Whether you’re a new or lifelong thrifter, there are plenty of opportunities to uncover the treasure hunter in you! There’s something magical about stumbling upon an item you cherished as a child or discovering unexpected gems at flea markets and thrift stores.
If you’re looking for inspiration for your next treasure hunt, I’ve created a list of the most remarkable finds that will make you want to hit every thrift store in town!
1. LEGO Gold Ultra-Rare Kanohi Hau Mask
A Goodwill store in Pennsylvania got its hands on a rare LEGO piece that sold for a small fortune. The piece was a Kanohi Hau mask, part of the Bionicles series. The Kanohi Hau masks were given away as prizes starting in 2001. Only 25 were given away.
There were five masks left for people who worked at LEGO. After 23 years, one of these rare Kanohi Hau masks resurfaced and sold for a whopping $18,101. The mask was 1 inch tall and made of 14-karat gold.
2. 1930s Cartier Tank Obus
Mike Nouveau, a specialist in vintage watches, recently discovered one of the rarest Cartier watches through an online Goodwill Auction. According to him, any Cartier watch manufactured before the 1960s is exceptionally rare. Between 1929 and 1934, Cartier produced only 102 Cartier tanks, making them a scarce find. He said that the ballpark market value is $25–30k.
3. 1953 Chicago Cubs Dugout Jacket
Jack Ricketts, a lucky thrifter, found an incredible vintage Chicago Cubs Dugout Jacket from 1953 in Goodwill bins. It belonged to the baseball superstar Ernie Banks and was worth around $15,000 to $25,000. One day, as Ricketts was checking out the items in the bins, he saw someone toss the jacket inside out among the discarded items.
4. Indigenous Jacket – Manitoba’s Red River
So get this – this super cool jacket has a connection to Manitoba’s Red River area, and it has traveled across the world to end up in a thrift store in England. The staff at the store are freaking out about it because they’ve never seen anything like it before, and they think it might be extraordinary. Alice Leadbetter even said in an interview with CTV Morning Live that they hope to learn more about it!
5. 1939 Illustration by American Artist, N.C. Wyeth
A woman from New Hampshire scored a sweet deal at her local thrift store when she bought a white frame containing a painting for just $4. After sharing the painting on Facebook, she was shocked to learn that it was a rare work by the American artist N.C. Wyeth.
The painting was one of four illustrations that Wyeth created for a 1939 edition of the novel Ramona by Helen Hunt Jackson. One of the other illustrations from the same series was auctioned off at Sotheby’s in 2014 and fetched a whopping $665,000.
6. 2019 Gold Nike Air Jordans
A volunteer at a homeless shelter in Portland found a fabulous pair of gold Air Jordan sneakers while sorting through donated clothes. After a Google search, Holcomb discovered that the shoes looked like the ones Spike Lee wore at the Oscars in 2019.
At first, she wasn’t sure if they were real, but later, she discovered that they were one of the limited original pairs made by Nike in 2019. Holcomb decided to auction the sneakers for charity. The bidding went wild, and the auction closed at an impressive $50,800!
7. Vintage 3D Emblem Harley Davidson Shirt
A 3D Emblem Harley Davidson shirt from the ’80s sold for an incredible $4,300. This sick 3D Emblem shirt is super popular because of its “HOG” graphic, which is always a classic. But it’s even cooler because it has a Confederate flag graphic with “ROAD REBEL.”
The lucky buyer was interviewed by Bidstich, who found out that the shirt was part of a yard sale/estate sale organized by the family and close neighbors of the deceased homeowner. The buyer could purchase two black trash bags full of ’80s/’90s vintage Harley items and various ’80s mid items for only $60.
8. $300,000 Indiana Jones Shirt
A legendary Indiana Jones shirt worn by none other than the iconic Harrison Ford was recently discovered at a thrift store. This unexpected treasure has set the world of movie enthusiasts and collectors abuzz, with experts predicting that the bids for the upcoming auction will exceed a whopping $300,000! Can you believe it? This is not just any shirt, but one that has made a mark in movie history.
9. Human Skull
In Arizona, authorities discovered what appeared to be a “human skull” at a local Goodwill store and transported it to the Maricopa County medical examiner. Images released online showed teeth attached to the skull and what appeared to be a missing jaw.
The skull seems historical and ancient and does not appear to have forensic value. During an interview with the local news, police spokesperson Lisa Berry stated that the box had been dropped off and was not connected to any crime then.
10. 2,000-Year-Old Piece Once Belonged in the Collection of King Ludwig I of Bavaria
A lady in Austin who loves to buy used stuff got lucky while searching for hidden gems at a nearby Goodwill. Laura Young found a very old-looking bust lying on the floor under a table at Goodwill in 2018 and purchased it for just $34.99. Laura was thrilled to find such a unique and antique sculpture, but she didn’t know that it was a piece of art from ancient times with a mysterious history.
Later, after some research, she discovered that the sculpture was over 2,000 years old and was once a part of the collection of King Ludwig I of Bavaria. Art experts in Germany later confirmed its authenticity.
