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35 Times People Couldn’t Believe Their Luck In Thrift Stores
Thrift stores, flea markets, and garage sales are like Aladdin’s cave: you never know what treasures you’ll find inside. That’s where the Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared Facebook group comes in—it’s a page dedicated to sharing the oddities that people spot in thrift shops. Scroll down to have a look and let us know in the comments which finds caught your attention the most. Oh, and don’t forget to upvote your fave photos!
We know how much you love odd thrift store finds, so when you’re done feasting your eyes on this list, you can find our other newest posts about bizarre secondhand finds right here, here, and here.
Bored Panda reached out to one of the founders of the Weird Secondhand Finds group. They told us all about how the page got started, shared some great insights about the close-knit community, and spoke about the peculiar things that people find in the dark corners of the Earth. Scroll down for our interview with them.
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#1
This Stain Glass Whale Light Measuring 4' Long Was Going To Be Thrown In A Dumpster
It was hanging in a wood shop so it was covered with a thick layer of saw dust. I brought it home and cleaned it up really well and it turned out looking really nice. I love whales and I'm extremely happy to have saved this beautiful one of a kind piece of art from being destroyed. It's in it's forever home!
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#2
My Greatest Thrift Find Ever. When I Bought It I Only Thought The Dots Would Glow. I Was Shocked When I Turned It On!! Best $10 I Ever Spent. Hope House Foundation Thrift Shop, Norfolk Va
#3
My Wonderful 99 Year Old Grandad Is Moving Into A Nursing Home. We Are Cleaning Out His House And I Was Given This, Now One Of My Favourite Possessions
It is a dice that he made while he was a prisoner of war during WWII. Obviously it isn’t up to casino standards but it must have helped to pass the time! Interestingly, despite the very rustic charm of this piece, my grandad is a very talented woodworker, making beautiful carvings and furniture well into his 80s
“My family and friends have always had a love and passion for interesting and unusual things, and we had been texting each other photos of items that we saw (and often purchased) in thrift stores and at yard sales for years. My best friend and I were chatting on Christmas Eve one year and it occurred to us that it might be more fun to share our photos in a Facebook group, rather than via text so that it would be easier to go back and see what each of us had found, and to have a record of what we had seen through the years,” one of the founders told us about how things first got started.
“It really all started as a gathering place intended for our friends and family but we left it as an open group purely because it never occurred to us that anyone outside of our circle would share this odd interest we have.”
#4
I Went Thrifting And Did Not Expect To Find This Year’s “Easter Dress” In All Its Glory Hanging Before Me!!!!!
What the fluffle (that’s the term for a group of rabbits btw)!!??!! I am tickled pink...And blue...And purple over my sweet find!!!You’d better believe I’m wearing this bad boy as I hop along to church, to teach, to walmart, pump gas and to the grave!! $6.99 goodwill Williamsburg, VA
#5
I Found This Old TV When Cleaning Out In The Attic In My Grandma's House
They put in under a blanket to keep it away from dust and I think it has been there for over 40 years. Instead of throwing it away I took it with me and built a bar. You can store 12 bottles in it and turn on the light with the original on/off button hope you like it
#6
My Granny Had Given Me My First Crystal Cat When I Was Roughly In The 4th Grade (Mid 90's)
My mom flipped a switch after my parents divorced and ended up in jail, eventually prison. Not many things survived my childhood. One thing I made sure I kept safe and hidden was this crystal cat. Always in my socks, inside a sock, inside a sock, a little nesting doll of sorts. My Granny was my everything, she raised me. My mom passed away almost 4 years ago, then my Granny a year later. I rarely wander Goodwill in the "knick knack" section, something drew me towards it today and I found my third crystal cat! (Second kitty was also found at a different Goodwill about two years ago. ) It's not much, but it makes me think of how far I've come out of the darkness and my beautiful Granny everytime I catch a glimpse of those kitties
The co-founder said that slowly but surely others started to join the group. “I panicked for a moment but then I thought, ‘Heck, it will be intriguing to see what other people have to share. Why not?’ Originally, we expected to have about a dozen members; when strangers started joining, we thought maybe we’d get to a hundred. Now, three years later, we’re approaching the two million-member mark!" The group currently has over 1,875,000 members.
