c/found-object-tales

Hit 500 thrift store finds this weekend - didnt realize i was keeping count

I was sorting through my weird stuff pile Saturday night and actually counted them up. 500 individual weird things i've pulled out of thrift bins, sidewalk piles, and dumpsters since i started doing this back in 2019. The milestone one was a ceramic frog playing a tiny banjo from a church rummage sale in Akron. It felt kinda dumb to celebrate a number like that but it made me think about how much garbage i've saved from the dump. My wife thinks i'm crazy but the shelf in the garage is pretty impressive if i do say so. Has anyone else hit a random number like this and stopped to actually count?

Wasted $45 on a 'haunted' doll from a flea market in Ohio

I saw this creepy old doll at a flea market outside Columbus and the seller said it was 'definitely haunted' by a little girl from the 1800s. I got caught up in the story and paid $45 for it, thinking it would be a cool conversation piece or something. Got it home, set it on a shelf, and nothing happened for two weeks. No weird noises, no moving on its own, nada. I feel like an idiot for buying into the whole ghost story gimmick. Anyone else fall for something like that at a thrift shop or flea market?

A collector in Austin told me my vintage lamp was a reproduction and I was gutted

I picked up this lamp at a garage sale for $40 and thought it was a real 1950s piece. A guy named Pete at the antique mall took one look and pointed out the switch was too new and the base had a seam from a mold. He showed me how the wiring was modern plastic instead of cloth. Now I always flip things over and check the parts before I buy.

Pulled a 1970s Polaroid camera out of a dumpster behind a CVS in Tulsa

Figured it was junk but took it home anyway, cleaned it up, and ordered some fresh film online. First shot came out all washed out and blurry, but the second one actually developed into a pretty cool picture of my cat. Anyone else ever resurrect old cameras from the trash?

Thrift store jackpot week turned my luck around

I found four vintage Pyrex bowls in one week last August at three different Goodwills near Harrisburg. Paid $6 total and they sell for like $40 each online. That same Wednesday a guy gave me a 1960s tube radio for free on Facebook Marketplace. I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop, honestly. Has anyone else had a week where the universe just handed you treasures?

My neighbor told me to check the bottom of thrift store furniture for hidden compartments and I found $60 cash in a desk drawer lining

I spent 15 years flipping found furniture with polyurethane before a random estate sale lady told me to try shellac instead

Picked up a beat-up oak side table in Cincinnati for $12 last spring and after she showed me how shellac dissolves into itself for repairs I realized I'd been fighting sticky brush strokes for no reason all this time, has anyone else stuck with a finish way too long before switching?

Found a weird metal box in an alley dumpster last month

My buddy who does metalwork said it's a 1950s film splicing block, used for cutting movie reels. I was gonna scrap it, but now I'm keeping it as a display piece. Anyone know where I could find more info on these old cinema tools?

Found a weird metal box in a free pile, had to decide whether to open it or toss it

I was walking my dog near the old train yard last Tuesday and saw a small, locked metal box in a 'free' pile on the curb. It was super rusty and had no markings. My choice was basically to take it home and try to pry it open, or just leave it there because it was probably junk. I took it, used a flathead screwdriver to jimmy the latch, and it was full of old, faded black and white photos from maybe the 1940s. No names, just pictures of people in front of old cars and a house. It's a cool find but now I have no idea who they are. Has anyone else found a mystery box and figured out its story?

Found a weird metal box buried in my backyard in Tucson

I was digging to plant a cactus and hit something hard about a foot down, so I pulled out this small, tarnished metal box with no markings. I tried soaking it in vinegar for a day and the lid popped right open, revealing a bunch of old marbles and a single silver dollar from 1922. Has anyone else found something sealed like this and figured out a good way to clean the coins without damaging them?

Found a weird metal box in a ditch near the old mill road

I was walking my dog last Tuesday and saw something shiny in the weeds. It was a small, rusted metal box about the size of a deck of cards, with no hinges or obvious way to open it. I took it home and spent an hour trying to pry it apart with a flathead screwdriver before it finally cracked open. Inside was just a bunch of tiny, polished river stones. Has anyone else found something that was way more effort to open than it was worth?

