The Ultimate Thrift Store Score: Unbelievable Finds That Will Leave You Speechless

Shannon Quinn - March 15, 2023

Photo: Credit: Reddit

Thrift store shopping can be a great way for you to save money and live more sustainably. A lot of people look down on thrift shopping, because they think that it’s something that only poor people do. But in reality, it helps reduce waste in our landfills, and it gives a new life to objects that are still in great condition. And in this list, you’ll see some examples of people who found literal treasures among the trash. As someone who spent a lot of her life and thrift stores, we know for a fact that it takes a lot of visits to find something truly special. But for these people, they got incredibly lucky finding some out of this world items that are almost too good to be true.

These $7 Earrings Were Appraised For $4,682

Nowadays, fake diamonds like cubic zirconia are so realistic that most people can’t tell the difference. So it’s no wonder that this thrift store employee found this pair of earrings and automatically assumed that they must be fake. But somehow, this woman realized that these earrings were actually real. She bought them on a hunch for just $7, and took them to a jeweler to confirm if they were real or not. An appraisal like this might cost anywhere from $50 to $75. So it wasn’t free for her to get the estimate. But in the end, it was totally worth the price, because they ended up being worth $4,682.

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This Woman Found a $50,000 Necklace

If you thought the last one was amazing, wait until you read this story. A woman found a necklace in a thrift store and decided to take it home. At first glance, you might not think anything of this necklace. In fact, it’s sort of old fashioned, and not to everyone’s taste in modern times. But she must have liked the style, and took it home with her on a hunch. This turned out to be a very good idea. She brought the necklace to Antiques Roadshow, and had it appraised for $50,000-$60,000. It turns out that the necklace was made of real diamonds, emeralds, and gold. Made in 1895, this is a precious antique. It really gives weight to the phrase, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”.

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Woman Paid $35 For An Ancient Roman Bust

This next story is so incredible, that it made it on the mainstream news. A woman named Laura Young Was visiting a Goodwill thrift store in Texas when she noticed this Roman bust priced at just $35. She was an art collector, and could tell that it was a really high quality piece of work. Laura sought out help from experts at Sotheby’s. After doing some research, it was discovered that this statue had once been in a German museum. Historians have theorized that an American soldier must have taken it out of Germany sometime in World War II. Since it was stolen property, it technically belongs to the museum in Germany. However, Laura was able to get a finder’s fee for the statue, and it is currently on display at the San Antonio Museum of Art.

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They Scored This $2,500 Rug For Just $1.50

Some people get grossed out at the idea of buying a used rug. But it’s actually something that people do all the time, especially if it’s a really high quality vintage piece. This person has a really good eye, because they were able to spot this rug and buy it for just $1.50. In the photo, you can see them standing in front of the blue bins, which means that they are at a Goodwill Outlet. This is a store that collects excess donations that can’t fit into a normal store. They sell everything for just $1 per pound. There is a chance that if a regular Goodwill got a hold of this piece, they might have charged a lot more money for it. But according to his Reddit post, they did some research and figured out that this rug is actually worth $2,500.

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This Guy Who Decorated His Entire Mid Century Modern House With Thrift Finds

When you’re a vintage collector, it takes a really long time to find everything that you have on your Pinterest board. Not everyone can afford to splurge on websites like 1stDibs or bid at auction houses. In the caption of this photo he said, “My wife and I bought our first home, a 70s mod house. I can finally put my collection of almost entirely thrifted 70s space age furniture in it. Here is the upstairs living room, plenty more rooms to work on now!” The end result is mind-boggling. It’s like you stepped into the past from a time machine. Their dedication to thrift store shopping and vintage collecting has paid off in a big way, as their curated collection of 70s space age furniture is not only complete, but beautifully displayed in their new home.

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Gigantic Circular Couch Found on Facebook Marketplace

This next one was technically not found in a thrift store, but rather Facebook marketplace. But it still counts as a thrift haul because they got it at a discount by buying second hand. This circular couch is really unique. The person who posted this on Reddit did not give any estimates on how much it would have cost originally. But they paid $300 to the person they met through Facebook. In the caption of the photo, they say that their dogs use it as a race track. maybe it will be motivation for them to invite more friends over to their house. A couch like this would be perfect for parties, since everyone can sit around the circle and talk to one another.

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They Got This Iconic Chair For FREE

We are unbelievably jealous of this next find. In case you don’t know, this is a replica of a Herman Miller chair. The original chairs cost in the ballpark of $4,000 to $6,000, depending on if you have the footrest or not. But even the replica chairs go for a lot of money. You should expect to pay at least $500 for a modern replica on somewhere like amazon. But the Vintage replicas can go for over $1,000. Most people would happily pay $300 for this chair. But this guy on Reddit found this chair in the trash on the side of the road for free. The only issue is that the arm of the chair was broken. But even if he pays money to repair this chair, it will be totally worth it in the end.

