago (edited)
Even if you bought it for $500 you still would have come out ahead.
Ken Beattie 1 year ago
I love auctions. Went to one purely to accompany a friend who was hoping to buy some things. They had a disassembled table (like a semi-fancy office table) that no one bid on. The auctioneer got zero interest even when he said "just make an offer". So I said $5 and won it. It wasn't the complete table, but I bought a pair of $10 legs and it's still doing the job 15 years later.
Javelina Poppers 1 year ago
I bought a miniature windmill for $100 at an auction on a whim. Stood about 2 foot high and was a perfect replica with a metal frame and miniature nuts and bolts holding it together. It disassembled easily and went into a leather covered box with velvet lining and the name WOODMANSE was painted on the tail. Turns out that I had bought a "salesman's sample" windmill of the Woodmanse Manufacturing Company that went out of business in 1929. I sold it on eBay to a collector for $8500. I still chuckle when I recall one of the bidders at the auction asking me, "Why would you spend $100 on a kid's toy?"
#12
I took the cheapest art class at a local art school for "continuing ed". It wasn't cheap but relative to the others it was, anyway it got me so invested I ended up using the skills professionally and personally, made some great friends and boosted my confidence.
People lie carbs dont 1 year ago
That’s very special and perhaps among one of the most rewarding / best gifts one can receive , making friends and gaining confidence ! God bless you and congrats ! I’m happy for you and the blessings you’ve received & hope you have many wonderful memories to come!
#13
Not me, but my friend's grandmother was at a yard sale and bought a framed sketch cause she thought it looked neat. Turned out to be a genuine Picasso sketch. No idea what it was worth, but she paid like a dollar for it. I should also add that his grandmother was already filthy rich, so she just hung it up and was like "meh, that's neat".
Wintermute 1 year ago
It's surprising how often people still find original Picasso art. He was very prolific and gave a lot of stuff away - prints and sketches specifically. Definitely worth keeping an eye out for.
Fester Sixonesixonethree 1 year ago
And there are still two warehouses stuffed to the rafters with works no one has ever seen!
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Ronstantin 1 year ago
Has anyone else travelled both the lines with their eyes? (Couldn't resist) 😄
Claire Cotts 1 year ago
hmmmm….this piece is actually in France, in a museum, if you do a Google search, it comes up.
Nikole 1 year ago
It’s just an example of a Picasso sketch, not the one the grandmother actually purchased.
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#14
I purchased a tiny glass bird at a yard sale for .25 cent. Turned out be a signed hand blown Mirano piece that I sold on ebay for $800.
KnightOwl 1 year ago
While you can buy lots of murano pieces for very reasonable prices they do sell more expensive pieces too, some cost thousands. I have about a dozen murano pieces myself ranging from a £20 necklace to a £150 vase.
Load More Replies... #15
I got a box of vinyl records from a family friend. Went on Discogs to add them to my existing collection.
One was an original press of some obscure folk musician. Apparently pretty rare. They were going anywhere from $300-$900. I had a guy message me asking for photos/videos. I sent him some, he asked the price, I said name me an offer. He said $500, I said sold. He was a mega fan and super happy, and I was happy to have $500.
nomnomborkbork 1 year ago
That's fantastic! I'd better go through the eight boxes of vinyls I've got...
Trisec Tebeakesse 1 year ago
I inherited my Grandpa's collection when he passed. In it was a first pressing of "Meet the Beatles" as well as Miles Davis "Kind of Blue". I personally own an unopened 12" special edition purple Purple Rain, which represents the bulk of my retirement investments.
Karl 1 year ago
In the 80s, I bought a box of white label promo 45s in a charity shop for 25p. Forgot about them until when the pandemic hit and I lost my job. I looked through my record collection for something to sell and found those discs. Turns out they were incredibly rare Nothern Soul classics - sold three of them for nearly £1000. Thank you charity shop bargain!
Aud (formerly Spooky) 1 year ago
I've got lots of old jazz/swing/big band records from the '20s-'40s, and I listen to them all the time! It feels so cool to listen to music that's about a hundred years old, and existed long before even my parents were born!
