We just love thrift shops here at Bored Panda. Since we discovered the awesome Facebook group ”Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared we have been sharing and sharing, and, as well as the new finds below, you can see previous posts here, here, here, here, here, here and here. Oh, and here too! Now that’s a lot of thrift store finds!

So scroll down below to see yet more weird, wonderful and funny thrift store finds and let’s say it all together: “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

#1 Was Told I Should Post This Here… Griswald Definitely Approves Of This Garage Sale Find

Image credits: Elisabeth Guetle‎

We know that thrifting is great fun and can be really interesting too, but what are the wider benefits of shopping second hand? With thanks to Unwrinkling, let’s explore some more positive aspects of heading to your local thrift store!

Environmental impact: Re-wearing clothes reduces waste and pollution. Every garment purchased second-hand means one less new one produced, which is important because regardless of material, the production of clothing is costly to the environment. Producing synthetic fibers like polyester requires lots of energy, as well as crude oil like petroleum; byproducts include toxic gases and chemicals. Sadly, pesticides used on most plants mean that even cotton and linen garments have a negative impact. Transportation-related pollution also decreases when clothing is re-used, as new clothes are much more likely to travel long distances before being sold than are their second-hand counterparts.

#2 Benadryl Cabbagepatch Pillowcase Anyone? It’s Signed!

Image credits: Melissa Morgan

#3 I Talked My Husband Into Helping Me Bring This Home From Work. He Totally Indulges My Whimsy

Image credits: Weird Secondhand Finds

Social impact: Thrift stores make it easier to know where your money is going. To track the money you handed over for that brand-new Old Navy polo, you would need to trace the brand back to the corporation behind it, the assembly factories used by the corporation, their textile providers, and those textile providers’ raw materials suppliers—at a bare minimum.

In evaluating all these steps (and the many others involved in the production chain), there are numerous considerations to keep in mind: Was your farmer using environmentally responsible methods? Was your seamstress of legal working age, paid a fair wage to work in a safe factory? Is the corporation behind it the kind you want to support, or one whose views you wouldn’t like to see perpetuated?

In short, it can be a bit of a nightmare to track the impact of your seemingly trivial purchase. However, with most thrift stores, this burden is greatly reduced. For better or worse, the original purchaser’s money has already supported the whole chain of production that led to your second-hand Old Navy polo. Since most thrift stores in Europe, North America, and Australia rely heavily (if not exclusively) on donated clothing, this means you only have to question one link in the whole chain—the store right in front of you.

Many thrift stores also directly support charity. It’s no coincidence that in the UK and Ireland, the term “thrift store” doesn’t even exist—they call them “charity shops” instead. In America, the best-known thrift stores are Goodwill and The Salvation Army, organizations which provide services to the unemployed, homeless, and disabled. In Europe, NGOs like Oxfam commonly use thrift stores to raise funds for humanitarian aid. By shopping at these kinds of establishments, your clothing purchase can go from supporting Third World child labor to supporting Third World children’s’ education.

#4 It’s Really Sweet When You Find A Pair Of Frye Boots At Your Local Goodwill But It’s Even Better When There’s A Can Of Unopened Beer In One Of Them. Icing On The Cake Is When The Beer Is Dated 1986

Whoa… Either these boots haven’t been worn in 33 years or previous owner used the same can to keep the boots straight for a really really long time. What a waste of a beer

Image credits: Kathleen Sawall Van Dinter

#5 Jabba

Image credits: Samantha Anastasia Malone

Personal impact: Thrifted clothing offers more room for uniqueness. While it’s not the end of the world to see some other guy sporting the same sweater as you, most of us would choose to avoid such incidents, if possible. Since thrifted clothing infrequently comes in multiples, you’re much less likely to bump into someone wearing the exact same thing. In addition, there’s bound to be lots of clothes that were produced decades ago, or on the other side of the country, or in some other circumstance that makes them different than what the average shopper is buying off the sale rack at the mall.

Thrift shopping allows for more creativity. Thrift stores are notorious for the wacky and bizarre items they often contain. (Remember Macklemore’s footed Batman jammies?) While these items can be downright eyesores, many just need a person with vision to re-interpret them in a contemporary way. For some, this may mean simply adding the right accessories; others may completely reconstruct their garment with shears and a trusty Singer. Either way, thrifting can allow one to do more than mindlessly mimic what one sees on the display-window mannequin, by providing more varied and interesting materials as inspiration.

Sources: Unwrinkling, The Ecologist

#6 Seen Yesterday At Hartville Flea Market In Ohio. I Did Not Buy It, But Had A Good Laugh!

Image credits: Laurie Rolan

#7 Saw This Masterpiece At A Car Boot Sale, I Didn’t Buy It But When I Got Home I Wished I Had

Image credits: Dolly Olly

#8 I Found The Perfect Item To Celebrate My Divorce From The Husband From Hell In A Few Weeks. Smells Like A Good Night Sleep Knowing I’m Not Being Cheated On

Image credits: Anna France

#9 Yup- It’s Coming Home!