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This Locked Safe Paid For Itself, And Then Some

Some people have all the luck. This next one is so lucky, it’s hard to believe that it’s true. Someone paid for a locked safe For just $15. It costs money to hire a locksmith to open up a safe. So it makes sense that a Goodwill or other thrift store would just slap a price tag on it and call it a day. It’s not their job to arrange for things like locksmiths. They’re just minimum wage employees trying to push things out the door. But this was the original poster’s lucky day. He managed to get the safe open, and found gold, silver, and money. The safe more than paid for itself. It’s like fate was on the original poster’s side, as they took a chance on the locked safe and ended up striking it rich with their incredible find.

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A Blast From the Past

There are certain things in life that are more valuable than gold. In this case, it was an amazing synchronicity that makes this jacket so special. The caption of the photo says, “30 years ago my late great grandfather shut down his men’s clothing store. Today I bought a suit tailored by him nearly 400 miles away in a Goodwill.” Wow! What are the odds? Finding this jacket must have felt so special for this person. We hope they bought it, brought it home, and treasure it and their closet regardless of whether it actually fits them or not. This is a piece of their family history, and it’s amazing how destiny brought it back to him.

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Amazing Retro Couch From Facebook Marketplace

In the caption of the photo, the original poster said, “My boyfriend found this vintage sofa on Facebook marketplace for $100! We were the second party to inquire – luckily the first people never showed up to pick it up! We just finished fully cleaning it and re-stuffing the seat cushions.” What a great find! Without knowing the brand, we can’t research how much this couch is worth. However, it would probably go for a few thousand dollars on a website like 1stDibs. It’s so great that this couple was willing to give the couch the TLC that it needed in order to be brought back to its former glory. Not everyone would be willing to do that.

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They Found Gucci Wallpaper at the Thrift Store and Gave Their Bathroom a Makeover

When thrift store employees get donations, some real treasures get thrown in with the trash. In this case, the original poster was able to recognize that they had discovered a roll of Gucci wallpaper. After doing some research, this particular tiger wallpaper costs $230 per roll. But a lot of their other patterns actually cost over $500 per roll. That’s an insanely high price to be paying for wallpaper. However, there is no denying that the pattern is really striking. and they did a great job pairing it with art that they already owned, and painting the room to really make it look like a luxury space.

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He Made $2,000 For Buying This Jacket

If you thought finding a safe full of gold was good, this next one is almost better. Someone bought a vintage jacket at a thrift store, and discovered that there was a roll of $100 bills. In total, they got $2,000 in exchange for buying an old jacket. that is truly insane. For most people, that’s enough to pay a month of rent or a mortgage payment. In the comment section, someone else told a story that their sister bought a sweater from the thrift store once, and found $2,000 in the pocket as well. she burst into tears, because she desperately needed the money at the time, and had no idea how she was going to get by. What an incredible blessing!

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This Stunning Vintage Couch Was Only $10

Despite the harsh weather conditions, this person knew that this was an opportunity they couldn’t miss. As a vintage collector, finding the perfect piece to add to their collection can feel like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And for this person, this green velvet vintage couch was just that. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but to them, it’s a thing of beauty that was meant to be theirs. The fact that they were able to score such a unique and eye-catching piece for only $10 was just the icing on the cake. For vintage enthusiasts, the thrill of the hunt is part of what makes the hobby so enjoyable. And when you finally come across that one special piece that you know will complete your collection, no snowstorm is going to stand in your way.

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When You Live Under a Rock

When this person visited a thrift store, they couldn’t believe what they were saying. This is a signed photograph of the Harry Potter cast that was going for only $2. The woman who worked at the thrift store had no idea who these three people were. How do you not know that? Was she living under a rock? After doing some research, it seems like these autographs are pretty common. they go for anywhere from $50 to $200 on ebay, depending on what is signed. So maybe this is not as spectacular as some of the other items on the list, but for someone who is a Harry Potter fan, this is the find of a lifetime.

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What Are The Odds?

This story is so strange, it almost seems staged. The caption of the photo said, “Went with my friend to the thrift store and he found 3 versions of his favorite shirt in different colors.” Wow! We really hope that he bought those shirts and took them home. Sometimes it can really help to have multiple colors of the same shirt, especially if you know that it fits right and looks good on you. Someone in the comments joked that he basically has his wardrobe for the entire week figured out now. imagine him wearing them everyday though. talk about a life uniform.

