40 Thrift Store Finds That Turned Out To Be Absolute Treasures
Thrift stores are full of surprises. You go in looking for something simple and sometimes walk out with a rare antique, designer piece, or hidden gem worth a fortune.
From vintage clothes and jewelry to valuable art and collectibles, these lucky finds prove that a good eye and a bit of luck can turn an ordinary shopping trip into something unforgettable. Here are some thrift store finds that turned out to be absolute treasures.
#1 I Found This Fantastic Antique Salesman’s Sample Chair Off Of Facebook Marketplace A Few Months Back. I Knew What I Needed To Do
August, my Himalayan, also knew what he needed to do.
#2 An Early 1960s, Based On The Label, Wilson Folmar. And It Has Pockets
12.99 at SA! No wear or tear. The photo doesn’t do the embroidery justice.
#3 My Dream Thrift Haul Came True Today
I was SHAKING finding these three Le Creuset for $24 each! Owning a Le Creuset of my own has been a dream for me since I was able to cook! I am absolutely over the moon!
#4 My Thrift Store Find. Emerald And Diamond 18k Gold Ring. $16
Thank you! I just picked it up from the jewelers, so it’s extra shiny. I had to get it sized. It was very tiny.
#5 Just Found This Beautiful Baldwin Organ. Works Perfectly, And Got It For Only $170
#6 Stumbled Upon An Antique Salesman Sample Of A Four-Post Bed & Suddenly I’m Designing A Teeny Vintage Bedroom For My Cat
I love salesman samples. I found a chaise lounge/fainting couch sample at an antique store last year. It was kinda pricy so I talked myself out of it. I later changed my mind but it was gone by the time I went back. Luckily this one was only $35.
#7 Found This Today At Goodwill. I Love It
I put it above my desk. I’m sure it’s not worth a lot, however I love it! So unusual and lovely!
#8 When The Checker Asked Me What This Was, I Muttered That It’s For Making Coffee And Ran Away. $1200 La Pavoni Europiccola Espresso Maker For $6.50 At Goodwill
Oh yeah, it’s the professional model too! I’m feeling very fancy with this on my counter!
#9 1899 B.W. Raymond Elgin R.R. Pocket Watch At Thrift $3.49
Hidden in a little grandfather clock display.
#10 An Epic Marketplace Find – Like A 90s Nickelodeon Show Fever Dream
Underneath the seat in Sharpie, it says, “1999 Mitch Levin Zoomin Bench”. Quick google shows Mitch Levin is still an active sculptor, so no idea what it could be worth. Certainly more than the $150 I paid!
Edit: So I contacted Mitch Levin and we had a great conversation about this piece! He said he thinks he sold it originally for $2500-3000 when he was based out of Chicago, and that this one was one of his earliest and also one of his favorite pieces. He was really happy that it’s in such great condition and that it has found a very grateful new home. He told me, “I jokingly say I make garage sale finds of the future!”
#11 They’re Vintage Giovanni Travasa Eva Chairs From 1965, And I Can’t Find Another 3-Piece Set In The World. I Paid $500
I literally screamed when I found them. My friend thought something was wrong.
#12 15$ For This Awesome Copper Table
#13 $2.99 For This Whiting & Davis Art Deco Mesh Bag From The 1920s. I’m Still In Shock
#14 Cat Clock
She’s amazing. I love it. Tail is wooden, unoriginal, but she works perfectly either way. The eyes are beautiful.
#15 Found This Sitting By My Neighbors’ Trash Can, She Thought I Had Lost My Mind Over How Excited I Was, And Was More Than Happy To Let Me Dig It Out Of Her Trash
I don’t normally dig through my neighbor’s trash, but maybe I need to start if she is throwing stuff like this away. I thought maybe it didn’t work, but she works. Wiring isn’t frayed or cut. Seems in perfect shape.
#16 I Lost My Mind
I had never heard of Christopher Guy before! No idea where they came from originally… my guess is they were lobby chairs for a wacky boutique hotel? Anyway, this is the best value-to-cost ratio I’ve ever scored thrifting.
#17 I Found This All-Leather, Hand-Crafted Owl Purse At A Garage Sale This Morning For $1. I’m Obsessed With It
#18 I Don’t Really Host Parties But I Couldn’t Resist These Guys For $4
#19 I Work In Junk Removal. We Often Find Treasures. My Co-Worker Scored This, And When I Offered To Arm Wrestle Him For It, He Was So Kind As To Give It To Me
#20 Bentwood Rocking Chair. Posting To Remind Myself That Great Thrift Finds Do Happen
May I present my thrifted bentwood rocking chair? My family had one when I was young, and I have been looking for one I could afford for the whole time I’ve been on my own. No, it’s not a genuine Thonet as far as I can tell, but it is still the rocking chair of my dreams.
#21 Stained Glass Pineapple Lamp
I also couldn’t imagine a better companion to my funky monkey tree lamp! Thrifting really is such an interesting style journey.
#22 Brand New Dr. Martens In The Box With Tags. $25. Got Them Off Of Facebook Marketplace From A Girl Who Just Didn’t Want Them
A few weeks ago, a girl was selling Doc Martens on a Facebook group for $45. I messaged her, but someone got to them first. I was super sad. But then this morning, these popped up on my newsfeed. $25, brand new. I drove 40 minutes to get them, and it was so worth it! Truly my white whale, and I’ll be chasing this high for the rest of my life.