Image credits: Katherine Break

#10 Teeny Tiny Fully Functional Knife With Mother Of Pearl Handle

I got this year’s ago at a garage sale and it lives on a shelf next to my bed. You know for protection against leprechauns, gnomes and fairies

Image credits: WeirdSecondhandFinds

#11 One Of My Favorite Finds! Found In An Antique Store In Florida. Unopened Bottle Of Poison. You Can’t Tell Here But The Pills Are All Coffin Shaped… The Store Had An Opened Bottle As Well

Image credits: Cheri Lee

#12 I Found Some Interesting Things At An Amazing Estate Sale Recently. This One Was The Best ! Only $5,000

Image credits: Allison Conrad‎

#13 Yeah, I’m Impulsive.. But.. I’ve Wanted One For Everrrr! And.. My Birthday Is Coming Up… And.. He Was Only $220! Their Loss

Image credits: Judith Langevin Young

#14 Dwight Shrute Was Here

Image credits: Virginia Platek-Edwards

#15 This Did Not Come Home With Me

Image credits: Amber Parks

#16 Who Is This Coffee Table For? Dachshunds?

Image credits: Carolyn Hurley‎

#17 Dear Anatomy Man Suit, You’re Horrible And I Love You. Totally Worth Every Penny Of The $7.50 I Paid. The Absolute Best-Worst Purchase Ever

Image credits: Alisha Stone

#18 I Found A Baby Dinosaur

Image credits: Zachary Bohmer‎

#19 The Most Extra Landline Phone I’ve Ever Seen

Image credits: Kimmy Romstad‎

#20 Hair Brush For Bald Heads Found This At A Thrift Store In Loveland, CO

Image credits: Siobhan Morrison‎

#21 Found These Awesome Gems In One Of My Grandpa’s Boxes. My Son Is Modeling On How To Wear Them Properly To Protect Yourself From, Well, You Know. I Will Be Wearing These At Work Tomorrow

Image credits: Meghan Wiley

#22 This Sign

Image credits: Marissa Lewis

#23 How Weird Is This?

Image credits: Karen Bakita‎

#24 Found The Oddest But Most Perfect Leash/Lead For Our Little Dachshund Today In The Local Charity Shop

Image credits: Katherine Rea

#25 I Work In A Historic House/Museum. The People Previously In Charge Were… Kinda Hoarder-Y. Found This Gem Boxed Up On A Shelf, And While I’m A Woman Of Many Words… I Had None

Image credits: Rebecca E. Chippendale‎

#26 From The Elephants Trunk Flea Market- Bucket ‘O Teeth

Image credits: Marie Juergens

#27 Stumbled Upon This Used Book Arch A Local Couple Kept In Their Barn Outside Pittsburgh A Few Months Ago And Begged My Boyfriend To Let Me Buy It For Our Wedding

Image credits: Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared

#28 This May Come Home With Me

Image credits: Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared

#29 One Of My Most Favorite Items Is My Hand Chair

I had wanted one of these for practically my entire life, it was my kitsch unicorn, so when I saw it for only a 100 bucks I jumped all over it. Pretty sure it contributed to the demise of my last relationship but I will take this chair over him any day of the week.

Image credits: Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared

#30 And Just When My Paranoia Starts To Go Away… $350 At Shadylane Antique Mall In Terre Haute, IN

Image credits: Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared

#31 Greatest Single Thing I Have Ever Seen In A Flea Market. She Did Not Come Home With Me

Image credits: Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared

#32 I Think I Lost My Mind When I Found This At A Thrift Store

Image credits: Ciera René

#33 This Sign

Image credits: Tanya L. Parker

#34 Found This Gem And Couldn’t Believe My Eyes. Paid $10 For It, Thought It Was Just His Hammer Till I Saw Those Clasps

Image credits: Corrina Scheetz

#35 Very Strange Pillow Case I Found So Weird I Had To Have It Lol

Image credits: April Marie Kruse

#36 Found At Many Hands Thrift Shop In Spencer, Ia Me For Scale (I’m 5’9″)

Image credits: WeirdSecondhandFinds

#37 My Friend Left Me This In My New Bathroom! 4.5 Stars!!

Image credits: WeirdSecondhandFinds

#38 My Thrift Store Find Of The Day… Bananbrella! $3.00, This Will Be Going Everywhere With Me!

Image credits: Sarah Potter

#39 For Sale At My Local Library

Image credits: Amber Finberg‎

#40 I Wish I Knew What The Rest Of The Set Looked Like. Definitely Came Home With Me!

Image credits: Suzi Brown

#41 Who Doesn’t Love A Good Old Fashioned Guillotine To Scare Their Houseguests?

Back story- my husband is addicted to garage sales and found me this beauty. Halloween is my most favorite holiday. Ipso facto I am a wildly happy wife at the moment. 

Image credits: Sydney Dinicola

#42 I Know This Was Posted By Someone Else That Didnt Take It Home, So I Went Out First Thing And Tracked It Down!