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A $1,000 Gown For $15

We’ve all been there. Scouring the thrift store aisles and we finally get our hands on the perfect piece. Unfortunately, that perfect dress may not come in our size. But many are lucky and find the perfect dress in the thrift store bin. In this case, the original poster just so happened to be an opera singer. This means that she regularly has to dress up in front of an audience. In the caption of the photo, she said, “I’m an opera singer. Guess who found this $1000 Chiara Boni gown for $15 at Salvation Army!” Normally, dresses like this are sold in places like Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale’s. Whoever bought this must have been a wealthy woman who wore it a handful of times before she got rid of it. or maybe she only wore it once. But one person’s loss is another person’s gain.

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Stunning Pink Velvet Couch

This pink velvet couch is so perfect for the room, it looks like this person did everything on purpose off of a Pinterest board. It’s so unbelievably lucky how well the color of the pink in the couch matches with the color in the rug. But in the caption of the photo, they share that they found this out of a thrift store for only $175. amazing. It’s not very often that someone comes across the absolutely perfect piece of furniture that they need for their home. We love this entire look, and it looks like something that you would find in a magazine or an interior design blog.

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This Woman Got an $8,000 Ring For Just $42

Here is yet another unbelievable jewelry find on the list. The caption of the photo said, “I was told this was a green amethyst, and haggled to $42. Took it to a jeweler to have it appraised—it’s a rare green diamond, 4.4 ctw, over 100 years old, conservatively worth more than $8k!” That is unbelievable. I hope she was able to sell this ring and use it for something like paying down a credit card or her mortgage. If not, she has a piece that she can potentially use as rainy day money. or, if she’s not hurting for money right now, she got a very cheap fancy ring that she can feel amazing about wearing.

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She Paid Just $35 For This Amazing Chair

Look at how happy this girl is! She wrote, “Maybe one of these days I will stop falling head over heels for aggressively tacky chairs, but today is not that day. Goodwill, $35 for this plus another matching chair!” If most people saw this at the thrift store, the would probably keep on walking. This may not be your taste at all… However, It clearly brings a lot of joy to this girl’s life. and tons of people upvoted this post on reddit, so a lot of people seem to agree with her. Honestly that is the greatest thing about thrift store shopping. you might get rid of something that you inherited, or something that you’ve grown tired of. But someone else might find your discarded goods and completely fall in love with them.

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A Fancy Cat-Sized Couch For Just $15

As people who love cats deeply, we approve of this message. “Pretty sure I just hit peak thrifting, I don’t think I can top this. $15 for my babies to lounge in the manner they deserve”. This is funny, because I genuinely have no idea why this furniture exists. Is it doll furniture? fancy Victorian furniture for toddlers? It’s so Strange, and very obvious why the previous owner got rid of it. However, this person had the brilliant idea to give it to their cats. Clearly, the cat loves it. I hope that they enjoy their luxurious seating space just as much as their owner does.

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Incredible $1,200 Coffee Machine For Just $6.50

In the caption of this photo, the original poster said, “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. My coffee dreams have now been fulfilled.” That’s so funny that they felt the need to run away, as if they were going to get caught stealing. Sometimes when people start making a lot of money, they splurge on things that they think they might enjoy. But it turns out that they don’t actually like something like a fancy coffee maker. In the end, this coffee machine clearly went to someone who would appreciate it a lot more.

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This Home Office Was Designed With Only Thrift Store Scores

Here is yet another photo of someone who decorated their home with things that they found at the thrift store. In the caption, they explained that it took them several years of hunting to find all of these different pieces. Vut the room is pulled together so nicely, that it all looks like it was done purposely by an interior designer. It’s such a good example of how found objects make a huge impact in an interior design space. And a lot of these things might not have been appreciated by the average thrift store shopper. If you like the vibe of vintage things, definitely give an antique store or a thrift store a try.

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The 1990’s Are Embodied In This Couch

We almost can’t believe that this couch exists. In the caption of the photo, the original poster said that this couch is, “Like a 90’s Nickelodeon show fever dream.” That’s exactly right. This cartoony style was popular during the 1990s, and it was very short-lived. You don’t really see it around much anymore, unless you are feeling nostalgic and want to watch some old episodes of The Rugrats. Vut this person loves the couch so much, they decided to buy it off of Facebook Marketplace. Again, this is technically not a thrift store haul, but it’s close enough. Someone bought a second hand couch that was clearly not to their taste, but absolutely fell in love with it.