#23 Brought Home My White Whale Today: A 1960’s Scandinavian-Style “Magic Box” Desk
I saw this desk listed months ago on Facebook Marketplace, and was devastated when it disappeared. When I saw it listed again, I knew I had to bring it home! My bank account is screaming, but this beauty is going to be with me for life. Can’t wait to see how it looks after a full restoration!
#24 I Think I Have Found Real Pearls (A Bracelet) For $1.99. They’re Cool To The Touch And Heavy, And The Clasp Is Marked 14k
I don’t know what the other marking means or what pearls are even worth, but I feel fancy.
#25 My Husband Has A Pretty Good Eye. He Found This Reformation Dress For Me When We Were Thrifting Today. Only $20
Pure luck, honestly. He found it on a mannequin, and I was going to get it regardless of the sizing. I lost it when I saw the tag while taking it off the mannequin.
#26 My Best Thrift Find Ever, 18k Gold Necklace With 82 Diamonds
Jeweler said at least $2000 in gold but it’s hard to get a accurate weight cause of the stones. He thought the diamonds are polki diamonds or just really old because they are not in great condition or cut well. I am leaning towards older cut diamonds. I have a gold ring from 1800’s and the diamonds are very poorly cut, but that is actually a good sign when dealing in antique jewelry authentication. They didn’t have the technology we do now. I am taking it back on Monday for further testing.
#27 Found This Unmarked 18k Gold And Sapphire Pin For $2
All the stones were individually tested and confirmed to be sapphires. The jeweller also said that because they all have inclusions and color zoning they are almost certainly natural stones.
#28 Found This A While Back In A Charity Shop For £10
#29 Found This Tiny, East German, Travel-Size Alarm Clock For 7 Euros
Some additional info: this tiny alarm clock was originally released in 1968 and has won awards for its design. It’s incredibly cute, but sadly, the clock doesn’t work anymore. I’ve managed to get the buzzer working again, but the clock mechanism itself needs to be checked out by a professional.
#30 Husband Just Walked In The Door With This Beautiful Needlepoint From Goodwill
#31 You Know That Feeling Where You See Something On The Shelf And Time Seems To Stand Still? And You’re Not Quite Sure If You’re Actually Seeing What’s In Front Of You?
De’Longhi Eletta Explore Automatic Espresso Machine in excellent condition for $26.99!
#32 My Boyfriend Thinks My New Chair Is Meh
I thrifted this chair yesterday. I love wooden furniture and vintage items. I’ve been passively looking for a beautiful chair for 3 years now, but nothing stands out. UNTIL I FOUND THIS GEM!! It’s hand-carved everywhere, no nails or screws. For 70 bucks, it’s a steal considering that a modern, industrially made, plain and boring chair is the same price.
#33 Thrifted This 1960s Honeymoon Set Back In February For $10. Nightgown And Dressing Robe
I thrifted this in Florida while I was visiting my grandma this past winter and when I brought it back and showed her, she remarked that this set had to have been bought for someone’s honeymoon. So while not confirmed, calling it that reminds me of my Grammy.
#34 In Love With These Gold Earrings
The only thing I know about them is that they’re 14k gold.
#35 Found This Lotus Lamp At My Local Thrift Store For $20
Oddly enough this is actually the second one I’ve found there. The first was one of the oversized table lamps and I got that one for $12.
#36 Gorgeous Singer! If My Research Is Correct, It’s A 1902 Model 27
The store does half off on saturdays so I only wound up paying 125 for it, I don’t know if that was the best price in general but it was a great price for me! I think the clamp is for a light attachment, I found one in one of the drawers. Totally unusable, but a very cool additional find. And yeah! All the drawers are intact minus some hardware on the front, and the wood is in good shape for the most part. Some of the veneer is peeling up, but not as badly as it could be for how old it is.
#37 Found A Van Gogh Classics 4-PC Fine Bone China Mug Set For $7
#38 Real Jimmy Choo Heels $5 – Retail Starts At $925
#39 8 Years Ago I Posted These 1930s Salvatore Ferragamo Shoes That I Found For $8 At Savers. Today, They Are Being Shipped To The Museum In Italy
I have kept these for 8 years after I found them for $8 from Savers here in Melbourne, Australia. I have been in touch with Salvatore Ferragamo in Italy, who will be taking these shortly as a donation for their museum. I didn’t recognise what I had when I first picked these up, but I’m so glad I could rescue it and do something good with them.
#40 Still In Disbelief Over This. 1947 Yankees Signed Baseball! Find Of My Life Time
At the end of last year, my girlfriend and I went to an antique store to pass some time. We were there about 2 hours and getting ready to leave, when I noticed a case with baseball stuff. In the corner of the case was a ball that was signed by the 1947 Yankees. The whole team. For $200. I couldn’t believe it. My girlfriend said I was crazy for buying it and that it was 100% a fake… fast forward 4 months (and $300 more) later, I just got the PSA results and it’s genuine! And it came in at 6.5 overall! Rough comps for that kind of ball are $8-$12000. I’m still in disbelief. Just needed to post this to make it seem real.
Saumya Ratan
Saumya is an explorer of all things beautiful, quirky, and heartwarming. With her knack for art, design, photography, fun trivia, and internet humor, she takes you on a journey through the lighter side of pop culture.
