Thrift stores are havens that everyone loves. There’s nothing like hitting one up on a quiet afternoon and sifting through junk to see what you can find. There’s a lot of truth to the saying that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and thrift stores are living proof of that.
You can find everything from wedding dresses to salt shakers, but the finds get even weirder and more fascinating. Just take the story of Teri Horton. In 1992, she paid $5 for a piece of thrift store art that she liked. It turned out to be a possible Jackson Pollock painting with a possible worth of as much as $140 million.
Horton spent the last 27 years haggling over what she says is a “fair price” for the painting, even turning down $9 million from a Saudi art collector.
While most of us will never be quite that lucky, we can still find some amazing things at thrift stores. Tucked away between kitschy knick-knacks are some of the best and most beautiful items — some for mere cents.
Here are 60 of the best thrift store, flea market, and garage sale finds.
When this man stumbled across this portrait in a thrift shop, he knew there was something familiar about it. The subject looks just like him, down to the red sweater and the black glasses.
This poster’s wife found a lovely red chair in great condition. Little did she know that she wasn’t buying a chair. She was buying a royal throne for a very pleased cat.
When they first found this little bamboo stick, they weren’t sure what it was. It turns out, it’s a piece of art that’s entirely handmade, down to every detail. The poster paid $1 for it.
4. An actual autographed copy of “The Old Man and the Sea”
This poster’s uncle found a copy of The Old Man and the Sea at a garage sale for $2. He opened it to find an inscription — from Ernest Hemingway himself. It’s not only worth a lot of money, but it’s also a beautiful historical find.
5. This wedding dress worth 60 times what the bride paid
This bride completely lucked out on her wedding dress. A local thrift shop had been gifted some new gowns from a boutique. She found this never worn £1595 wedding dress in her size but only paid £25 for it.
Sometimes, the finds at thrift stores are amazing because they’re worth a lot more than the selling price. In some cases, they’re perfect for a different reason. This shirt was too good to pass up.
One poster was delighted to find two pictures destined for their bathroom. At just $1 apiece, we think that’s a deal you just can’t pass up. Everyone needs weird bathroom art like these kitties.
8. Sometimes, the finds are fun for a different reason
Another poster played bass in a rock band a full decade earlier. They were delighted to find one of their band T-shirts on sale at a local thrift store. So that’s where all those shirts eventually end up!
Found at a local Salvation Army, these cufflinks were made to commemorate the launch of Apollo 11. You’ll see an identical pair at the National Air and Space Museum. So, it’s amazing to think these were floating around a secondhand store.
This wallet was 25 cents at a local Goodwill, and it’s pretty cute, too! But a few days later, the buyer happened to be searching through the pockets and stumbled on another, more appealing find.
There’s more than one bride who lucked out finding a beautiful wedding dress from a thrift store! This lady scored this lovely gown for only $36, and we can bet she told everyone at the wedding about it.
They went to the thrift store hoping to find a cheap frame for a poster. Instead, they found a classic Wurlitzer organ, which is an antique you’d be lucky to find anywhere. Even more amazingly, they only paid 50 cents for it.
Personally, if I found this, I’d feel a little bit nervous. Is that a piece of history that should maybe, I don’t know, be in a museum somewhere? Or at least back in former President Obama’s possession?
This beautiful watch was only $10, which is a great price to pay for any timepiece! But that’s not all — it’s a classic Elgin watch from 1894, making it an antique in every sense of the word.
This is an old doctor’s kit, which on its own is interesting enough. However, the significant part of this find is that the nameplate reads “Dr. William DeVries” – the very doctor who led the transplant of the first artificial heart in 1982.
This bottle of champagne was found at a garage sale and dates back to World War II. You’ll notice the bottle isn’t to be shared with any foreign soldiers — except allied ones, of course.
Presenting the hottest new look of 2019: the feather tie. The buyer found it at a local thrift store, which is made from dozens of individual, colorful feathers from a variety of species. You might think it looks silly, but everyone will consider you as being fashion-forward.