Image credits: Anna Moore

#43 Minature Clawfoot Tub: $.50. Watching My, Bathtime-Loving, Turtle’s Eyes Light Up, Because She Can Now Bathe In Style: Priceless -Found At A Goodwill In Clarksville, TN

Image credits: Jeannie Almonte‎

#44 My Goodwill Find

Image credits: Sarah Davis

#45 An Actual Human Brain Preserved In Resin. Hell Yes I Brought It Home! $6

Image credits: Aaron Padilla‎

#46 I C A N T Springfield, MO

Image credits: Sam Hargis

#47 Maybe Not Weird, But Just Happened To Find This T-Shirt At A Local Thrift Store The Same Day I Was Canning Green Beans! And Only Paid .10 Cents!

Image credits: Carolyn Smith‎

#48 This Mcdonalds Quarter Pounder

Image credits: Amorette Dye

#49 Fell In Love With This Cute Chair Today. Totally Nothing Weird About It. Until The First Layer Of Fabric Came Off

Image credits: Ruby Cowan‎

#50 Someone Worked So Hard On These Harry Potter Cat Paintings! But I Left Them Where They Were In Grass Valley, CA

Image credits: Emily Ann

#51 My 1960 Lee West Alpha Egg Chair Sitting In All Its Magnificent Glory In Our Home! It Has Speakers Inside That Still Work Perfectly And Came With Original Ottoman And Side Table!

Image credits: Brenden Shanks‎

#52 Found On My Birthday In Gainesville, GA. For 50 Cents, I Had To Bring It Home

Image credits: Polly Evans-Thomas‎

#53 Creepy Metal Doll Head Mold, Found In Nashville. I Was Thinking A Bathroom Light Fixture With Lighted Eyes

Image credits: Jeremy Baker

#54 My 1960s Inflatable Terrarium Stool Dreams Just Came True Thnx To My Dedicated Vintage Furniture Sleuthing Boyfriend

Image credits: Rachael Boswell

#55 Either I Robbed Liberace’s Grave Or I’m Telling People They’re The Next Contestant On The Price Is Right

Me: this can’t be a men’s jacket. Tag: “Men’s sequin jacket” me: no way. This isn’t gonna fit. *fits perfectly* me: no friggin way this is coming home, there’s no price tag. Goodwill clerk: $6.00 for the jacket. Me: sold.

Image credits: Gary Ashley

#56 A Granny Wig For My Old Rescue Poodle Girl Sarah 2 Days After She Came To Live With Me. The Wig Was Perfect

Image credits: Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared

#57 Meet “Bubo”! A 1960’s Am Radio From Japan. I Found Him Looking A Little Worse For The Wear And Tagged “As Is” At A Local Antique Mall In Cashmere, Washington

Image credits: Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared

#58 Meet Marvin. He Is So Handsome

Image credits: Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared

#59 What Is It? A Jenny Haniver. Google It. Fascinating!

I purchased this and was crazy giddy. Back history. I celebrate my birthday by having a white elephant bingo party every year. Twelve of my best friends and I gather and enjoy lavishly wrapped gifts that may or may not be of your liking. You can exchange all night long until the end.

I wanted the best gift this year and shopped early. I put out a request for weird gifts. Hoping for creepy doll or other fascinating delights. I got a pm from a lady saying she has a dead thing that creeps her out. Perfect. I was interested. When I saw it – I knew this would be the gift that topped all gifts. I put it out on our porch and sprayed it to seal it. Then we were going to resin him to keep him safe. While this was going on… the neighbor dog took him and consumed him. I was CRUSHED. This was the find… that is no longer… I’m still looking for a gift for our party in April if you have some ideas. . Wasn’t it wonderful? 

I lightly sprayed with a clear coat. When I got him he was still decomposing – the smell was horrid for human buts amazing for bugs. They were eating it and I didn’t want them to take him entirely. So, I sprayed a light layer of clear coat and put in the sun. It was our rare 90 degree Alaskan weather that week. The dog has been back several times. This was a month ago. All is good. 

Image credits: Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared

#60 Local Tulsa Clay Artists. Titled “Grandma” It’s $59.95

Image credits: Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared

#61 Went Through A Box I Inherited Of My Grandparents Knick-Knacks And Came Across This Beautiful Gem. Tiny Little Ceramic Kittys Drinking And Playing In Spilled Milk

Image credits: Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared

#62 Just Brought Home This Bad Boy From Goodwill. I Absolutely Cannot Wait To Use It At Work On Tuesday

Image credits: Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared

#63 I Have Had This For Years And I Love It. Literally One Of My Favorite Things In My Kitchen. My Daughter Thinks It’s Creepy And Won’t Use It

Image credits: Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared

#64 Sizing It Up At Vintage Avenger In Arcata, California

Image credits: Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared

#65 I Found This Beauty This Morning At The Flea Market. It Is A Perfect Blend Of Vigo The Carpatian From Ghost Busters 2 And A Kitten. They Were Asking $5. I Paid $3. Worth Every Penny

Image credits: Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared

#66 Goodwill Daly City, CA

Image credits: Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared

#67 A Giant Sealed Box Of Cicada Shells. Yes, It Definitely Came Home With Me

Image credits: Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared

#68 Adopted A Baby On Labor Day

Image credits: Daren Dobson‎

#69 Ok So, Only Weird Because This LEGO Figure Looked Alot Like Me At The Time….