JNDauterive 1 year ago
My mother was a classical music maestro that started a local public radio station where she was a beloved DjJfor many years. When she died, my father immediately GAVE away her 60 year collection of vinyl. I showed up when the guy was hauling it off in his truck. I later talked with a company that said it was probably worth at least $20K but worst of all, I never got a single album before it was gone.
Tracy Wood 1 year ago
Oh no! That sux,I'm SO sorry that happened. Why would your dad give them all away?😔
Load More Replies... #16
I brought a small glass orb for ~$25 at a street fair as I thought it was cool. For four years it was sitting on my desk, a client came into my office and stated if it was authentic it is valuable. Appraised over $10K - not on my desk any longer.
Gen X Feral 1 year ago
Probably Saint Louis crystal, those things go for a lot if they're especially old.
ERMAHGERD DINOSAURS 1 year ago
I have a TIL calendar this year, and a few days ago, it said “a perfect ball of glass will bounce higher than a ball of rubber.” Glad I didn’t own this and risk that seal because I’ve wanted to try it sense 😂
René Sauer 1 year ago
Wow, so much money for a glass ball? What´s better about them then what other people/companies can produce that makes them worth so much?
#17
Once bought a box load of Christmas decorations at an auction house for $40. It was full of gold, silver, crystal and hand blown glass decorations from harrods and other fancy stores. I'm in New Zealand so they came half way round the world.
nomnomborkbork 1 year ago
These are the most exciting kinds of finds--buy a box full of stuff and find a treasure.
SadFatTortilla 1 year ago
Those hand blown glass ones can be pretty pricey too. What a great score
#18
I used to buy comic books for less than a dollar when I was a kid back in the 80s. I think most were like $.60. Anyway, my current collection is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars because I also bought those plastic bags and acid free cardboard backs and all of them are in mint condition.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 year ago
I have boxes of comics from when I was a kid in the 80s/90s too! Unfortunately I wasn't as smart as OP and I re-read my favorites frequently XD I put them in the protective bags eventually, but the wear and tear damage was already done XD However, some of the comics I bought in my 20s (in the early 2000s) I DID keep in mint condition, and some are hard-to-find now and I've been able to sell a few for decent money. It's worth checking out the value of your collection! ...the ones that you can manage to part with, anyway XD
Load More Replies... Wintermute 1 year ago
I just sold hundreds of dollars worth of comics that I bought back in the 90s. Got $50 for them, and that was still generous. Timing is everything.
LadyRougarou 1 year ago
I had a first edition of Spawn in mint condition but my ex shredded it 😭🤬 if I ever see him again I'd probably punch his face
Calvin Smelliott 1 year ago
I started buying comics in April 1985, Uncanny X-Men 195. I started buying back issues around the same time, collected for 25 years, and kept them bagged and boarded to protect them. Then, my house burned down. I got reimbursed by my insurance company but it was such a huge loss of my childhood. I've replaced them, but wish I still had those originals.
Ronna Black 1 year ago
Had boxes of cmics, in the bags from the 70’s and 80’s. An X-men 101. The first X-men appearance of the Phoenix. All lost in a flood. Makes me sad. My dad, bless his pointed head tried to dry them out for me… but they were never the same again.
Author SJ Baily 1 year ago
I bought comics and read them over and over and over. They are torn and some are moldy, but I enjoyed the heck out of them when I was a kid. Seems like that's the point of life. Read the darn comic book.
Mandy Delaforce (PC Girl) 1 year ago
OMG. I used to buy english comic books but then would throw them away once I'd read them... I should have kept them.
Danish Susanne 1 year ago
I have MAD Magazines from 1973 and forwards, but none in mint condition, because they have all been read more than once and been stored haphazardly the times I have moved. I guess that the entire collection may be worth about 100 DKK
#19
A book by Don Miguel Ruiz called, “The Four Agreements.” $12.99 at Barnes and Noble.
The book sums up 4 life lessons to live by and ever since reading it, I can honestly say I’ve been a much happier person with little to no stress in my life.
For those who don’t want to read between the lines, the 4 agreements are:
Don’t take things personally.
Don’t make assumptions.
Be impeccable with your word.
Always do your best.
Comfortably Numb 1 year ago
I read this, and a practice I worked for used the 4 agreements as work policy. They said always do your best, your best will change from day to day, you may not be very productive one day. But as long as you're doing the best of your ability for that day, you're doing you best.
