42 Times People Couldn’t Believe Their Luck In Thrift Stores, Flea Markets, And Garage Sales

There are incredible treasures and mind-blowingly weird objects hidden all around us—and all it takes is a trip to your local thrift shop, garage sale, or flea market to spot them. Not only is secondhand shopping good for your wallet and the environment, but it might even inspire you to join an incredibly popular online community that will have you giggling till the end of the year.

Welcome (back) to the Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared Facebook group! With nearly 2 million members, this community posts some of the most bizarre and coolest thrift store finds on the net. Scroll down to check out their newest finds, upvote your fave ones, and let us know if you’ve had any success shopping secondhand, dear Pandas.

Also, read on for Bored Panda’s interview with the Weird Secondhand Finds team about how buying things secondhand has changed recently, about the rise of digital thrift stores, and how to stay safe in physical stores during the pandemic. Oh, and once you’re done enjoying this colorful list, you can find our latest articles about the Weird Secondhand Finds group right here, here, and here.

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#1 I’ve Collected These Pieces From Various Thrift Shops, Antique Stores, And Yard Sales Over The Years. Some Are True Depression Glass From The 30s And Some Are Mid-Century. It Makes Me Happy Every Time I Look At This Bookcase

#2 Found This Really Cool Giant Book Coffee Table On Facebook Marketplace Yesterday. The “Spines” Open As Drawers. Each Book Is Actually Leather Bound

“It’s HUGE and heavy as heck! It’s missing one leg but I think I’ll prop it up with hardcover books”

#3 Found Him By A Dumpster. My Daughter Who Is Special Needs Painted Him , He Looks Happier

“The number of people buying secondhand has probably stayed about the same, but the way they are doing it has changed slightly,” a representative of the Weird Secondhand Finds team told us about the changing face of secondhand shopping.

Though there are still plenty of eager shoppers looking for interesting and wacky items, the pandemic has affected things more than we previously realized.

“We’ve noticed that more people seem to be using online venues for their thrifting rather than going to physical locations, which given the current circumstances, we think is great. Thrift stores also seem to be embracing the option of going online just a bit more than they did previously. We encourage people to stay safe and use precautions if they do decide to go out, and we do not allow posts that show people not honoring precautions, such as not wearing a mask or with their mask pulled down while out in public,” they said.

#4 Got This Coffee Table At An Estate Sale Today! Ridiculously Excited About This. I Loooove Turtles!

#5 So My Fiancé Found This At His Grandmothers Home In Louisiana. A Vintage Shopping List, Super Super Cool. Thought I’d Share A Awesome Find

#6 Been Meaning To Share My Sons Rocking Dragon. My Father And I Found It On The Facebook Market Place Two Christmas Ago When I Was Pregnant

“By the time I reached out to the seller it was sold. I was so bummed until Christmas morning and found out it was my dad who purchased it. I had no idea he even knew about it. He had no idea I also tried to buy it.

It is made entirely out of wood. The craftsman ship is remarkable. The previous owner said their grandmother won it at a church auction and it had been in their family for a long time and they know nothing about it or who made it. Not signed or marked anywhere. It is now our family’s treasure and will be passed down.”

“As far as physical stores go, it seems they are experiencing the same changes as regular retail stores, such as occupancy limits, requiring masks in order to enter, keeping the fitting rooms closed, as well as plexiglass protectors at the register and some locations requiring the customer to bag their own purchase.”

They continued: “Perhaps the biggest change is in the ‘bin’ type stores where they have had to significantly decrease the number of bins in order to allow for social distancing, as well as create a path for customers to follow rather than being able to choose their own path like they could previously. It’s a lot less chaotic than it used to be at the bins.”

