If you’ve ever found a bargain steal in a thrift store, you’ll know just how addictive second-hand shopping can be.
You’re pretty much guaranteed to find something you love at an affordable price – and you might even stumble across a priceless artifact that’s being sold for a pittance.
What’s the best thing you’ve found at a thrift store so far? The shirt of a famous footballer from three decades ago? A signed classic novel dating back 50 years? Just see how they compare to these 70 incredible second-hand finds…
1. Human ice cream
Of all the fancy dress costumes out there, an ice cream suit probably isn’t the one you’d go for. But one thing’s for certain – you’d definitely stand out from the crowd. Whether that’s for the right reasons or the wrong reasons is up for debate.
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2. Rapture chair
What better way to sell a chair than to give it such a thrilling backstory? Those distinctly human-shaped markings could only be a sign of something beyond our power, of course. They must have had people queuing at their door for this one.
3. 10k gold ring for $1
If you’ve for an eye for expensive jewelry, thrift shop hunting is something you need to do. While many store owners will recognize a priceless artifact when they see it, some may assume that if it’s been donated to a thrift shop, it’s junk. Never jump to conclusions, people!
4. Creepy baby heads
From priceless to terrifying… we don’t know why anyone in their right minds would even own these, let alone attempt to sell them on. The only logical explanation is that they were a prop used purely for a Halloween movie. They clearly have no use and serve no purpose other than to scare.
5. Cannon collection
People have some weird collections nowadays: Beanie Babies, Barbie Dolls, even toenails and fluff (Google search it, it’s true). This collection, however, is nothing short of cool. Yep, they’re real Cannon cameras, pretty much brand-new, and they cost less than $25 in total! Bargain.
$12.99 for a Nikon D3200 and $9.99 for a Cannon EOS Rebel XS. Both basically brand new. Thanks goodwill! from r/ThriftStoreHauls
6. Creepy nun
You know you’re selling something weird when even you can’t think of a succinct description for the item in question. We have the perfect description, however: “Belongs in a garbage can”. Or, perhaps, “The thing we will now see in our nightmares for the rest of our lives”.
7. Wallet surprise
You’d think that, when selling a second-hand wallet, a thrift store owner would have a thorough rummage beforehand to check for hidden cash – but nope. This person thought their wallet was empty… but was soon proved otherwise. We’d take a 25-cent wallet with $100 hidden inside it, thanks!
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8. Looking for a lamp…
What do you look for in a lamp for your home? You probably don’t have many specifications – it just needs to be stylish and functioning. What you would never look for, however, is this. When was it ever acceptable to sell??
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9. Smeagol Cutout
You can find all sorts of random stuff at a flea market. Including, it seems, a Smeagol cutout. Anyone would be terrified to switch on the light and discover this thing staring at them from across the room.
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10. Chicken nugget earrings
You know when you love chicken nuggets so much that you start looking for chicken nugget merch? Well, you asked, and Facebook Marketplace delivered. Wonder if they do a vegan version?
11. $36 wedding dress
Wedding dress shopping might just be the most extortionate shopping trip you make in your life. It’s sneaky, too, because the dresses you fall in love with are always the most expensive… except in this woman’s case. How do we get our hands on something this beautiful for this cheap?!
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12. Vintage Tom Selleck
Of all the things to find in a garage sale, this is perhaps the most random. But if you happen to be a die-hard Tom Selleck fan, you’d probably love him. Who else had a secret soft spot for him when he played Richard on Friends?
t…. tom… from r/WTFgaragesale
13. Dino head
Dinosaurs seem to be the in thing at the moment, which is ironic, considering they lived some 66 million years ago. If you can’t find a dino costume to impress your friends with, this dino head wall mount is surely the next best thing. Brilliant find.
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14. Interesting artwork
You never know what your workmates might be throwing out. Will you find a decent office chair? A barely-used, fully-functioning printer? How about a pencil sketch of a naked man riding a dolphin? We’ll take that, thanks.
15. Pink Floyd unopened vinyl
Let’s just point out the fact that Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here was released in 1975. 1975. That’s nearly 50 years ago, yet this person’s find somehow remained unopened for all that time. And it only cost $1!
Found Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here vinyl still in plastic wrap. It has the numbers on the record of the first pressing… for $1 from r/ThriftStoreHauls
16. “Fantasy cabinet”
There are fandoms for all the popular movies, but you’re less likely to come across something as niche as this. Presenting, a Planet of the Apes fantasy cabinet. Um… there’s something very disturbing about this.