Thee8thsense 1 year ago
One of the nicest compliments I have ever received was from a friend who had just read this book and told me I was an example of someone who practices these agreements. Makes my heart smile even now, just remembering it.
Rahul Pawa 1 year ago
QTIP! (Quit Taking It Personally!) --- and the third one reminds me of this phrase: "say what you mean, mean what you say, and don't say it mean."
El Cucuy 1 year ago
Agreed. I read it a few times a year. Should be required reading for all humans.
Load More Replies... Bella Sennei 1 year ago
Oh, that's nice. "Don't make assumptions" should be written e v e r y w h e r e. In the "age of the internet" this is one of the biggest problems. Everyone just makes assumptions and I absolutely hate it.
#20
Maybe not *cheap* but in 2012 I bought two bottles of high-quality bourbon (Pappy's) for $250 each as I knew it was popular and reputed to be good, and I wanted to try it.
I drank one bottle over the course of the next year, but saved the other. Well that remaining bottle is now worth in the vicinity of $5k and I'm very hesitant to actually drink it.
Marcellus II 1 year ago
Yeah it's not $5K good, and people will realise eventually, so better sell in the next few years.
eric p 1 year ago (edited)
Pappys was one of the worst bourbons I have ever tried. The guy who brought it tried to tell me the intense burn in your throat was a "good" thing. Save your money and buy something much better and cheaper like Blantons or Four Roses
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eric p 1 year ago
Pappys was one of the worst bourbons I have ever tried. The guy who brought it tried to tell me the intense burn in your throat was a "good" thing. Save your money and buy something much better and cheaper like Blantons or Four Roses
Comfortably Numb 1 year ago
Was it cheap because of the great whisky heist?!? Cool story on Netflix's dirty money
Mark Hastings 1 year ago
Found a bottle of Blanton's at small liquor store for $69. Took it home and found a bottle of Blanton's Silver in the box. No idea how a $1500 bottle of Blanton's ended up in a standard Blanton's box. Drank the bourbon, it was okay. Sold the empty bottle for $300.
#21
Bought a nice beach painting in a thrift store in Florida.
The artist was Alfred Hair https://www.floridahighwaymenpaintings.com/highwaymen/alfred-hair/
Of the Florida Highwaymen https://backusmuseum.org/highwaymen
The painting is a twin to one that hangs in the National Gallery. https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/highwaymen-segregation-era-florida-artists-sold-and-often-painted-roadside
More importantly to me is that the purchase led to me meeting and making friends with several of the Highwaymen. .
#22
I bought a bra for a girl when I was 16, cost about $18 I think. Well, 25 years and two kids later we joke about it every now and then, and I still think about my idiot self as a teen thinking I'd get to take that bra off some day if I was lucky.
Auntriarch 1 year ago
A lady should never accept from a gentleman a gift of clothing that she would not permit him to remove from her person.... Miss Manners
#23
1) studying for finals in college December 1989 I bought a six pack of Diet Pepsi....won a free 2L and the brand new Nintendo game boy (all for spending about $2.75) 2) bought a barely worn pair of Prada Mary Jane's at a thift store in Chelsea NYC for $40. They were going for $800 brand new 2) bought a Russian fox fur hat for $12 At a thrift store...retaiing for $1200 4) won a lot of 6 silver necklaces at auction for $9.25....one was a vintage Tiffany and Co. worth about $300 5) found an inch long pin on the ground going out to catch a bus....cleaned it up, 18k Tiffany and Co. bumblebee pin with ruby eyes. My late father always said, "I'd rather be lucky than good," and that is my motto as well!
ERMAHGERD DINOSAURS 1 year ago
If I could have even one story that cool, I would be Willing to gamble once. DO NOT go with a casino with me. Lucky overall for important stuff and comically unlucky for random misfortune.
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The Darkest Timeline 1 year ago
Why would anyone “rather be lucky than good”? Luck is random while skill is more consistent. The better you are, the luckier you get.
River wolf (she/her) 1 year ago
Oh, this reminded me of: thought I saw a quarter in the road, picked it up, half dollar coin worth $75. My cousin offered me 5 for it, that’s what told me it was valuable.
