The Most Valuable Thrift Store Discoveries

Found in: Goodwill
Purchased For: Unknown*
Est. Value: $400-$2000*

Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll: known by many names, known by all. Elvis was, and still is, regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the century and his live shows were renowned for being live performance and entertainment at its very best. No wonder his collectibles fetch enormous amounts at auction. 

1976 Elvis Concert Tickets @u/ScoochMagooch / Reddit.com

His birth record sold for $87,500, his diamond ring sold for $107,500, his first piano for $112,500 and even his empty prescription bottle sold for $4000. Elvis fans were fanatic and obsessed, images of screaming women and fainting girls are synonymous with the rock star. While these old tickets are not necessarily a big ticket item, they are certainly a part of Rock and Roll history.

Found in: Salvation Army
Purchased For: $4*
Est. Value: $4000*

Space enthusiasts would be blown out of this world by these incredible cuff links. NASA astronaut Michael Collins, who orbited the moon in the Apollo 11 in 1969 command module, loaned the cuff links to the National Air and Space Museum.

Apollo 11 Cufflinks @u/tocamix90 / Reddit.com

Collectibles from the space mission are extremely popular, everything from vintage photographs, system handbooks, original magazines and newspapers can fetch hundreds and even thousands of dollars at auction. Originally made of gold, enamel and pearl, it is fairly easy to spot imitation Apollo 11 cufflinks, replicas can be found online for up to $195

Found in: Music City Thrift Shop in Nashville, Tennessee 
Purchased For: $2.48*
Est. Value: $477,650*

Little did music technician Michael Sparks know that when he purchased what looked like an old copy of the Declaration of Independence, that it was actually a bonafide original. Upon inspection after his thrift shop purchase, Michael noticed it looked like an engraving and was marked 1823.

1823 Edition of the Declaration of Independence ©Mike Flippo / Shutterstock.com

In 1820, President John Quincy Adams commissioned just 200 copies of the Declaration which were printed in 1823 by William Stone. As far as we know there are only 35 of these original prints in existence today and this one was particularly well preserved having been shellacked and varnished. The one and only engrossed and signed declaration has a home in Washington D.C. in the National Archives. 

Found in: Goodwill
Purchased For: $1*
Est. Value: $6830*

While kids today will not recognize a vinyl (or understand why someone would prefer it over digital downloads), anyone would appreciate the value of a rare record like this one. Released in 1975, Wish You Were Here is arguably one of the greatest albums of all time. 

Rare Pink Floyd Final Press of “Wish You Were Here” @u/oxosmooches / Reddit.com

The design of the record cover packaging was elaborate and well thought out, with an opaque green cellophane sleeve to hide the artwork, with a sticker of the album logo (a handshake) stuck over the sleeve. The symbolism of the hypocrisy of a handshake and absence is repeated throughout the album cover. 

Found in: Asheville, North Carolina 
Purchased For: 58 cents*
Est. Value: $43,020*

The McEvoys, who owned a vintage clothing resale business, were rummaging through a pile of clothes at Goodwill looking for items they could make a profit on when they found an old basketball sweater with the words ‘West Point’ embellished on the front. They threw it into their cart without a second thought. 

Vince Lombardi's Sweater @usatoday / Pinterest.com

A few months later while watching a documentary about Vince Lombardi, the coach of the Green Bay Packers, Mr. McEvoy noticed a sweater that was identical to the one he had purchased. Upon further inspection, they realized the name tag that was sewn into the sweater was that of none other than the coach himself. Turns out the sweater was donated some 60 years earlier, only to be found by lucky thrifters and sold at an enormous profit.

Found in: Fresno, California 
Purchased For: $1*
Est. Value: $5 million*

When browsing boxes of old photos at a curio shop, Randy Guijarro found old images that he purchased for $1 a piece. He recognized the gentleman on one of the images and later discovered his intuition was spot on and this was an original photograph of Billy the Kid and members of his gang. 

Rare Photo of Billy the Kid @Jolene Stottlemyer / Youtube.com

Billy the Kid, also known as William H.Bonney, was an outlaw who was wanted for several crimes, and was known as one of the most notorious gunfighters of the old American West. He was eventually killed at the age of 21, leaving behind a legacy that still today fetches millions for just a photograph.

Found in: Philippines
Purchased For: Free
Est. Value: $100 million*

For many of us, under our beds is where we shove things we don’t often need or the place where single socks disappear forever into the void. A very lucky fisherman in the Philippines though,  who had a large ‘rock’ under his bed for years that he kept for luck, discovered that his lucky charm was in fact the largest pearl in the world.

Monster Pearl @Geology IN / Pinterest.com

The 2 feet long, 75 pound pearl is worth a whopping $100 million and was discovered by the fisherman off the coast of Palawan Island. Pearls are born and grow within a living organism, usually an oyster but occasionally a clam, making this gem completely unique as it was grown in a clam, not to mention its exaggerated size. 