17. Wurlitzer Organ For $0.50
The thing about heading to Goodwill is that you can tell yourself beforehand that you’ll only come out with the stuff you need… but then you find something like this. I mean, at 50 cents, it doesn’t even matter whether you can play the organ or not. You’d buy it purely to make your home look expensive.
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18. Cute mask
Ah, kids are so adorable, aren’t they? Until, that is, you turn around mid-bargain hunt to discover your toddler has miraculously aged into an old man behind your back. Creepy doesn’t even begin to describe this mask.
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19. Cat family
We all know that when life gives you lemons, you should try your darned best to make lemonade. It doesn’t matter that this person can’t have cats of her own, because she’s got the perfect substitute, thanks to a thrift store steal. Endless fun was had.
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Reddit/Michellehas2ls
20. Shawshank Redemption candy box
If this isn’t the actual candy box that was used in Shawshank Redemption, it’s a seriously good copy. Who wouldn’t want to buy this, just to say that they owned it? Not sure what you’d actually do with it, though…
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21. Thrift chair
If you thrift simply for the Great Gatsby vibes, you will probably agree with this person that there’s nothing more satisfying than finding a beautiful piece of vintage furniture. They just don’t make chairs like this anymore, do they? Certainly not for $35.
22. Edgar Allen Poe’s works
Yep, just casually showing off my $10 1904 full collection of Edgar Allan Poe’s works, no big deal… Whoever sold these at a garage sale clearly had no idea of their value. Baaaad mistake to make – these will probably sell at auction for thousands!
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23. Barack Obama award
Okay, we might not all know of Edgar Allen Poe (though if you don’t, you need to brush up on your history), but we do all know Barack Obama. So why anybody decided to sell this award at a thrift store for $7 is a mystery. The bigger mystery, however, is where this came from in the first place.
24. Tank-tread chairs
You never know what secret projects your neighbor might be working on in their garage… until they host a yard sale, that is. You didn’t know you needed tank-tread chairs in your life until now, did you? Us neither…
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25. 1894 Elgin Wrist Watch
Most watches you find in a thrift store are either vintage and damage beyond repair, or in relatively good condition but cheap and tacky. To find something that’s this vintage and this beautiful – for $10, too – is astounding. Now that’s a real piece of history.
26. Famous paper
The only places you’d come across a paper as important as this is your local museum, or, perhaps, your university history department. So why would anyone sell it for 50 cents at a garage sale? This could never be classed as “one man’s trash”, surely.
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27. Original Lego
Lego is everywhere these days, but that only makes the original stuff even more precious. It might not be to everyone’s tastes, but we all know someone who would buy this whole job lot for hundreds of dollars. Imagine paying less than $3 for the whole thing, then!
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28. Grandpa’s chair
It almost seems cruel to sell a chair that grandpa is so fond of sleeping in – especially when he’s proudly modeling it during the garage sale! Something tells us this chair isn’t actually for sale, and they’re just having a laugh. Let’s hope so, anyway…
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29. Burger phone
Remember in the 70s or 80s when all sorts of tacky plastic stuff started gaining popularity? There was a time when this burger phone would have been the height of cool. Now, apparently, it still is – for a select audience.
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30. Hilarious mug
Sometimes, garage sale finds aren’t particularly impressive or expensive. But when they’re as funny as this, they’ll still win your heart. Who wouldn’t want a hilarious mug to drink their morning cup of joe from?
31. Toilet roll holder
There are so many mundane things in our lives that could really do with being jazzed up a bit. Take the toilet roll holder, for instance. Pretty nondescript, I’m sure you will agree. Unless, that is, it happens to look like this.
32. Siamese twin Mary and Joseph
Back to the creepy garage sale finds, who fancies buying this Siamese twin Mary and Joseph for their bedrooms? Creepiness aside, you have to question why someone would make this. What was the artistic intention? Perhaps we’ll never know.
33. Important doctor’s case
This case might look like any old vintage doctor’s case, but it actually belonged to a very special person. Dr. William DeVries, its original owner, just happened to be the lead surgeon for the first implantation of the first artificial heart on December 2, 1982. What a hero he was!
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34. Rude vase
Artists usually get credit for thinking outside the box, but we’d personally say this was too far. We’re all for a wacky-shaped vase, but when it’s got a random human mouth built into it, we’d probably say no thanks. An acquired taste, we think.
35. Harry Potter table
The Harry Potter fandom is a really special thing to be a part of. Some fans are so dedicated to the HP world that they spend hours making cool art related to the books, like this. Makes you wonder who decided it was time to part with this, and why.
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36. Michael Jackson lamp
If you thought the creepy doll lamp from earlier was bad enough, you might want to skip this one. Why did people ever think it was acceptable to have novelty lamps that looked like this? If you love MJ, surely it’s less creepy to just get a poster.