#24
I won U2's first single, 1000 of which were released only in Ireland in 1979 and hand-numbered, from the radio show competition that determined which track would be on the A-side. Had I paid for it, it would have been £1.49. Today I'm negotiating selling it for between $3000-$5000. Not too shabby.
Alexa Poli-Scheigert 1 year ago
I had two copies of the original 7” Beastie Boys record that they recorded when they were a hardcore band. Alas, I was robbed. They’re worth at least two grand a piece. Bought them for a dollar each
#25
Nothing crazy but years ago I was throwing a mad hatter tea party for my daughter and decided to get teacups at the thrift store so kids could take them home after if they wanted. Found a set of 11 cups and saucers for $0.99 each and loved them. I’d wanted mismatched for the kids but loved the design I bought them for myself. Tried to search them online to see if I could find a 12th and maybe a tea/coffee pot/carafe and found them listed individually for around $20-40 and the pots for over $150. Didn’t ever buy the 12th and with my luck they’re full of lead but still pretty.
geezeronthehill 1 year ago
Lead test kits should be available from your county extension agent,, or equivalent, depending on your country.
Hime 1 year ago
You can go online and do a pattern identification search on Google. There are websites that specialize in finding ones and twos of the pattern you own so you can replace one if broken/lost/etc.
Ken Beattie 1 year ago
They may or may not have luck. I recently discovered a full set of crockery that belonged to my Grandmother (given by her to my Mum) and tried to find the pattern. Even with the name of the maker and their makers mark we could identify the rough year but couldn't match the pattern.
Load More Replies... Salty_Sasquatch 1 year ago
That's a much better take-home toy from a kid's party then a bunch of candy and toys from the dollar store! And a great idea for a party.
Kraneia The Dancing Dryad 1 year ago
If you haven't already checked, try Replacements Ltd. They're out of NC and might be able to help.
#26
A late 17th century printing of Ben Jonson's play "The Alchemist", found at a thrift store for fifty cents.
The Original Bruno 1 year ago
Fake. Read the quotation from Lucret. They didn't have Priuses in the 17th century.
Sam Juan 1 year ago
I know you're joking, but for anyone else who missed it, the quotation roughly translates to "ask for the crown from before none had veiled the times".
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Lee Hubbard 1 year ago
Another definition of "prius" is : Cultural Impact: The Prius has left a lasting impact on popular culture.
Load More Replies... #27
Mountain Dew limited edition flavors. Picked up a bunch of 20oz bottles and cases of 12 oz cans around 2005 after seeing collectors pay a lot for discontinued Surge and such. Ended up selling most for $100-200 apiece about a year ago. Ended up using most of the money to fix my drywall and carpet after most of the cans exploded.
Danish Susanne 1 year ago
Oh I don't know that. He has a brand new carpet and a new drywall
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Ken Beattie 1 year ago
He never said he was sad, and from the sound of it even after fixing the damage he still made a small profit. So slight win I guess...
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Traveling Lady Railfan 1 year ago
Had the same thing happen with the Simpsons Cola and Orange flavor sodas (not lemon lime or root beer) purchased in Canada, 2003. No sign of wear on the can, no hole you can see, bit the liquid seeped out and stained the carpet.
#28
I bought a sealed set of the Burger King gold Pokemon cards for like 40$. The person gave me a HUGE binder also full of like 1st gen original cards. I've sold some of the cards and made a couple grand and still have plenty.
Gypsy Lee 1 year ago
My brother’s friend gave us all the Burger King Pokémon ball things back in the day, for our son. He’s a packrat, & they’re still sitting in a box in their boxes in our storage. Never opened. Just sitting there. Some are multiples. I figure he’ll remember them when he has to sort our stuff after we’re gone. 🤣
#29
I once bought a bag of chips and there was this event on their company where they put random amounts of money in random bags and I bough the bag for like a buck and won 100 pretty worth ngl.
Leona 1 year ago
In the 90's, Walkers (Lays) crisps had promotions where there was genuinely cash in the packets. The cash was sealed in plastic packages.
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#30
I got a bag for 10 bucks at a thrift store which would cost like 200 in an actual store.
Tamra 1 year ago
I used to shop at thrift stores way back before the days when antique dealers and re-sellers started emptying them out on a regular basis. I miss those days.