Found in: Toronto thrift store
Purchased For: $5*
Est. Value: $139,349*

One of the most renowned competitions in professional golf is the Masters Tournament, which takes place at Augusta, hands out the coveted Augusta National Green Jacket to the winner. This jacket is worn by members of the Georgia club within the premises but is only allowed to be worn in public by the champion.

Augusta National Green Jacket @darrenrovell / Twitter.com

When a journalist noticed the club logo on the green jacket in a thrift store he immediately purchased the item for a measly $5 knowing the treasure he had stumbled upon. He sold it soon after, and the jacket went on to bid a massive $139,349 at auction 20 years later.

Found in: Auction in England
Purchased For: $46*
Est. Value: $390,000*

This intricate,  tiny postcard-sized painting didn’t catch the attention of Robin Darrell when he purchased a box of bits and pieces at an auction. He put the painting in a drawer and forgot about it until 10 years later when he gave it to his son, Rob, as a gift.

Rare John Constable Mini Painting @Yesterday Channel / YouTube.com

Rob was fascinated by a very faint signature and went on to learn more about the painting . It turned out to be an original work by John Constable, an English landscape painter whose paintings are mostly inspired by the Suffolk countryside and are amongst the most well loved and treasured British art. Turns out the little painting which had been hidden from the public eye for so long was a miniature masterpiece. 

Found in: Goodwil
Purchased For: 99 cents*
Est. Value: $50,000*

A handwritten autograph from the famed physicist is extremely rare. In 1963 Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) and by the end of the 70’s he could no longer hold a pen upright, let alone write. There have been a few original signatures at auction, one of which fetched $50,000 in 2015. He has been known to witness the signing of a book and stamp his thumbprint as approval of the signature. 

Signed Stephen Hawking Book @u/dahlor / Reddit.com

Known as one of the greatest thinkers of recent times, Stephen William Hawking was best known for his contribution to the field of general relativity and his work A Brief History of Time which had a large commercial success on the bestseller list for several years. He died in 2018 at the age of 76, leaving behind a legacy of greatness and wonder. 

Found in: London junk sale
Purchased For: $13*
Est. Value: $455,000*

Diamonds are indeed a girl’s best friend, this one in particular which was valued at $455,000 after being worn for 30 years by the owner who assumed it was costume jewelry. She had purchased it at a junk sale for just $13 and had no idea the treasure she had stumbled upon. 

1800s Diamond Ring @ODN / YouTube.com

After having it appraised, she discovered it was the Fortuna diamond, a 26-carat stone from the 1800’s which was believed to be worn by Indian royals centuries ago. The jewel is extremely rare and has been revamped by Olivar Munson, into a breathtaking pendant necklace with 5-carats of Argyle pink diamonds. 

Found in: Goodwill, Charlotte 
Purchased For: $7.99*
Est. Value: $25,000*

Buyer, Jennifer Thompson, spotted this Stadium Events game at Goodwill and instantly recognized it after having read an article on the rarest and most sought-after video games. She rushed to buy it and eventually sold it for $25,000!

Rare “Stadium Events” Video Game Cartridge @Mental Floss Magazine / Pinterest.com

“Stadium Events” was launched in 1987 and was made for the company’s Family Fun Fitness mat, which was basically like the Wii of the 1980’s. After the company was purchased by Nintendo, they took all the original mats off the market after being on the market for a very short time, with only 10-20 complete sets around today. The game is so rare and sought after, the empty box alone has sold for $10,000. 

Found in: Unknown 
Purchased For: Unknown
Est. Value: Priceless

This award was allegedly found online by a collector who jokingly asked if he should tweet the former President to ask if he wants his award back. It is however disputed as to whether Mr. Barack Obama received the award in the first place, as it is on record that he was in Iowa at an event during the award ceremony.

Obama’s Distinguished Service Award @u/thrift365 / Reddit.com

The award itself celebrates those who significantly improve or strengthen education. While Mr Obama is surely in possession of his coveted Nobel Prize, one wonders the value of such an item at auction. Obama collectibles fetch from $350 for an action figure to a signed campaign poster for $2499. 

Found in: Unknown
Purchased For: $2*
Est. Value: $9000*

While this takes the idea of a vintage blend to the extreme, it certainly is a collectors piece, though unlikely to taste any good after 70+ years. Dating back to World War II, the bottle says ‘reserved for allied armies’ printed on the label. 

World War II-era Wine @u/Wellslapmesilly / Reddit.com

Made by Mumm, which is situated in Reims in northern France. It is known to be one of the largest producers and is ranked in the top 4 champagne in the world. A vintage bottle from 1959 sold at auction for $200 without the wartime label so one could imagine such an artifact would be considerably more valuable.