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Image credits: Elizabeth Moore‎

#70 Found These Beautiful Napkins At Our Local Value World (Metro Detroit). They Absolutely Came Home With Me

Image credits: Dotty Dart

#71 Halloween Is Out At My Goodwill!

Image credits: Diane Stephens‎

#72 My Golden Girl High Top Shoes I Found At Value Village In Winnipeg Manitoba Canada. These Gems Deff Came Home With Me And They Stay In My Glass Case

Image credits: Amanda McLeod‎

#73 A Friend And I Went To A Antique Shop In Gatlinburg And We Saw A Box Labeled “WW2 Letters”. 21 Letters Corresponded Between A Miss Ilaine And A Mr. Elias. We Started Reading Them And We Knew We Had To Buy Them

The letters are funny, sweet, and just heartfelt. We found out they these two married, had kids, and grandkids. They are no longer alive though

Image credits: Lindsy Louise Wolke

#74 Have You Ever Seen A Cooler TP Dispenser?

Image credits: John Schuske

#75 My Husband Found This Hideous Jump Suit At The Goodwill

Much to my chagrin, he refused to leave it there. Now he won’t take it off and is wearing it as pajamas and also wants to wear it out to the mall

Image credits: Brittany Gordner

#76 It Says “Use A F**king Coaster”

Image credits: Libby Barbercheck

#77 This Is By Far The Weirdest Thing I’ve Found At My Local Goodwill. Looking Back, It Should Have Come Home With Me

Image credits: WeirdSecondhandFinds

#78 I Found This Lovingly Hand Painted Trouserless Bearded Viking In Blue Tunic That Uncannily Resembles My Husband That Time He Stood Up At A Festival And His Breeches Didn’t Follow. Yes, I Bought It

Image credits: WeirdSecondhandFinds

#79 A Rubber Severed Arm Signed By Chuck Palahniuk (Author Of Fight Club) I Scored At The Reuse Center In Ann Arbor, Mi It Did *not* Cost Me An Arm And(/Or) A Leg. It Was A Dolla!

Image credits: WeirdSecondhandFinds

#80 Found In Cary, North Carolina. The Tag Cracks Me Up! Did Not Make It Home With Me

Image credits: WeirdSecondhandFinds

#81 Best. Find. Ever!

Image credits: WeirdSecondhandFinds

#82 Found In The Toy Section Of The Arc In Colorado Springs It Did Not Come Home With Me

Image credits: WeirdSecondhandFinds

#83 Original Bob Ross Gold Pan. Paid $10 Because It Was Half Off

Apparently he painted them when he was stationed in Alaska as a member of the air force. This was an awesome find because my husband was a crew chief in the air force 20 years and I am an artist so it’s a win win

Image credits: WeirdSecondhandFinds

#84 It’s A Murder Mystery Writers Desk Teapot I Found At Value Village For $10, And I Just Found The Kitchen Sink Teapot At Goodwill For $5 I Think 2 Makes It A Collection, Right?

Image credits: WeirdSecondhandFinds

#85 Found At Goodwill In Fayetteville, AR. The Regrets Are Strong, Until We Meet Again My Love

Image credits: Emily Puckett

#86 Found This Amazing Ensemble At An Op Shop. The Second Photo Is An Actual Photo Of My Sister Handing Me The Outfit And The Third Is Me In An Alternate Universe Where It Fit Me Perfectly

Image credits: Anita Maricic

#87 Found This Giant Mug Today At The Local Goodwill

Image credits: Candace Lollygagher Keefauver

#88 Take A Seat. This Did Not Come Home With Me

Image credits: Trish Bahl

#89 This Was A Weird Find Of The Day. Pretty Heavy And A Little Tall, Not Sure If The Flowers Came With The Vase

Image credits: Nikky Ruiz

#90 Definitely Came Home With Me

Image credits: Jason DeMoe

#91 Best $10 I’ve Ever Spent. Thanks Wendy Woodyard For The Heads Up The Flowers Are Handmade Out Of Paper

Image credits: Lauren Eliassen

#92 I Am 80 Years Old – This Is A Tiny Pottery Jug I Found In The Dirt Road I Lived On When I Was A Child

Image credits: Cindy Robertson Sims

#93 Beetle Juice Bombay. Yes It Did Came Home With Me!