Auntriarch 1 year ago
I overheard a pair of dealers outside a British Heart Foundation shop planning to get a discount on a Noritake coffee set (which was already a damn good price). I was so angry I went into the shop and pointed them out to the woman behind the till.
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Gemma Gilbert 1 year ago
I bought two Eskandar jackets from a charity shop for £10.00. When I tried them on at home they both still had their tags and Harrods tags on them. To buy them from Harrods would have cost me over £1500.
Jahl 1 year ago (edited)
I bought a Vera Bradley duffle bag that it was only sold at Disneyland and sold for around $200 without the set. The set cost around $800.. I got lucky and bought it out of thrift store for $20. Thought about selling it and someone asked me if I would take $10 because it's only a bag 🙄. Yeah, Only a bag that was limited edition, sold only once and only at Disneyland for $200 I still have it because I'll never be able to get this bag again. Never use it for anything other than a few pieces of clothing and it sits on a shelf looking pretty.
#31
Bought a comic for 2 bucks from a Lyft driver cleaned it pressed it then sent it to get pressed again and graded at cgc worth 2k last time I checked.
Sheila who? 1 year ago
They reconditioned a comic twice, once themselves, once by having someone else press the wrinkles out, then sent it to a grading serving,CGC, which grades comic books by an industry standard I assume. It is a rather dishonest way of taking a not so valuable comic and getting it graded higher. To be able to sell for more money. It happens with paper currency, and coins which are cleaned.
Load More Replies... #32
Bought a McIntosh receiver and speakers at a garage sale for $500 total. They were from the 90s.
Most likely were $10-$20k brand new.
#33
Got into the Game Stop short squeeze pretty early. Made several thousand dollars without any work or contributing to society. It was nice. I felt like a banker for a short time lording over the peasents I wish I would have had more liquid money at the time to buy more :/.
Sara Frazer 1 year ago
Oh man, I had a coworker at my last job who was in this, he sold his stock for like $2000 because he thought that was pretty good. Next day he woke up and saw the stocks were now worth a lot more, I don't remember the exact number but it was seven figures. He was kicking himself forever
The Darkest Timeline 1 year ago
Trying to time the market is a fools errand.
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Ken Beattie 1 year ago
I just wish I'd bought Nvidia shares in January. Was seriously thinking about it but didn't have the spare cash (and didn't want to take out a loan). Could have doubled my money in a month.
#34
I bought a lot of Nintendo DS / 3DS games for either retail or $10-$20 at p**n stores in the mid 2010's. Now the least expensive ones are going $75+, some over $500. No, I am not going to sell them. A few years ago I also got about $200 worth of Lego sets (new in the box/ still sealed) for $25.
Gustav Gallifrey 1 year ago
Because BP is utterly paranoid that someone will see a 'bad' word here, and instantly develop an insatiable and destructive desire to acquire/misuse/do whatever that word refers to, and blame BP because that's where they saw the 'bad' word, and then they'll sue BP for millions. Yes, it's stupid, but that's why.
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Verena 1 year ago
One of the most amazings things I experienced: In 2007 I sold some Sierra and LucasArts games from the early to mid 90s. They were complete, most boxes in good to moderate condition. People paid more for the used ones than I paid originally.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 year ago (edited)
OMG! I LOVED Sierra and LucasArts games as a kid in the 90s. My personal favorites were the Hero's Quest/Quest for Glory series (Sierra) and the Monkey Island series (LucasArts). I WISH I still had my copies! I still have the "copy protection" wheel-thing ("Dial-a-Pirate") from the first Monkey Island game, but I doubt that is worth much on its own XD
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Mandy Delaforce (PC Girl) 1 year ago
Jesus. P a w n is NOT a swear word!!
Load More Replies... #35
About 6.5 NVDA shares at $141.
What do you think ?
Steve Hall 1 year ago
I use to search a lot of yard sales to supply my Ebay hobby. One Saturday I found 32 troy ounces ingots for $10, the seller said they were fake. They were not fake, they were .999 pure silver. Valued at over $600 at the time.
Sleepy Panda 1 year ago
Please fix the app. Posts like these are not displaying properly on iPhone, it doesn't display the text for the picture and when you go to reddit then come back your app crashes, repeatedly. It's been happening for about 10 days.