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A Mind Boggling Deal on a Matching Le Creuset Set

Collectors of Le Creuset cookware will see green when they see this one. In case you are not aware, each of these pieces is worth anywhere from $200 to $350 each. So the fact that they found five matching pieces at once is over the top crazy. On top of that, the saucepan has a wooden handle, which is a vintage style that they don’t really make anymore. But many actually prefer that over some of their newer designs. The great thing about this brand is that it literally lasts a lifetime. Many Le Creuset fans inherited their first from a grandmother or auntie. And the obsession began.

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All 3 Pieces For Just $235

If any of you have been to a furniture store to buy brand new pieces, you already know how expensive couches can be. So the fact that they got a three-piece matching furniture set for just $235 is absolutely insane. And it looks so good in their living room, especially next to the Christmas tree. I’m sure that this vintage set would not be to everyone’s taste. It’s a little bit outdated, and not exactly what is popular in today’s current trends. But it really works in this space. and clearly, they are happy and proud with their find. Hopefully it lasts for several years.

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This Drexel Playpen Sofa is Worth $12,000 And They Scored It For Just $250

After doing some research on this Drexel playpen sofa, we discovered that it’s incredibly difficult to find a complete sofa with all of the pieces that are still in good condition. And just one piece alone costs around $1,000. So the fact that they found this entire complete set is crazy. For just $250, they essentially found a set that should be worth around $12,000 or more. Now the only issue is finding the space to put this in. Obviously, you need a really big living room for this to fit. We can imagine that it would be really difficult to clean. It was obviously popular during the 1960s, but it’s not practical for today’s purposes. However, this person clearly fell in love with it, so it found the right home.

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Beautiful Vintage Mirror For Just $2

Not everything has to be a huge piece of furniture to really make a difference in the style of your room. In this case, this woman found a really beautiful brass vintage mirror. It’s really stunning, and totally ties the room together. And, obviously, it comes with the added benefit of being able to see your reflection when you’re putting makeup on in the morning. Mirrors like this are hard to find in good condition. People are selling these for at least $100 on Etsy, and sometimes more. She seriously found a good score, and she will probably have this piece for the rest of her life.

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An Entire Broyhill Brasilia Set For Just $100

The caption of this photo says, “My luck has truly been bananas. Broyhill Brasilia set. Couple bought a house, and the previous owner left it. This “wasn’t their style”, they wanted it out. $100 for the set.” So technically this was not from a thrift store. It sounds like they must have found it on Facebook Marketplace. But a multiple piece set like this can easily cost $10,000 if you were to try to buy it from an antique dealer. This person got an incredibly amazing deal, and it’s great that it went to someone who would truly appreciate it. When you’re done with this article, check out our other list of people who appreciated vintage furniture so much, they rehabbed them back to their former glory.

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Instant Miniature Chair Collection

Taken out of context, a miniature chair collection sounds so strange. If you were to tell us about this verbally, we would think that it was really weird, and that there was no way they could make this work. But as the saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” This looks absolutely stunning. It’s giving cottagecore vibes. And the fact that that cat looks so cozy makes it so much better. This is a great example of how you can take your collection and find a really elevated way of displaying it. Your belongings don’t necessarily have to sit on a shelf collecting dust. This person essentially turned these miniature chairs into a work of art.

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Amazing Vintage Dresser For Just $30

What an amazing find! This person found a great vintage dresser with a mirror for just $30. If you were to try to buy this brand new from a store, it would cost a few hundred dollars. We have no idea if this is a name brand piece of furniture where the designer might be worth even more than that. Some vintage dressers go for over $1,000 if it’s by a popular designer. This furniture really works with the bohemian decor that’s in the room. Clearly, they have a good eye for design. This looks like a Pinterest board coming to life.

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This Discarded Original Painting Was Just $15 at the Thrift Store

If you’re looking to buy an original oil painting, it always costs at least a few hundred dollars. Sometimes, if the artist is famous, it can cost thousands of dollars. That’s why it’s so popular for people to simply buy poster prints, or have a mass market canvas artwork that is manufactured from somewhere like Ross, Home Goods, or Target. This piece looks like it was made by an art student who was painting a nude model. so it makes sense why they got rid of it in the first place. To them, it was probably an early work that they no longer felt attached to. But this person found it and paid just $15 at the thrift store to bring it home with them. And they absolutely love it. They said, “Holy cow I could look at it forever”.

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They Transformed This Vintage TV Into An Incredibly Fancy Cat Bed

There is not much room left in the world for outdated televisions. Even if he wanted to keep the furniture pieces like this, finding the parts to fix it would be next to impossible. And nowadays, TVs are so flat and cheap that it doesn’t make sense to have a working vintage television in your house. But this person found a vintage TV in their local thrift store and decided to make something amazing out of it. They removed all of the electronic components, and turned it into a cat bed. Clearly, the cat approves. This just makes us smile, and I’m very happy that people are finding creative ways to give their cats a life of luxury.