Image credits: Kari Overbey‎

#94 Found This Guy On The Side Of The Road. The Elderly Man Getting Rid Of Him Told Me It’s Because His Wife Can’t Stand Looking At It Anymore And It’s Crack In It’s Back

He was pretty upset over it and mentioned he had this guy for over 35+ years. Currently working on restoring him! Yesterday was dedicated to cleaning, gluing and filling. Today once the filler is done and it stops raining, I’ll be sanding and sealing. Thinking about gifting this guy back to the elderly man

Image credits: Michelle Bermudez

#95 I Went To Goodwill To Look For An Alarm Clock For My Kid And She Saw This And Said, “Mom, Its Bumblebee, You Have To Try It On”. So I Did! Then She Said, “It Fits, You Gotta Get It”

It came home with me. My legs are a bit shorter than its legs but oh well, and yes its see through. Not sure what I’ll do with it yet! Maybe get a mannequin for my car and dress it up so I can always ride with a psychedelic buddy!

Image credits: Erika Marrero

#96 I Really Want To Buy These For My Friend Who Is A Produce Clerk!

Image credits: Corin Chamberlain

#97 Life Sized Clown. Hastings UK. Didn’t See The Price, I Was Too Busy Backing Away!

Image credits: Allyson Breeds

#98 This Ridiculous Thing Cost Me $2

Image credits: Ashley Margaret‎

#99 Saw This Incredible 14 Seater Table And Chairs Today. Anyone Got A Castle They Need A Table And Chairs For? Brotherhood Of St. Lawrence Op Shop In Bayswater, Victoria, Australia

Image credits: Megan Dennis‎

#100 Instructional Figurine Set On “How To Clap Your Hands”

Image credits: AEgina Graham‎

#101 Found At Goodwill. Now I Can Pretend That I’m A Rich Bitch With An Elevator In Her House

Image credits: Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared

#102 It’s A Table!!! It’s Solid Wood And Has No Drawers And The Books Do Not Open! As For The Size, In The Picture It’s Sitting On My Ver Large Couch And Covers Almost A Whole Cushion. It’s Approx 2-2.5ft Tall

Image credits: Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared

#103 Found At An Antique Store In Greenwood, Mo. Now I Have A Seemingly Irrational Urge To Go Buy Old Photos And Get Out My Paint Markers

Image credits: Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared

#104 Wonder Woman In Her Senior Years I Guess

Image credits: Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared

#105 I Bought This Sweet Ass Jumpsuit Yesterday. Am I In The Club Now. Meowwww

Image credits: Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared

#106 We Found This Mixed Into A Bag Of Play Doh Toys. Optional Peanut And Corn For Added Realism

Image credits: Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared

#107 Saw This At A Flea Market Today. And No, I Didn’t Buy It

Image credits: Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared

#108 Belarski’s Portraits Of Servicemen Were Done In Hospitals Of Men Who Were Wounded. There Is One On Ebay Currently For $350. You Can See The Faint Outline Of A Pillow In That Drawing!

While searching for pencil drawings to use as examples for the free art class for veterans that I teach in Medford, NJ, I found this piece this morning at the Columbus Flea Market. The soldier was a relative of the seller and no one wanted the piece, but the artist, Rudolph Belarski, is a well known pulp fiction and magazine illustrator. He left school at 12. Worked in a coal mine for ten years while he took mail order art classes! He was too old for WWII but worked with the USO making portrait drawings of soldiers in England and the United States. $2.00.

Image credits: Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared

#109 There’s Actually More Than Pictured Here But There Was A Woman Standing In Front Of Them And I Didn’t Want To Get Her In It

Things I know about these shoes: 

-they were in the young boys section

-they only came in this color green

-there’s only one size

– they were a sort of corduroy texture 

-they were kinda puffy? Like slippers

-they’re in Savers, in Hanover MA, if you guys want them.

-they’re $5.49

-once I took the picture I tried to leave immediately because I was getting some weird vibes and there was a very tiny women in my way who aggressively stared me down and it made me feel like i stumbled across something I wasn’t meant to

Image credits: Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared

#110 This Speaks To Me

Image credits: Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared

#111 Goodwill Is Selling All These Empty Table Legs! Just Need A Top And You’re Good To Go!

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Image credits: Mike Ratini‎

#112 I Finally Have A Post To Share! Found At Goodwill. No I Didn’t Buy Them

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Image credits: Helen Ousley Figueiredo‎

#113 It’s Purpose Is Unclear, It Also Weighs About 20 Pounds. Sadly, The Skirt Was Too Big So It Had To Go Back On The Rack. Goodwill In Menomonie, Wi

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Image credits: Cameron Shaye

#114 Cute Little Kangaroo ! I Left Him Be !

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Image credits: Karen Schultz‎

#115 I Went To A Yard Sale And This Was All I Could See. I Bought Clothes And She Gave It To Me For Free! Edited To Add: They Are Salt And Pepper Shakers. I’d Love To See Yours. I Guess I Collect These Now!

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Image credits: Brigette Ann‎

#116 Saw This At My Local GW And Recognized It As A Project From Woodshop In HS… Turned It Over To See If I Knew Who Made It And It’s My Sister In Law’s!