37. Dark humor
Stuff like this just wouldn’t sell at a general store because of the backlash the store would get. It’s definitely reputation-damaging… but when it’s sold anonymously in a thrift store, no drama! And people like this guy would actually buy it.
38. “Family” game
We have to question the marketing used on this “spin the bottle” game box. Since when was spin the bottle a family game? How could you play this without kissing, alcohol and questionable decisions that you regret the next morning? Definitely not a family game.
39. WW2 champagne
We all know that aging makes alcohol taste better, so vintage champagne of any sort is pretty special. This stuff is even cooler, though, because it was reserved for allied armies during World War II. You couldn’t ever drink it, could you?
40. Giant baby onesie
There’s no way that this babygrow was designed for a baby, period. Which makes us ask questions that we’re not sure we want the answers to. If only there was a way to unsee things.
41. Shopping Liszt
If you’re going to graffiti where it’s not wanted, you have to make it as clever as this at the very least. Wonder whether Franz Liszt would find this as funny? Might be tricky to ask him, since he’s been dead for over a century.
42. Signed Hemmingway books
Here’s another yard sale find that makes you really wonder about the item’s origin. Once upon a time, Hemmingway himself signed a copy of “The Old Man And The Sea” for someone dear to him – a friend, perhaps, or a family member? It then must have passed from person to person, until someone somehow decided that it wasn’t valuable anymore. Their loss.
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43. Unused picnic set
Of all the unused things to find at a thrift store, you wouldn’t expect to find a picnic set. That was, however, exactly what this person came across. And there’s a 12-year-old bottle of wine in there, too! Winning or what?
44. £25 wedding dress
You do see the occasional wedding dress at a charity shop, but you have to wonder why someone would donate a brand-new dress, never worn. Whatever the sad history of the dress, at least someone was able to make use of this £1595 bargain on their own special day. Lucky it fit so well, too!
My friend guided me to a charity shop that had a donation of brand new wedding dresses from a boutique; this had £1595 on the tag. I got it for £25 and it fits like a glove! from r/ThriftStoreHauls
45. Thrift store feather tie
Have you ever seen something rare or unique and wondered why it hasn’t taken off big-style? You might feel that way about this feather tie. It’s certainly different, that’s for sure. Whether you’d personally wear it or not is another story.
Forget everything you knew about ties. Because this thrift store find just took it to a whole new level. Presenting: The Feather Tie. from r/pics
46. Yourself on a shirt
Ever walk into a thrift store and find yourself staring back at you? No, we’re not talking about catching yourself in a mirror. This guy actually found himself on a shirt. What are the chances!
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47. Dog translator
This is clearly an example of when you didn’t know you needed something in your life until now. We can’t promise any sort of legitimacy or accuracy from this dog translator, but the novelty element is fun. Apart from if your dog was apparently telling you he hated you.
48. Self-portrait
Forget walking into a thrift store and seeing yourself on a t-shirt – imagine seeing yourself on a painting! Even down to the color of the sweater you’re wearing and the shape of your glasses. We’d so buy this and pretend we’d commissioned it specially.
49. 1851 Smith’s Illustrated Astronomy textbook
If you love rare, vintage books, you’ll be so jealous of this person’s find. Yep, that’s a rare 1851 Smith’s Illustrated Astronomy textbook, and it only cost 25 cents. Even if you’re not into astronomy, you can’t deny that this is beautiful.
Happy to the Moon and Back ! ! ! I Bought this Incredibly Rare 1851 Smith’s Illustrated Astronomy Textbook, intended for New York Public Schools, at an Illinois Garage Sale for $0.25! The last similar one sold on Ebay for $227! from r/ThriftStoreHauls
50. Cermic bird
Here’s another example of some of the random stuff you can find at thrift stores that make you ask, “How TF did anyone think this would sell in the first place?” Someone must have been into this once upon a time, and it is pretty funny. But what would you actually do with it?
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51. Keyboard keyboard
Most of us who work in office environments spend hours every day typing on the keyboard. But if you consider yourself pretty musically talented, you might be interested in a different type of keyboard – attached to your keyboard. Keeping up? Keeping distracted, more like – we’d never get anything done with a mini piano at our fingertips.
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52. Hanging rain lamp
Finally, a lamp that actually looks beautiful – and not a creepy face in sight! This lamp dates back to the 1970s, and it took the owner over a month to find all the pieces to it. This is truly mesmerizing.