“Who knew that what we all thought was a niche hobby actually has a huge passionate community behind it that just needed a clubhouse to gather in? Witnessing how people connect in this group is what keeps us passionate about running it,” they said. “I personally put between thirty and forty hours a week into moderating the group but every time I see how much joy it brings people, I’m reminded why it’s worth doing all the work it takes.”
#7
My Mom Was Born 1939, The Year Snow White Was Released. She Passed Away In March And As I Have Been Cleaning Out Her Home, I Found This Beautiful Blanket Made For Her, By Her Grandmother When She Was Born
Wednesday, June 10th, my daughter had a baby girl, Poppy. I am so happy to pass along such a wonderful heirloom to her made by her great-great-great grandma!
#8
My Collection Of Flower And Bug Brooches
I finally got around to making this display. My original goal was to have it made for my daughter’s first birthday. She’s now 3 and a half. Better late then never! All pieces were found at estate sales and flea markets.
#9
This Is By Far The Coolest Thing I've Ever Found
Left them all there as they need to be bought together, and they are $18 each sadly
According to the co-founder, their favorite thing about the community is how supportive everyone is of other members. “When someone mentions having a bad day, or being ill, or just needing a bit of a morale boost, the community comes out in droves to offer support. We constantly see members lifting each other up, sending each other gifts, and enthusiastically embracing each other's quirks on a daily basis.” Now that’s what we call a wholesome crowd.
“Another wonderful side effect of this community is that it has renewed, and in some cases even sparked, an interest in secondhand shopping for a lot of people. They’re starting to see secondhand stores in a different light. We hear all the time from members who haven’t been thrifting in a long time or have never really been interested in it, and now can’t wait to go out treasure hunting.”
#11
My Husband And I Bought Our House Last December. I Just Noticed The Doorbell Plate Recently. It’s The Four Seasons Depicted, And I Think It’s Pretty Cool!
#12
Went Antiquing In A Small Town (Woodbury, Tn) Today And Found This Completely Adorable Little Fridge Full Of Office Supplies! Yes, That’s Right... Office Supplies!
26 billion pounds of clothing go to the landfill each year and shopping secondhand prevents some of that from happening. Not to mention that you get to score some kitschy goods and amazing threads if you’re lucky.
“Some of the most popular posts in our group are people modeling some marvelous, wacky, and amazing outfits they’ve found. And they somehow always manage to look incredible in them. There are a lot of outfits that people have secretly desired in the past, maybe even tried them on, but ultimately passed them up because they felt silly wearing them,” the founder told Bored Panda.
#13
When Someone Is Selling Their Intricate, One-Of-A-Kind, Hand-Carved African Bed, You Immediately Spend Your Entire Stimulus Check To Bring It Home
From a social distancing-compliant yard sale in Mechanicsville, VA... When someone is selling their intricate, one-of-a-kind, hand-carved african bed, created from teak logs found at the bottom of a kenyan river, you immediately spend your entire stimulus check to bring it home (as I did)
#14
Found This Little Bow Tie At Salvation Army In Vernon Ct. Perfect For My Little Man, Hamilton! Just Lookit Himbs!
#15
I’m Not Sure If This Colorful Whatchamacallit Is A Dress Or A Shirt But I Found It On The Floor At The Local Thrift Store In Lewisville Texas. Yes It’s Came Home With Me, Will Wash It And Y’all Know I’m Going To Rock It!
“Now there’s this whole giant community coveting that jean jacket covered in rhinestones and decoupaged pictures of cats. Items others may have overlooked in the past as being too strange for public consumption, our community fully and wholeheartedly embraces.”
They added: “We wouldn’t want it any other way. It’s truly beautiful to see people celebrating their weird with fervor.”