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Quite Possibly The Best Free Score Ever

Here is yet another score that seems almost too good to believe. Some idiot threw away all of these Le Creuset dutch ovens. The original poster said that they found these on the side of the road, and got to bring them home for free. In case you missed it earlier, each of these dutch ovens would cost roughly $300 each. There are actually two photos of this haul on the Reddit post. In total, they found 14 pieces. When you do the math, that works out to be $4,200. We have so many questions. First of all, why did this person have so much of the same product in the first place? You only need one to get your cooking done. And why did they just decide to give it away? There are enough pieces here to give literally everyone in your inner circle a dutch oven.

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A $250 Smeg Toaster For Just $20

Be still, my beating heart. This person found one of our all-time wish list items: a $250 turquoise blue Smeg toaster for just $20. It doesn’t look like it has been used very much at all. And it even came with the instruction booklet, which is incredibly rare. Smeg was founded in Italy, And it is an incredibly popular brand of kitchen appliances throughout europe. It’s also very trendy here in the United States, but there aren’t very many people who can afford to buy them in the first place. And you kind of need to be into the mid-century retrovibe to care enough to buy it. That’s why they’re normally only sold in luxury retailers. So to find this in a thrift store is incredible.

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They Used This Thrift Store Dresser as a New Bathroom Vanity

When you’re renovating a house, buying new furniture costs a fortune. Even the cheapest bathroom vanities start at $350 from places like Home Depot. And they don’t even look anywhere near as nice as this. The original poster found this dresser at a thrift store, and they were able to use it as their new bathroom vanity. It has plenty of drawers for extra storage space, and it just looks so stylish. You can’t replace a great vintage piece like this. I’m so happy for this person that they were able to rehab it for their own needs.

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Epic Apartment Filled With Thrift Store Scores

Welcome to this magical European apartment. The poster said, “A friend’s student housing. Everything is thrifted or acquired from family. Every piece of furniture was under 20€”. This looks so magical and whimsical, it almost feels like a witch lives here. We absolutely love it. And it just proves that you don’t need a huge budget in order to decorate your space to match your personality. Clearly, this student is very artistic, and it wouldn’t be surprising at all if they were in some kind of creative major in University. If you’re looking to have the same aesthetic in your home, maybe try to take some inspiration from this photo.

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This Ladderax Shelf System Was Just $40, And It Is Worth Thousands

Here is yet another Facebook Marketplace find that is so good, it just blows you away. They found a Ladderax Shelf System for just $40, when it would normally cost thousands of dollars if you were to buy it from an antique dealer or somewhere like 1stDibs. It looks amazing in this space, and even their little chair off to the side matches the vibe really well. On Etsy, these shelving systems go for at least $4,000 to $5,000. And they’re not even as large as the one found in this photo. It’s an absolutely incredible thrift store find.

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They Fully Took Advantage of Dyson’s Replacement Plan And Got a Free $500 Space Heater

When you buy a Dyson product, it always comes with a warranty that guarantees that they will replace your product if it breaks within a certain amount of time. And when a product gets recalled, you don’t even need to have that original warranty paperwork to get a replacement. This person was incredibly smart. because they bought a Dyson heater from a thrift store that was broken for a very small amount of money. They managed to call up Dyson customer service and swap it out for a brand new $500 space heater. Talk about a life hack! It just goes to show that you should always check for recalls when you find name brand appliances like this at the thrift store.

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The Thrift Store Employees Thought This iMac Was Just a Monitor. So They Got It For $18

Mac enthusiasts will often dish out over a grand for their setup. This takes the cake. In the caption of the photo, they said that they found this iMac computer in the monitor section of the thrift store. Obviously, the employees had no idea that this was not just a monitor. It was an entire computer that would originally cost between $1,000 to $2,000 depending on the specs. Even when they’re outdated and used, they still cost hundreds of dollars secondhand on places like eBay. And as you can see from the photo, it works! We will try to put jealousy aside and just be happy for this person.

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A Roadie’s Hotel Key Collection

Last but not least is this epic collection of vintage hotel room keys. The person who found this said that it once belonged to a roadie who was following around a rock band across the country. Nowadays, key cards are used at hotels. And if you leave with a key card, they charge you an extra amount of money and deactivate the card. But back in the day, they used literal keys to open up a room. Clearly, they never got in trouble for this, and just continue to do this over and over again. What a great souvenir for an epic adventure. and it’s even better that it was discovered by someone who cherishes it.

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