#7 Not Necessarily A ‘Find’ But Today My Uncle Gave Me This Chair, Which He Got From His Uncle Years Ago, Who I Believe Bought It In The 60s Or 70s. I’ve Loved This Chair Since I Was A Child And Was So Excited When He Offered It To Me

#8 Found Today At King’s Hardware In Shreveport, La. Came Home With Me Immediately! Nibbler The Cat Is Getting Properly Introduced

#9 I Pulled Up To A Friends House And Her Neighbor Had This Thrown Out By The Road In The Rain. I Had To Swoop In And Save The Day With This Unique Unicorn Of A Flippy Chair Table

“The cushion is soaking wet so its propped up against the wall not pictured”

One of the founders of the Weird Secondhand Finds group previously told Bored Panda all about how the community was created, how they got popular, and how they’re inspiring people to think differently about buying things secondhand.

“My family and friends have always had a love and passion for interesting and unusual things, and we had been texting each other photos of items that we saw (and often purchased) in thrift stores and at yard sales for years. My best friend and I were chatting on Christmas Eve one year and it occurred to us that it might be more fun to share our photos in a Facebook group, rather than via text so that it would be easier to go back and see what each of us had found, and to have a record of what we had seen through the years,” they said.

#10 I Found A Morticia Chair

“Y’all, I’ve been hunting for a peacock/manila/phillipines chair for ages. I spent countless hours of my childhood watching reruns of the classic 60s Addams Family show and reading the comics and I wanted so badly to live in their house. I often think that’s where my quirky design style as an adult comes from. Usually I see the newer models for sale, which are nice, but when I came across this beauty on fb marketplace, I practically squealed with joy when I realized it was the same style from the show. The woman I purchased it from looked at me a bit strangely when I tried to explain my excitement over it, but I knew you weirdlings would understand lol

Now I just need to learn to knit 6 arm sweaters for Pugsley’s pet, Aristotle”

#11 My Dad Passed First. My Mom, Not Wanting To Live Without Him, Just Gave Up And Gave Up To Leukemia Less Than Three Months Later. Heartbroken, My Brothers And I Sorted The Estate. Neither Of Them Wanted Mom’s Royal Doulton Balloon Lady

On one hand, I really wasn’t in love with the piece but on the other hand she sat in my mom’s curio cabinet for years and was a part of my childhood that made me feel connected to mom. After about 10 years, and embracing the journey of minimalism, I made the difficult decision to sell her. filled with doubt, I posted her on the Marketplace. If I let her go and regretted it, would I be able to forgive myself? Would mom? I nearly forgot that I had her listed and after months, I had an offer. I carefully packed her up and sent her onto her new home. I didn’t have time for doubt as The kind woman who bought her sent me this pic the day she arrived! The Balloon Lady is finally reunited with her Balloon Man.

#12 This Amazing Monster Quilt My Mother And I Found At A Kids Thrift Store For $4.99

“It really all started as a gathering place intended for our friends and family but we left it as an open group purely because it never occurred to us that anyone outside of our circle would share this odd interest we have.” People then started flooding in, the co-founder started panicking, but then thought it’d be intriguing to see what others had to share.

“Who knew that what we all thought was a niche hobby actually has a huge passionate community behind it that just needed a clubhouse to gather in? Witnessing how people connect in this group is what keeps us passionate about running it. I personally put between thirty and forty hours a week into moderating the group but every time I see how much joy it brings people, I’m reminded why it’s worth doing all the work it takes,” they said.

#13 Back Story I Lost My 4 Year Old Last Year And Her Favorite Color Was Red. My Husband & I Are Building Our House. I Saw This At A Local Antique Store. I Messaged My Husband Fast To Get It For Me. I Told Him It Would Be Perfect For My Office

He goes to the store and texted me saying “sorry I couldn’t get it. Someone came 30 mins ago and bought it”

Y’all I cried. For some reason it reminded me so much of my Princess Alaina. My husband then said . “I did get a night stand. Could you please pick up when you get a chance ?? “

I go today. I tell the lady.

Me- “Ma’am, I am here to pick up for my husband Javier”

Lady – “What are you driving? It’s big”

I said “truck. It’s a nightstand thou”

Lady, “no ma’am he bought a sofa”

Me, “no he didn’t! Is it a red one?”