…but you’ll never be “wearing the coat of an old sea captain that you found at a local thrift store” cool. He’s rounded out the look with a pipe and a glass of whiskey, as every ship captain should.
They thought they had found a cute little jewelry box at Goodwill. To their surprise, when they brought it home and started to investigate the drawers, they found two ticket stubs to an Elvis concert back in 1976.
This framed newspaper headline, complete with the First Moon Landing Stamp, was tucked away at a local thrift store where the poster bought it for only $35. That’s a piece of history that most people living today never got to see!
One woman says she took her crazy cat lady game to the next level when she scored a cat-sized couch, rug, and piano at Goodwill for a grand total of $8. Her cat looks like it’s enjoying the find very much.
This dad looks as though he found the greatest gift in the world. It’s the perfect serving size. After all, is he even a dad if he can’t drink an entire pot of coffee in one sitting?
This garage sale find was perfect for one member of the house. But even though the cat doesn’t look like he’s enjoying his new costume, it was totally worth it.
Imagine buying a nice old trunk for $5 and feeling like you’re getting a steal. But then, you discover pictures, letters, and personal belongings inside that made you realize that you just bought a trunk that once belonged to golfing legend Arnold Palmer.
Did you know that elephants are smart enough to do their own paintings when supplied with art materials? And that sometimes, those paintings go floating around until they end up at garage sales?
When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, citizens took hammers and chisels to it to destroy what had divided them for decades. This poster happened upon a piece of it for $2 at a local thrift shop.
When a man found this pretty egg secondhand, he planned to melt it down to repurpose the gold. That was when he discovered it was a Faberge egg, which he sold for $33 million. Not bad for a secondhand find.
This person actually found a hot air balloon at a thrift store. They paid $200 for it and, well, took it for a ride! Now they can officially say they own a hot air balloon.
One poster couldn’t believe they’d stumbled on a vintage find from their childhood at a local thrift store. To their further amazement, the game still works, upping its value even more.
No matter what time of the year it is, this sweater has your back. From New Year’s Day to Christmas Day and everything in between, you never have to worry about your wardrobe. All you need to do is break out the sweater.
The poster said they didn’t need this unicycle and heck; they probably can’t even ride it. But it was $3.50, which is a knockout price for a unicycle you might never ride. Because, obviously, now you have a unicycle.
Sometimes, interesting finds at flea markets are not the same as good finds. Human bones for that price might be a good deal, but I have a LOT of questions before we continue.
Among all the weird, fascinating, and beautiful items you can find at thrift stores, sometimes, you come across something truly awe-inspiring. Just take this massive clamshell, which the buyers found for 16 CAD.
This beautiful gold-covered Disney plate dates from the 1950s. With its beautiful detailing, it serves as a symbol of a bygone era. The buyer found it for only $1.50, but it’s probably worth much more.
This lovely wooden room divider is tantalizing with all its artistic detail. It’s a perfect addition to any room. When it went up for auction, no one wanted it due to its weight — so the buyer scored it for a mere $5.
Unbelievably, this 1950s Seagull camera and the beautiful antique brass tripod are from two separate thrift stores. The buyer clearly had luck on their side, because these two items go together perfectly.
38. Ben and May’s wedding favors weren’t exactly a hit.
Wherever Ben and May are, we hope they’re doing well after 12 years of marriage. But clearly, someone decided they no longer wanted their customized shot glass, which now belong to a total stranger. Cheers, Ben and May!
This adorable “playsuit” dates from the 1940s and was found at an estate sale. Vintage clothing is a rare and special find, and this buyer scored some for only $5.
This breathtaking wedding dress is vintage, though the poster wasn’t sure if it dates from the 1950s or 60s. Finding it on sale at a local foundation for about $25, they simply couldn’t resist buying it.
Why yes, that’s a vintage Game Gear on the left, which is cool on its own. On the right is a Purple Heart, one of the highest honors an American soldier can receive. It’s awarded to those wounded or killed in battle.