11. $100,000 Rare Vase
Next time you hit up your local thrift store, keep your eyes peeled for fabulous glassware. A Goodwill store in Richmond, Virginia, just auctioned off a rare vase for $107,100! Jessica Vincent found it during one of her weekly trips to the thrift shops in her area. The vase is called “Pennellate” and is the brainchild of Carlo Scarpa, a famous Italian architect. It’s thought to have been made around 1947.
12. Mermaid Barbie Doll
A thrifty TikTok user recently discovered a toy that cost only $9 but could bring in several hundred dollars in profit. The most valuable find was a vintage mermaid Barbie doll on sale for just $9. This rare Barbie doll has purple hair, a seashell crown, a blue bikini top, and an iconic purple mermaid tail. The doll is so rare that it can be sold for $110 online even out of its package.
13. 2004 Michael Schumacher Charity Football Shirt
A man from Sheffield bought a 2004 Michael Schumacher charity football shirt for only £28. Later, he discovered that the shirt’s actual value was £3,000! Schumacher himself wore it during a charity match in Monaco after the Monaco Grand Prix in 2004. However, the guy needs to verify the shirt’s authenticity before he can make some serious cash.
14. Vintage Pokemon Cards
A content creator on TikTok stumbled upon a hidden set of old Pokémon cards in a Goodwill grab bag. These bags are usually priced at around $5 and contain miscellaneous items. He’s calling it his “best ever” haul, and while he didn’t reveal the exact worth of the cards, some first edition Pokémon cards could be worth up to $9,594. That’s some insane luck, isn’t it?
15. 17th-Century Work of Flemish Art
An 81-year-old man named Leroy, who used to sell antiques, found a painting at a Goodwill store in South Carolina for only $3. He liked the frame and thought it was made in the 19th century, so he wondered if the painting inside was just as old.
Leroy’s daughter-in-law took the painting to Antiques Roadshow, and they found out it was a 17th-century Flemish artwork, which exceeded Leroy’s expectations. At an auction in 2012, the painting sold for $190,000.
16. 26-Carat Diamond Cut in the 1800s
In 2017, Sotheby’s sold a diamond ring the owner had picked up at a London junk sale for just $13. Because it had been so cheap, the buyer always assumed it was just some inexpensive costume jewelry. But after wearing it while out and about for years, she finally decided to get it appraised. And guess what? It turned out to be a 26-carat diamond that had been cut in the 1800s. The ring was valued at a whopping $455,000!
17. Billy the Kid Photo
In 2010, Randy Guijarro dug through some old tintype photographs at a curio shop in Fresno, California. He was able to snag them for just $1 a pop. While going through the photos later, he noticed something peculiar about one of them.
Upon doing some research, Guijarro discovered that the figure playing croquet in the photograph was none other than Billy the Kid, the famous outlaw. The other guys in the picture were members of Billy’s gang. It’s one of only two authenticated photos of Billy the Kid, and it’s worth a whopping $5 million.
18. Faberge Egg Made for Russian Royalty in the Late 1800s
An anonymous American scrap dealer purchased an antique golden egg for $14,000 at a flea market in an undisclosed midwestern state. Initially, he planned to melt it down and earn a small profit, but he decided to Google it first.
He discovered that the egg was created for Russian royalty in the 1800s and could be worth a great deal. He then took it to a Faberge expert and antiques dealer in London, who confirmed its authenticity. The egg was sold for an undisclosed amount, but it is estimated to be worth around $33 million. It’s hard to believe, isn’t it?
19. Early 1600s “Preparation to Escape to Egypt” Painting
In 2006, a German student hit the jackpot without even realizing it. She bought a used sofa bed at a Berlin flea market for $215 and just used it as a seat for some time. When she finally opened up the bed, she found a painting inside!
The painting was called “Preparation to Escape to Egypt,” painted by an unknown artist in the early 1600s, as reported by the Kunst Kettler auction house. The AP reported that the painting was later sold at an auction in 2007 for a whopping $27,630.
20. Vertical Diamond by 20th-Century Abstract Artist Ilya Bolotowsky
Beth Feeback stumbled upon a Goodwill store in cold weather back in 2012. She had to buy a blanket before going to an art show to sell her artwork. While browsing the store, she noticed a few paintings selling for $10 each. She thought of buying them to paint over the large canvases, but her friend suggested she should do some research before doing so.
Months later, she finally decided to research the paintings. She was surprised to learn that one of the paintings was Vertical Diamond by 20th-century abstract artist Ilya Bolotowsky. In the end, the painting sold for $34,375.
21. 1959 Jaeger-LeCoultre Deep Sea Alarm Watch
Zach Norris found something pretty unique at Goodwill in Phoenix. He’s into vintage wristwatches and was looking through a box of old watches when he stumbled upon a 1959 Jaeger-LeCoultre Deep Sea Alarm Watch. This watch is super rare — only 900 were made! Even better, he paid just $5.99 for it! After getting it authenticated, Norris sold it for $35,000 cash and a $4,000 Mega Speed Master Watch. Not a bad deal, huh?