Lady, “yes ma’am, you didn’t know did you”

Y’all I cried!

The cupboard in Fyffe, Alabama.

#14 I Work In Public Health And Have Spent The Last 7 Months Of My Life Fighting Covid-19. When I Saw This “Plague Doctor” Mask At An Antique Store/Fruit Stand Today – I Knew I Had To Make It Mine

#15 A Total Stranger Just Messaged Me Via Fb To Tell Me She Found A Painting My Mom Did In A Goodwill

“She searched my mom’s name and then found me on FB and asked me if I wanted it. How cool is that ?!! My mom was from Ohio and lived there her whole life which makes this an extra special find.”

The members of the online community are incredibly supportive of one another, embrace their quirks, and send each other gifts.

“Another wonderful side effect of this community is that it has renewed, and in some cases even sparked, an interest in secondhand shopping for a lot of people. They’re starting to see secondhand stores in a different light. We hear all the time from members who haven’t been thrifting in a long time or have never really been interested in it, and now can’t wait to go out treasure hunting.”

#16 We Purchased A Houseboat And Look What The Previous Owners Left! Perfect Condition Mustard Yellow Retro Dining Set! It Is Now Known As The “Lemonade Table!“ It Makes My Day Extra Sunshiny!

#17 I Saw A Post On Facebook Marketplace Titled “Kitchen Stuff” And I Saw Green Glass In The Background. I Messaged The Seller Asking How Much She Wanted For The Green Dishes And She Said $4 For The Whole Set

” I didn’t know if it was uranium glass and of course I forgot my blacklight when I went to pick them up but at that price it was worth a shot.

As soon as I got home I checked them out and boy did they glow!

Needless to say it made my day”

#18 When My Grandmother Passed I Ended Up With A Large Box Full Of Blankets And Needed One That I Knew I Wouldn’t Mind Getting Dirty. What I Didn’t Expect To Find While Digging Through It Though Was Her Wedding Dress!!! I Recognized It Immediately From An Old Photograph And Just For Fun Had To Try It On

#19 This Is Why You Don’t Leave Your Husband Unsupervised Or Unattended. Hubby Came Home With This. It Is 5’ Long & 4’ Tall. It Was $1.00 At A Yardsale

“Banana for scale in case the picture leaning against a full sized truck isn’t enough to show its massive proportions. He plans to hang it up in his cubicle at work if it will fit. It looks like a photo print on canvas that someone painted over. It has a small tear in the upper left area that I will try to patch & then dab some black paint over.”

#20 For The Vintage Lovers, 1964 Table And Chairs Found On Fb Marketplace A Few Years Back

#21 You Guys Recall The House Hippo I Found Last Month In My Local Charity Shop? Thought You Might Like The Upgrade

#22 “Release The Kraken” I Whisper To Myself Every Morning As I Take My First Sip Of Coffee

“My favorite mug was thrifted from the Goodwill in Monroe, WA. Someone did a really nice job on it and especially with the irredescent glaze. Would love see a thread of everyone’s favorite and unique coffee mugs.”

#23 She Was A Beautiful, Garish Table From A Defunct 1990s Subway, Sitting Forgotten In A Cellar. I Was A Girl In Quarantine, Longing Just To Sit In A Diner Booth With My Morning Coffee Again. When I Saw Her Picture On Fb Marketplace, I Knew: We Belonged Together

#24 Bought A $4 Shirt And Found This Attached To It! Stamped 14k On The Bottom. I Like The Bumblebee Better Then The Shirt

#25 A Little Back Story: My Beloved Grandmother Passed Away June 2019. Her And I Were Very Close And I Adored Many Of Her Possessions. For Some Reason This Soap Bottle Apron Was My Absolute Favorite; It Just Spoke To Me

“For years I admired it adorning countless soap bottles by her sink. When she passed, I asked my Grandpa about it and he indicated that it would come my way one day. Well yesterday was the day. The apron came home with me and will always be there by my sink just as it was in my Grandparent’s home for so many years. Seems silly to be so sentimental over a soap bottle apron but man does it feel good to have a piece of my Grandmother with me”