Image credits: Tricia Goodrich

#117 For Some Reason Nobody Else Likes Her When They Come Into My House. Found Her About A Year Ago At Goodwill, For $2

Image credits: Chelsea Sippel

#118 Found This Graceful Lady In A Thrift Store A Few Years Ago. My Mother Thought She Was A Bit Too Risque, So I Made Her Clothes

Image credits: Angie Larson

#119 This Magnificent Lamp! $8 At The Thrift Store

Image credits: Katie Kasberg

#120 Found Today At Local Oddities Store In Fort Wayne,indiana

Image credits: Lori Morris

#121 It Does Work, There Is A Storm Coming

Image credits: Judi Hiscox

#122 I Finay Found Something To Share

Image credits: Grace Andrews

#123 $4 In The Halloween Section And I Leveled Up In Cat Lady

Guess who found one of those cat pouch sweatshirts at goodwill? This gal! Guess who’s cat doesn’t absolutely hate it like I thought she would? This ecstatic gal!!

Image credits: WeirdSecondhandFinds

#124 I’m Putting A Plant In This Tiny Bathtub When I Get Home

Image credits: WeirdSecondhandFinds

#125 Someone Donated These To The Secondhand Store I Work At

Image credits: WeirdSecondhandFinds

#126 So This Is A Nifty Little Something I Got At A Thrift Store In South Carolina Several Years Ago For $4.25. It Is A Little Over 11 Inches Tall, Is Made Of Gold And Silver, And Weighs Approximately 1.25 Pounds

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 When I found it, it was covered with what seemed like cigar smoke residue, and it looked like it was made of brass. It is called a “bridal cup” or in german, a “jugendfraubecher”. They are popularly used in japan england, and throughout europe and germany where they originated in 1450 a.d. in nuremberg.  

  The bride and groom can toast their marriage with it and drink from the same cup at the same time without spilling a drop as the legend of the original prescribes. The legend says that the cup was made by an illiterate gold and silversmith who had won the maiden Brunnehilde’s heart. Her father said he could only have her hand if he could make a cup that both of them could drink from at the same time without spilling a drop. The figurine’s skirt is a cup, and she holds a cup on a swivel over her head. The king was won over and his daughter married the commoner and they all lived happily ever after. 

   As it turns out, when I looked more closely at this piece, I realized it was not a production piece with industrial markings, but rather was a one of a kind hand-made piece using incredibly primitive methods. Turns out this piece may actually be the original nuremberg jugendfraubecher of 1450 a.d.  

   The German foreign ministry checked logs of lost and stolen artifacts from the war and we did not find an owner looking for it. Then they had two experts examine photos to see if it was possibly the original and a cultural treasure.  

   The experts agreed that there was no picture or detailed knowledge of the original to ever be sure, but that this one fit the description in every way except that it did not have pomegranates decorating it. Turns out the pomegranates run down both sides of it and they had examined picture from the front and back.  

   I will be taking it to nuremberg germany where I am confident the local chamber of commerce will assist with finding it’s proper place in culture. I am sure it is insanely valuable, but it is not something a person can really own. If it turns out to be a worthy example and possibly the original, it belongs in nuremberg Germany for the world to enjoy. Their local museum has a silver jugendfraubecher from around 1600 when they started to become popularized. 1600 is also when the rest of the industry developed the technology to reliably copy the original.

  This bridal cup was made by fusing curved plates with molten gold and silver, and then the excess was shaved away and polished. The thickness of the sides of the skirt cup varies a great deal, and it looks like parts of the engraving on some of the plates got too hot and softened during the assembly. Up close you can see the handwork and surface engraving around the silver inlays. The figurine in the middle was cast as a single piece and the face and hands of silver were fused onto it.  

  I suspect that the figurine is either gold, or was cast in silver and then hot dipped in gold. A scratch on the back does not show any silver, but perhaps gold dipping or some other crude plating method might have put it on thick.

   The latticework in the hands that holds the cup aloft are obviously solid cast gold, because you can see where somebody cut away some pieces, possibly desperate to raise money to flee germany before the war. I still have a gut feeling this piece left Germany in the 1930’s or early 1940’s.  

   The sides of the cup are a mystery too, because it would only make sense to use silver plates and fuse them with molten gold because gold has a lower melting point. After that the assembled cup could have been gilded or plated crudely. The thing is that the boundaries between the silver and gold parts on the outside of the cup look like they bleed into each other in places, and at others it looks like a sloppy gilding or plating around the silver accents. One fellow who examined it said he thinks the silver was laid into the accents of the curved plates when they were cast in gold, and then the maker cleaned up the worst areas that had bled into the gold by plating over them.  

   Ultimately the gold and silver content do not mean much because it is the crafting of the piece that is miraculous whether mostly silver or mostly gold. If it is from 1450 a.d., then I am told that the gold used is possibly king solomons gold brought back from the crusades. 

   If we can date it with metallurgy or some other technology, that would be our best likelihood of authenticating it as the likely original. It is entirely possible this is an amazing homage to the original from a more recent time, but was apparently never used as a fake, because we would have heard about that in the news of the day, and it would be an insane ammount of money to spend making it and no cashing in.