#16
My Heart Fell In Love. The Second I Saw This Chair I Knew It Was The Perfect Candy Stash Chair... Turns Out It Holds Gummy Bears And Fruit By The Foot Perfectly
#17
Found A Matching Brooch For My Tattoo While Antiquing In The Georgetown Tx Square. I Did Get It For A Whole $22
#18
I Found This Door Knocker At A Jumble Sale Well Over 10 Years Ago
I found this door knocker at a jumble sale well over 10 years ago and shoved him in the shed for a later project, I remembered him last week and figured during lock down he could finally be given the tlc needed. Turns out he's the messenger to the gods (hermes) over 150 years old and quite valuable. He's going on my front door this weekend (before and after pics)
#19
Never In My Life Did I Ever Think I Would Own Something As Beautiful As These Opera Glasses
Never in my life did I ever think I would own something as beautiful as these opera glasses I saw them at an estate sale last week and as soon as I saw them I knew they had to be mine. I’ve been thinking about getting opera glasses for when I see plays as I can only afford the nose bleed seats so it feels like this was meant to be! They work beautifully. I cannot wait to be able to use these gorgeous glasses!
#21
It's A Kinetic "Six Man Clock" Sculpture By Gordon Bradt. It Looked Intricate And Artistic So I Did A Quick Google And Discovered There Are Two On Ebay Listed For $600 (Non-Functioning) And $1250. It Was $20!
My mom invited my sister and I to a "Garage & treasures sale" yesterday and my sister had filled a couple bags but I wasn't finding much... I had already passed this by once (it was hidden by a sheet of instructions taped to the front) but was making a second pass when I lifted the page to see what is was. It's a kinetic "Six man clock" sculpture by gordon bradt. It looked intricate and artistic so I did a quick google and discovered there are two on ebay listed for $600 (non-functioning) and $1250. It was $20! I shoved it into my bag without even checking to see if it worked
#22
Chippo The Hippo
This little guy has been in my hands no less than three times at my go to vintage mall market, in Oakdale NY, however he had a chip on his left ear and the seller wanted a firm 12.00. Yesterday my guy came with me to help me hunt pyrex ( he’s my bowl spotter, lol) and I asked him to also keep an eye out for a hippo.. Who does he find? The hippo with the [butt] ear. He is a cutey and frank promptly started calling him Chippo and insisted on buying him for me. Told me to hit the ear with a sharpie and no one will ever notice. I’d say he’s correct and “Chippo” a Lenox endangered animal series pygmy hippo is now very happy in his new home protecting yet another collection of mine my cornflower blue corning ware lol
#23
Thrifted Plant Stand From Tollbooth Antiques In Columbia Pa. The Guy Made This From Vintage Retro Tables That Came Damaged Or Stained!
#24
Picked Up This Cute Little Chicken With Measuring Spoon Tail Feathers At Goodwill In Palmer, Ma The Other Day For Three Bucks. I Love Her
#25
Here’s One Of My Favorite Antique Finds
We picked up this cabinet of old mail boxes a couple years ago at an antiques and pinball machines show in Illinois. I forget now how old this is, but I think it was from the 60’s. It took some work to get the musty smell out of the cubbies. This thing is heavy!!
#28
One Secondhand Tarot Shower Curtain Launched This Whole Thrifted Costume
Assembled with glue, zip ties, and safety pins, using all thrift store garments and gewgaws, this ensemble came together just in time for a mystery & magic event. Thank you, thrift stores!
#30
My Dad Died Of Cancer A Little Over A Month Ago, And When We Were Cleaning Out His House, I Came Across This Bad Boy, Covered In Dust. It Now Is Proudly Displayed Next To Our Home Bar Area
#31
Found This Spider Pin At A Garage Sale Today For $0.25. Put It On My Shoulder And Scared The Life Out Of My 10 Year Old
#32
We've Always Joked That Our Cat Karen Cant Get Close Enough To Me, Well Tonight Her Dreams Came True
#34
My Absolute Favorite Secondhand Possession. The Brain Lamp
My mom picked this up at a yardsale in the 1970's. It somehow survived in our basement tv room through five kids, a few dogs, and a 500 mile move in the mid 1980"s. After my dad passed in 1997, my mom was downsizing and preparing to move again. In the garage sale pile was The Brain. Gasp! Thankfully I happened to be visiting, snatched it up and it once again made a 500 mile trip home with me. It has since survived an additional four moves, kids, dogs, and grandkids. Over the years I have looked for this lamp on different sites. I have never found a match.
#35
Found This Fabulous Body Central Jumpsuit For $5 At The Habitat For Humanity Restore In Hot Springs, Ar. It’s Too Long, But Came Home With Me Nonetheless. Time To Learn How To Hem A Garment!
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