#26 I’m A Recent Law School Grad And I’m Currently Studying For The Bar. I Found This Cat On Ebay And I’ve Never Related To An Inanimate Object More

#27 Found This At A Thrift Store Yesterday, There Was No Way I Was Leaving This Beauty Behind

#28 Picked Up This Banana Dog At A Yard Sale Today… Banana And Dog For Scale

#29 Back In March My Mil Was Turning 90. But We Were Told No Fuss, No Gifts. Still, She Likes Crossword Puzzles And So When I Found This Cookie Jar At A Peddlers Mall In Lebanon Oh I Decided I’d Spend The $5 And Fill It With Homemade Cookies For A Non- Gift

You can use a dry erase marker & it even still had the answer sheet. Then the covid shutdown hit and none of us could visit her at her retirement home. So my husband asked all the siblings, nieces, nephews, grandkids, & great grandkids to make cards in crossword form for her to figure out. And we filled the jar with them. She had many days of fun working on them all while staying isolated.

#30 It’s Six Feet Tall. Today It Begins Its New Life At My House

#31 My Grandmother Past Away Last Year And Was A Prolific Crocheter (Crochetist?). My Dad Was Cleaning Out Her House And Found All These Squares For 3 Unfinished Afghans. I’m So Lucky That I Get To Finish Her Work

#32 Vintage Child’s Armchair £10 On Facebook Marketplace! Of Course It Had To Be Bought For My Cat, Romeo. Look How Fab The Celestial Pattern Is

#33 Found This Beauty For $20 At Those Were The Days In Warrensburg, Mo I Love How Delicate Stained Glass Looks And That There’s All Color Kitties

#34 Found This Fun Chair On Facebook Marketplace! Now, Just Have To Find Some Comfy Pillows To Turn It Into My Reading/Animal Crossing Nook!

#35 My Turtle Lamp!! I Absolutely Love This. Got For 5$ At A Yard Sale!

#36 High Key Psyched About These- Found On Facebook Marketplace Unused For $10

#37 About A Year Ago I Was At A Car Boot Sale And I Saw Plush Backpack, Shaped Like Rocky From Chicken Run, But I Thought It Was Such A Ridiculous Purchase So I Said To My Partner (As I Always Do) “If It’s Still There On Our Way Back, It’s Fate And I’ll Buy It”

“So… about a year ago I was at a car boot sale and I saw plush backpack, shaped like Rocky from Chicken Run, but I thought it was such a ridiculous purchase so I said to my partner (as I always do) “if it’s still there on our way back, it’s fate and I’ll buy it”. So obviously, it was still there and when the guy told me it was £3 I snatched it up quicker than you could say “I don’t want to be a pie!”. Not long after, I decided to google it and see if it’s a common find, I find out there is a Babs version, and I freak out!! I bought her in a set of Rocky and Babs and sold the spare Rocky to my friend. Fast forward to a few weeks ago, I was scrolling through plush backpacks on ebay as usual and who do I see??? Ginger!!!! When I was researching I didn’t see her anywhere!! So i was elated, and that’s how I came into the possession of 3 Chicken Run backpacks that look absolutely terrified.

Obviously Babs is the most practical choice, look at that gut storage!!!”

#38 As Soon As I Saw It, It Called To Me! I’m A Big Fan Of Celestial Decor But I Have Never Seen A Leaf With A Face Before. I Absolutely Love It. It Now Protects The Outside Of My House

#39 I Found These Keys On A Trail I Was Hiking. The Irony Was Not Lost On Me

#40 Found This Matching Pair On Marketplace Yesterday! The Previous Owner Was Ready To Throw Them Out, Thinking No One Would Want Such Ugly Chairs. I Think They’re Wonderful. Made In East Palestine, Ohio In The 1960s

#41 I Seriously Considered Buying But Ended Up Leaving It. It Was Funny Though

#42 Found At Goodwill Santa Rosa. Did Not Come Home With Me

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