PixxelDust 1 year ago
Got my dress for formal at a 2nd-hand shop for $70, searched it up and it went for around $1800 while it was being sold (it's also not being sold anymore). Plus, it's gorgeous and fits me well!
Stannous Flouride 1 year ago
I bought this chair from a guy on the street for $50. It turned out to be an early Pedro Friedeburg one (He did the giant hand chairs in the 60s) I sold it through an auction house for $5K. About two weeks later my daughter called and asked if I could give her $1K because her tuition at NYU had gone up. "By how much?" I asked. "$4800" Oh well, easy come, easy go. 286_1_520_...fb6b7f.jpg 
Apollo 1 year ago
I like collecting old books. Among my collection is a 2nd edition hard cover copy of King Of The Wind it's worth 100+. Will I sell it? No King of The Wind was my favorite book growing up I found it at a second hand shop a few years ago and paid about 30 for it. I also have a 3rd edition of Stedman's Poetical Works Complete, it was printed on an actual printing press in 1878 and the copy I have has multiple small printing mistakes and the pages were cut wonky
Lene 1 year ago
My grandfather's wife's little sister was adopted to some other family and met her bio-siblings when she was an adult. My mom and I once visited her and.... turns out she was the widow of a famous American painter called Walter Williams. She let me pick a painting as a present. For free. And I'e seen on auction sites that this series of paintings that I got one from, goes for way over 1000 us dollars now. So... that painting is sorta my emergency savings. Lol.
Bobert Robertson 1 year ago
I bought a spot on a mission trip to Mexico and met my wife. As far as I'm concerned that is the greatest return on investment!
h to da izzle 1 year ago
once bought an old squier bass guitar from a very old man. i needed a new bass and he was willing to let it go for about 100 Euros. Few years and a lot of research later i was able to sell it of for 600 Euro because it as some rare production model from the early squier days.
Steve Hall 1 year ago
I use to search a lot of yard sales to supply my Ebay hobby. One Saturday I found 32 troy ounces ingots for $10, the seller said they were fake. They were not fake, they were .999 pure silver. Valued at over $600 at the time.
Sleepy Panda 1 year ago
Please fix the app. Posts like these are not displaying properly on iPhone, it doesn't display the text for the picture and when you go to reddit then come back your app crashes, repeatedly. It's been happening for about 10 days.
PixxelDust 1 year ago
Got my dress for formal at a 2nd-hand shop for $70, searched it up and it went for around $1800 while it was being sold (it's also not being sold anymore). Plus, it's gorgeous and fits me well!
Stannous Flouride 1 year ago
I bought this chair from a guy on the street for $50. It turned out to be an early Pedro Friedeburg one (He did the giant hand chairs in the 60s) I sold it through an auction house for $5K. About two weeks later my daughter called and asked if I could give her $1K because her tuition at NYU had gone up. "By how much?" I asked. "$4800" Oh well, easy come, easy go. 286_1_520_...fb6b7f.jpg
Apollo 1 year ago
I like collecting old books. Among my collection is a 2nd edition hard cover copy of King Of The Wind it's worth 100+. Will I sell it? No King of The Wind was my favorite book growing up I found it at a second hand shop a few years ago and paid about 30 for it. I also have a 3rd edition of Stedman's Poetical Works Complete, it was printed on an actual printing press in 1878 and the copy I have has multiple small printing mistakes and the pages were cut wonky
Lene 1 year ago
My grandfather's wife's little sister was adopted to some other family and met her bio-siblings when she was an adult. My mom and I once visited her and.... turns out she was the widow of a famous American painter called Walter Williams. She let me pick a painting as a present. For free. And I'e seen on auction sites that this series of paintings that I got one from, goes for way over 1000 us dollars now. So... that painting is sorta my emergency savings. Lol.
Bobert Robertson 1 year ago
I bought a spot on a mission trip to Mexico and met my wife. As far as I'm concerned that is the greatest return on investment!
h to da izzle 1 year ago
once bought an old squier bass guitar from a very old man. i needed a new bass and he was willing to let it go for about 100 Euros. Few years and a lot of research later i was able to sell it of for 600 Euro because it as some rare production model from the early squier days.
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