This beautiful coat is made from real fur. The buyer wasn’t sure but thought it might be rabbit. Purchased new, it’s probably expensive, but at a local flea market, it sold for 75 cents.
These creative teens styled their look for prom almost entirely out of thrift store finds. The only things they added were the headband and hat, but the rest was straight from the thrift shelves — and they look amazing!
Yup, that’s exactly what you think it is — an autographed copy of “A Brief History of Time” by the one and only Stephen Hawking. The buyer snagged it for 99 cents at a local Goodwill.
First off, we love that this young girl was rocking a cane like she was a classy old gentleman. But this isn’t what it appears— this is the cane you carry out on the streets. That thing would scare the daylights out of any would-be muggers.
Now that he’s scored this amazing popsicle suit, I only hope he wears it every single Halloween for the rest of his life. It’s too perfect to let it go to waste.
This lovely ring isn’t just beautiful and delicate — it’s also totally unique. And even more amazingly, it contains emeralds, diamonds, and 10k gold. The buyer snagged it for a grand total of $1.
This terrifying Smeagol cutout was a flea market find. Unfortunately, the buyer has two housemates, so naturally, he set out to scare the daylights out of them. The shower cap is a nice touch.
This is a huge collection of original Lego Star Wars edition figures, which could easily go for hundreds of dollars online. The buyer found them for a grand total of $2.98. Whether they kept them or sold them, the purchase was totally worth it!
Let’s start by saying that the buyer found this album for $1. It’s an original Pink Floyd vinyl record that’s never been opened, as you can tell by the plastic wrap. It has the numbers of the first pressing. A colossal find.
This gorgeous Smith’s Illustrated Astronomy textbook was found for 25 cents and is considered a collector’s item. It dates back to 1851, making it a historical treasure.
This buyer couldn’t believe it when they ran across a functional 1939 Schumann piano. Aside from some scratching and needing minor adjustments, it was in great shape. Best of all, they got it for $57.77.
Some of the best thrift store finds aren’t the expensive or precious ones — they’re weird or quirky little items like this tongue-in-cheek Freud T-shirt. Michael Scott would definitely approve.
This thrift store find is a testament to the whole reason we find these odds and ends in secondhand stores around the world: people have always been weird. These turn-of-the-century pranksters are out to prove it.
If you think these mesmerizing cat shorts are the height of cool, wait until you find out something else: they are also originals from the 1980s. That means some guy 30 years ago decided to finally part with his cat shorts.
This classy indoor bowling alley must’ve been hundreds of dollars new. The buyer paid $15 for it at a local Goodwill and now they’ll never again be bored on a rainy day.
This person paid a grand total of $5 for an amazing waffle maker. This machine is made for super delicate work, and as is clear from the picture, it works great.
If only we knew the story of how this bizarre but beautiful cat vest came to be. Regardless of how it made its way to the thrift shop, it’s now owned by a man who considers it his best thrift score of all time.
Who knows how long this old store sign was sitting around in a thrift shop? Daniel found it and customized it. We have to say, Daniel’s pad sounds like fun.
60 of the luckiest finds at thrift stores, flea markets, and garage sales
Patricia Lynn
09.04.19
Thrift stores are havens that everyone loves. There’s nothing like hitting one up on a quiet afternoon and sifting through junk to see what you can find. There’s a lot of truth to the saying that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and thrift stores are living proof of that.
You can find everything from wedding dresses to salt shakers, but the finds get even weirder and more fascinating. Just take the story of Teri Horton. In 1992, she paid $5 for a piece of thrift store art that she liked. It turned out to be a possible Jackson Pollock painting with a possible worth of as much as $140 million.
Horton spent the last 27 years haggling over what she says is a “fair price” for the painting, even turning down $9 million from a Saudi art collector.
While most of us will never be quite that lucky, we can still find some amazing things at thrift stores. Tucked away between kitschy knick-knacks are some of the best and most beautiful items — some for mere cents.
Here are 60 of the best thrift store, flea market, and garage sale finds.
