Thrift Shop Treasures

**kittykatstrong** · 11-07-2008, 09:47 AM

http://people.howstuffworks.com/6-of...treasures1.htm

I found this article and it got me thinking, have you ever found anything that people thought was junk and you brought it home and found it was worth something?

**rainbowgc** · 11-07-2008, 10:18 AM

Now that would be an interesting find LOL

**Goodwin17** · 11-08-2008, 01:23 AM

My MIL went to a yard sale in Indiana in the 80's. She saw a man's ring that she was certain had a real diamond in it. She asked the owner about it, and he said that it wasn't a real diamond. He proceeded to say "Lady, if you're so sure there's a diamond in that ring, I'll let you have it for a quarter." When she took it home to Alabama to have it appraised it turns out that it was a real diamond, and the ring was worth about $1200. She always gets lucky with finds, but that's the winner by far.

**baronmom** · 11-08-2008, 08:51 AM

Not that I know of. I don't seem to be very lucky in that department.

**thriftyboo** · 11-09-2008, 02:51 PM

DH and I went to Salvation Army a couple weeks ago. All clothing was $1. He got a nearly new vintage London Fog "fur" lined raincoat for $1. The cashier said, "Oh, I didn't think anyone would buy this old thing". New London Fog coats are around $300! This summer I bought a pink fake fur coat at Goodwill for $5. I found it online for $150. DH still wins!

**AmyBoz** · 11-09-2008, 03:01 PM

I never get quite that lucky, but I love reading about people who do!

**phoeny_moonstar** · 11-11-2008, 07:42 PM

I wish I was lucky enough to find a diamond ring @ a garage sale!

**HandyMom** · 11-11-2008, 10:09 PM

I got a diamond ring at a yard sale for 1cent. There was a man selling all kinds of things and one of them was an old beat up jewelry box with costume jewelry in it. One ring looked nice so I asked him how much and he said a penny. I took a good look at it when I got it home and saw it was marked 14K on the inside of the band. Took it to a jewelry store and found the diamond was real but it was 1/4 carat. Still, for a penny, that's not bad!

**PrairieRose** · 11-12-2008, 08:59 AM

Nah, never gotten so lucky but always have fun looking and more fun buying

**ladytoysdream** · 11-12-2008, 06:30 PM

I bought a children's book at a thrift shop, paid a quarter for it.
Asked some other book people about it, and it was suggested
if I got $ 50 for it, I would be lucky.
Decided to try it on ebay for a start bid of $ 99.99
Yup, I was a bit out on the limb with that one...I fiqured I would be
very happy with one bid.
It ended at $ 187.00

**Dancing Lotus** · 11-12-2008, 06:40 PM

I am a pro treasure hunter. I find goodies all the time that are worth a lot more then what I pay but one of the best was a set of glasses that I paid 2.00 for. They were worth 160.00 for the set. And I bought a scuttle for 15.00 turned right around and sold it for 75.00. It I waited longer I could have gotten double that.

**Dancing Lotus** · 11-12-2008, 06:51 PM

Let see I also bought a three piece set of stacking yellowware bowls for 30 bucks, turned around and got 130.00 for them.

Yesterday I paid about 2.00 for some Gucci shoes that I hope to get 150.00 for.
Once you learn how to spot the good stuff you'll see gold in them there thrift stores.LOL Oh today I could have gotten a gold and Diamond Bulgari watch for only 25.00 but I was broke. After getting home and finding out those things start at 1,000 I could just cry for not buying it. Of course it was probably stolen property.

**kestrel91316** · 11-24-2008, 08:56 PM

Bunch of art books at an estate sale. I cherry-picked the large collection, found 17 for .75 ea, first editions, mylar dust jackets, prime condition. Sold them off individually on half.com and eBay and netted at least THREE HUNDRED dollars.

Found a silver ice water pitcher at a garage sale for .50. It's Rogers, so one would expect silver PLATE, but word is Rogers made a very small amount of sterling and this pitcher will not hold a magnet and has some little stamped hallmarks that have made me and a number of other people suspect it may in fact be sterling. WOW. It doesn't state anywhere on it one way or another, so it's a matter of conjecture.

**nvmommyx6** · 11-24-2008, 09:58 PM

I have a copy of the book, "For Whom the bell tolls" by earnest Hemingway, hard cover, signed and printed in 1940. I paid 25 cents for it!
i have some old raggedy Ann and Andy books the kids got for free that are Worth some dough, Several antique toy's that are from the 40's through the 60's.
I have 2 London fog duster jackets with removable winter linings, one black and one khaki!
And a copy of the declaration of Independence, stamped and sealed in a us military tube that I have no clue what is worth, I paid a nickel for that!

**5XMom** · 11-24-2008, 11:20 PM

We bought a house next door to our business. Spent way too much for it because the lady knew we really wanted it. She had hired an estate sale company to come in and had a huge sale before she moved. They obviously did not realize there was an attic. There was a drop ceiling covering the pull-down steps. That was so much fun going through!!
Ancient train sets, horribly ugly bisque dolls, paper doll sets from the 40's, Too much to list......
We also found in the garage, face down in the rafters, the sign that was on the old train station that went through the town. The train station went out of service in the 40's. AWESOME!

At a yard sale I bought a dated Christmas ornament for .25. Sold it for about $150.00.