Thank you thrift store Gods. Just found the missing piece to my 1978 Creators Hanging Rain Lamp, at the same thrift store, a month and a half after I found the lamp itself. Here is it, complete with the swinging couple and original foliage. from r/ThriftStoreHauls
53. Beautiful globe
From one beautiful find to the next… can you believe someone found this dumped at the side of the road? How come we only ever seem to come across broken office chairs and old mattresses on our travels? Some people get all the luck.
54. Bathroom pictures
If you’re easily amused, you’ll love these vintage bathroom pictures as much as we do. They might be a bit dated, but you couldn’t resist putting them up on the wall. Glad to hear they’ve gone to a good home.
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55. 1939 Schumann
We’ve all nipped into a Goodwill store with the intention of buying a bag’s worth of stuff, and ended up leaving with something we can’t even carry. This person did it better than any of us when they bought a piano – a 1939 Schumann at that. It only cost $57.77, too!
56. Old purse find
Wow – we really need to start visiting thrift stores more often just to check inside the wallets and purses. This person stumbled upon their lucky find in a secret side-zip. So secret that the original owner forgot all about it, apparently.
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57. Two old Elvis tickets
Whether you like Elvis’ music or not, you can’t deny that he was a legend. Imagine finding two Elvis tickets hidden behind the drawer of a jewelry box that you found in a thrift store? Seriously cool.
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58. Signed Stephen Hawking book
Of all the signed books out there, to find something penned by the legendary Stephen Hawking himself is pretty incredible. It’s got his thumb print on, too – incredible! Who would ever get rid of this?
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59. Vintage creepy
Okay, so this photo could have easily been posed for, but it’s immediately creepy because it’s black and white and features young girls. Stuff like this just shouldn’t be sold on. Still, considering these were pre-Photoshop days, we have to give credit for creativity.
60. Art finds
Why would you ever look for “new” art tools when vintage stuff like this exists? Of course, getting your hands on it is the hard part, but this person struck lucky when they found this incredible steal for $20. Wish he’d shared the name of his local thrift store – we’d be checking it out!
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61. Vintage cameras
Remember the Cannon cameras from the earlier post? If you thought that was a good collection, check this out. These are the proper vintage good stuff, and they’re only going to get rarer as the years pass.
62. Old band’s t-shirt
Imagine walking into a thrift store and discovering a t-shirt advertizing your local rock band – from 10 years ago. It’s a blast from the past, but is it a good one? It’d probably be a reminder of how old you now are.
10 years ago, I played bass in a local rock band. Yesterday, I found my band’s t-shirt at Goodwill. from r/ThriftStoreHauls
63. Mariokart
Going back to the subject of “you never know what secret project your neighbor might be working on in their shed”, check out this Mariokart-style racer. Best $45 you could ever spend, right? Plus, it’s number 3, which suggests there’s a whole collection of them somewhere.
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64. Easter Island head tissue box
Like toilet roll holders, tissue boxes are usually plain and ordinary, as we’d all agree. Unless, that is, you stumble across a novelty tissue box like this. Though we’re not sure why, we actually quite like this…
65. $1000 knives for $75
Expensive chef’s knives really are a cut above the rest (sorry). In all honesty, if you’ve never used a knife from a set that costs over $1000, you don’t know how easy it is to chop your foods. Imagine finding the whole set for $75 – incredible.
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66. Flea market “cane”
We all know how it feels to do a mom fail, especially when it comes to buying stuff for your kids. But you’ve probably never bought a “cane” for your teenage daughter that actually turned out to be a pretty hefty sword. We like to think this belonged to an unsuspecting old woman in its former life.
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67. Coffin, never used
It’s common in a garage sale to come across the belongings of someone who’s passed, but how about a coffin itself. Hopefully this one hasn’t been used – looks pretty clean to us. It does raise the question of who would buy it, though.
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68. Cat throne
Any cat owners will know that you can buy all the cat beds in the world and your cat would still rather sit on human chairs. This person may not have even set out to buy a “cat throne”, but that’s what they ended up with. The cat approves.
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69. 1980s shorts
Not everyone would rock these shorts, but this guy couldn’t have been happier with his thrift purchase. It’s a pretty striking print, but if you’re a man who loves cats this much, why not? Though there was debate in the comments about what era these were really from, they’re still a pretty cool find.
Undeniably my favorite thrift find yet! What makes them amazing is that they’re ACTUALLY from the 80’s! from r/ThriftStoreHauls
70. Apollo 11 Cuff Links
No big deal, here – just a pair of legitimate Apollo 11 cuffs found in a Salvation Army thrift store. These are so priceless that you might actually struggle to get money for them. Most things like this end up getting donated to museums.
Was told to come here… Salvation Army find! Apollo 11 cuff links, The exact same pair are on display at the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution. from r/ThriftStoreHauls
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