  As for an estimated value, it might just be an amazing old jugendfraubecher of unknown origin worth several to a hundred thousand bucks or so depending on the age and other factors. If it is found to be the likely original, then it has no price because it was never mine but to be a custodian. If it turns out to be something to sell, I am giving half to the thrift store where I got it, and the other half goes to my favorite charity. That is, after they have reimbursed me for the $4.25 I paid for it.

   At the very least I have been enjoying a great adventure in finding out what it is.

Image credits: John Truman Long

#127 I Yelled So Loud Everyone In The Store Looked

Image credits: Corrine Pride

#128 This Throne Was Up For Sale For $24 At Goodwill In Houston, Texas. Fit For A Princess!

Image credits: Kalyani Giri

#129 When You Got A Sermon At 8 But Also Gotta Slay Vampires Later. Decatur, Al

Image credits: Montanna Murphree

#130 Wilhelmina Slater (Aka Willie) Loves Her Chair. I Think She Needs A Couch

Image credits: Elizabeth Edwardsen‎

#131 Just Came Across This For $40 At A Tip Shop

Image credits: Jenna O'Brien

#132 I Only Meant To Get Lunch, Somehow I Picked This Up Instead

Image credits: Rich Kiska

#133 Yep

Image credits: Eric Larsen

#134 Just A Little Piggy Bank That Was My Grandpa’s

Image credits: Beth Barten

#135 My Precious Mil Is An Art Teacher And We Found Him At Our Church’s Garage Sale For 50¢. He Now Resides In Her Paint Studio

Image credits: Kelly Beamand

#136 For Years I Would Look At Craigslist Hoping Someone Would Post Some Of My Grandma’s Things

Not sure how weird, but more like the universe righting a wrong. My grandmother inherited 2 beautiful bronze statues from her cousin(who was also one of my most favorite people in the world). I always loved the statues and would sit and stare at them as a child when I would go to my grandma’s house. As I got older, I only grew to appreciate the beauty and craftsmanship that went into making the statues even more. On one visit with my grandma she asked me if there was anything I wanted when she passed on. Not wanting to even think about her passing away, I was hesitant but she brought up the statues cause she knew how much I loved them. I agreed that yes I would love to have them. Through the years I became more distant from my family, except my grandmother. When my grandma died, my family made it very clear that my partner (and support system) was not welcome to come with me. Not wanting to make things uncomfortable, especially for myself, I decided not to go at all and held my own little ceremony for my grandma. Well, I asked about a will but was told there was not one, which I don’t believe and was told that one family sold off all of my grandma’s things to pay off his debts. So no one got anything, again, not sure that I believe all of that. But anyway, for years I would look at craigslist hoping someone would post some of my grandma’s things. Of course I wanted the statues but would have taken anything at that point. 5 years went by and I was giving up hope. I was laying in bed, it was around midnight, and I decided to look on facebook marketplace. I put the location to where she lived and typed in “Bronze statues” and there they were!!! My girls popped up at an antique store. I cried quietly and could hardly sleep. The next morning I got in touch with the store owner and well….Here they are. I sometimes still can’t believe they are in my home. I love them so much!!!!

Image credits: Andrea Feicke

#137 “Sample Text Here”. Dress At Oakland Salvation Army

Image credits: Romy Douglass

#138 Found At The Gallatin, Tn Goodwill

It was half off today but I still couldn’t bring myself to deprive others of this marvelous, festive sweater

Image credits: Alicia Gwartney Cornstubble

#139 Found In Revival In Shawnee Kansas Edit. She Is Super Expensive And Did Not Come Home With Me. She Is $58

Image credits: Canaan Hart Gonzalez

#140 You Know What They Say… One Mans Trash Is Another Mans Treasure

Image credits: WeirdSecondhandFinds

#141 Found Hulk Hogan For A Whopping $445. He Did Not Come Home With Me And I’m Having Instant Regret

Image credits: WeirdSecondhandFinds

#142 Found This Interesting Piece At An Antique Shop In Flagstaff, Az. This Was Used In A Movie Prop

Image credits: WeirdSecondhandFinds

#143 These Guys Were Calling My Name. The First Two Are Gollum, #3 Is A Panda Plant & Jade, #4 Is A Goldfish Plant!

Image credits: WeirdSecondhandFinds

#144 Found At Goodwill For $8

Image credits: WeirdSecondhandFinds

#145 By Far My Favorite Thrift Find Ever. Beavis And Butthead Nesting Dolls!

Image credits: WeirdSecondhandFinds

#146 Gotta Keep Em Separated!

Image credits: WeirdSecondhandFinds

#147 I Am Constantly Amazed At The Items Available At The Thrift Store! This Useful Beauty Could Be Yours For Just $100

Image credits: WeirdSecondhandFinds

#148 Hand Carved Marble Salesman Sample Casket Believed Not Newer Than ’30s

Image credits: WeirdSecondhandFinds

#149 A Sandwich Purse! Priced At $150.00, That’s Too Much Bread For Me!

Image credits: Cathy Larson‎

#150 Pretty Rad Shirt I Found In And Op Shop In Darwin Australia

Image credits: James Jimmybay Hall‎

#151 My Knitting Pig String Holder Is Perfect. Found At An Estate Sale. I Love Knitting And Sewing His Glasses Are Scissors

Image credits: Polly Jensen

#152 I Found A Farm Label Handmade Dress In With The Men’s Shirts And It Seemed Interesting So I Bought It

Cashier made fun of me saying she was going to put it in a bag to make sure I didn’t try to wear it. So of course I put it on as soon as I got home.

Image credits: Adam Phillips

#153 Somebody’s Nana Worked Far To Hard On These For Them To End Up Here!!

Image credits: Colynn Betty Fright Boyd‎

#154 I Found This Beautiful Bottle For $1.99 In Findlay, Oh At A Salvation Army This Summer

It’s UR glass so I’d love to figure out the maker and history behind it. It’s one of my more elaborate pieces and my favorite thrift store find ever

Image credits: Sarah Cooper‎

#155 Rise And Shine, Y’all. Goodwill $.99. Hell Yeah It Came Home With Me

Image credits: Jennifer McGinnis

#156 Vintage Chenille Peacock Bedspread From The Sixties Is Kitty Approved

Image credits: Carrie Conner

#157 Keep It Down Over There I’m On The Phone!

Image credits: Paula Banks Loeffler

#158 Bought This Little Flying V So I Can Properly Shred My Cheddar

Image credits: Shay Gustafson‎

#159 Weird In All The Right Ways Got The Pair For $8

Image credits: Kelly C Hill‎

#160 I Have No Rational Explanation For This Purchase. Found In Goodwill Elkton Md

Image credits: Rowan Disir

#161 This Came Home With Me. It’s Brilliant And Well Crafted

Image credits: Emily Erin

#162 Goggles, Book And Elephant Headwear All 2nd Hand (Habitat Restore) Goodness!

Image credits: April Harrison Driskel

#163 My Two Thrifted Frogs. I Love The Brown One (Toad), But I’ve Never Seen Any With Googly Eyes Like Frog

Image credits: Sarah Overvaag‎

#164 It Reads: “Nov 29 1946 Ed Lee Is A Horses Ass And So Is His Wife”

So. In technical term. I did buy this thing. I bought this house about a year ago, and now I am beginning to demo and redo some areas. I just started with the kitchen, and the very first spot I (literally) kicked in, I found there was a written note.

Image credits: TyAnne Cherise

#165 Fyi, Lots Of People Want To Know About The Maker: The Underside Says Adam Apple 2000. And There’s A Link Below. That’s All We Know About It

Image credits: Pamela Lamm Lehocki

#166 I Got These Bad Boys For $21 (They Also Threw In A Christmas Canvas That Lights Up) Haha! I’m So Excited To Display These

Image credits: Susie Moroney

#167 $20 Clock Lamp I Found At A Local Thrift

Image credits: Zachery Tucker‎

#168 By Far The Weirdest Salt And Pepper Shakers I’ve Ever Seen

Image credits: Marissa Handley

#169 Bought This Giant Zombie Snail Haunted House Prop Exactly One Year Ago Today At A Swap Meet. My Boy Buster Loves Him

Image credits: Megan Cunningham

#170 Found These Funny Pics In A Thrift Store Today

Image credits: Tracy Webber-Dresser‎

#171 It Definitely Came Home With Me! I Have A Bunch More Weird Stuff Laying Around The House, Just Warming Up

Image credits: Justin Sayers

#172 Found This Very Happy Piggy Today! I Couldn’t Resist, She Now Lives With Me

Image credits: Christine Kaminski Lukasavige

#173 King Tut Thrones… No I Didn’t Bring It Home

Image credits: Robert Bowman

#174 I Found This At An Estate Sale Some Number Of Years Ago

It’s hanging in the downstairs guest bath… One day my 10-yr-old granddaughter comes out and asks ‘shouldn’t that be on the outside of the door?’

Image credits: Rene Stegall Shaw‎

#175 The Blues Clues Chair- 7.99

Image credits: WeirdSecondhandFinds

#176 Found These Amazing Leather Leaf Shoes In Hannibal, Mo Today

Really wanted to take them home but I have no more room in my suitcase to take them back to New Zealand with me I know I am going to regret not buying them. Size 8 $25

Image credits: Emma Lovett

#177 I Think It Is Worthy

Image credits: Nancy Culliney Reilly

#178 I Thought This Was Cool And Bought It

Image credits: Danette Ferguson Haroldsen

#179 Ariel Has Really Let Herself Go

Image credits: Brian Storey

#180 This Is The Tiniest Set Of Nesting Dolls I’ve Ever Seen. Brother And I Were Crying In Laughter As They Kept Getting Smaller And Smaller

Image credits: Jessica Schermerhorn

#181 I Appreciate The Repurpose Of This Precious Moments Figurine

Image credits: Erica Vaughn

Source: boredpanda.com