Found a weird metal box in a Seattle alley, had to decide whether to open it or not

It was taped shut and had no markings. My friend said to just toss it, but I was too curious. I took it home and used a flathead screwdriver to pry it open. Inside was a stack of old, faded postcards from the 1970s, all from the same person. They were just vacation notes, nothing valuable, but it felt like a little piece of someone's life. Does anyone think I should have just left it sealed?

Found a weird little metal box in the alley behind my apartment last month

It was under a pile of wet leaves, about the size of a deck of cards. I took it inside and cleaned off the rust... inside was a tiny, perfectly carved wooden bird. No markings, nothing. It just sits on my desk now and I have no idea where it came from. Has anyone else ever found something that felt like a complete mystery?

Found a 'vintage' camera at a garage sale that was just a paperweight

Spent $40 on what I thought was a cool old Kodak Brownie, but it was just a hollow plastic prop from a play. The seller swore it 'just needed film.' Anyone know a good way to spot fakes before buying?

Found a weird metal box in a ditch, and the key was taped under it

I was walking my dog near the old rail yard last Tuesday and saw something shiny in the ditch. It was a small, locked metal box, totally rusted. I almost left it, but I flipped it over and found a key taped to the bottom with old electrical tape. Inside was a stack of about 30 black and white photos from the 1940s, all of the same woman at a fair. No names, just photos. It feels like I'm holding someone's whole story and I have no idea what to do with it. Has anyone else found something that felt too personal to just throw away?

Someone at the flea market told me my 'weird find' stories were boring without the price tags

Now I always snap a pic of the price sticker first, like this weird ceramic hand I got for $2 in Toledo. Does anyone else get hung up on the cost when they find something strange?

Found a weird little metal box in a Seattle alley last Tuesday

It was taped shut and had a weird rattle, so I had to decide between prying it open right there or taking it home first (I went with home, obviously). Inside was just a bunch of old watch parts and a folded note that said 'for the tick-tock man' in really faded pencil. Has anyone else found something that felt like it was part of a story you'd never get the rest of?

Found my 100th weird item at the Goodwill bins last week

I keep a list of strange stuff I find, like that ceramic frog holding a tiny umbrella. Hit 100 entries on Tuesday when I dug out a plastic lobster wearing a cowboy hat. It's just a silly personal goal, but it made me smile after months of looking. Anyone else track their finds or just enjoy the hunt?

Spent 40 bucks on a 'vintage' camera that was just a paperweight

Found it at a yard sale in Greensboro, the guy swore it just needed film. Took it to a shop and they said the shutter mechanism is fused solid with rust. Anyone know a good place to get old cameras checked before you buy?

Showerthought: People keep calling random junk 'haunted' just to sell it on eBay for $50

Showerthought: The old radio I bought for $5 at a yard sale was used in a 1972 weather balloon launch.

I was cleaning the corrosion off the battery terminals and found a tiny, faded paper logbook taped inside the casing. It had handwritten notes from some college project tracking atmospheric pressure readings. Who else has found an object with a secret history like that?

Found this weird ceramic head in a box of free stuff on 4th Street

It was just sitting there on the curb, next to some old magazines... I almost left it because it was so creepy, but I grabbed it on a whim. Took it home and cleaned it up, and now I kind of love its weird vibe. Anyone else ever take a chance on a strange find and end up really liking it?

Just found a weird old photo album in a box on the curb in Albany

It was full of pictures from the 1970s, but every single person's face was carefully cut out with scissors. I took it home because it felt too strange to leave. Has anyone else found something that was clearly altered in a creepy way?

My neighbor called my alley find a 'sad ghost' and I can't unsee it

I grabbed this busted ceramic doll head from a curb in Portland last week, thought it was a cool creepy find. Showed my neighbor, and she just goes, 'Oh, a sad ghost.' It was the way she said it, like it was obvious. Now every time I look at it, I don't see a doll anymore, just this little lonely spirit. Anyone else have a find that totally changed meaning after someone else's comment?

Found a weird little metal box in a Seattle alley last Tuesday

It was about the size of a deck of cards, had no markings, and was locked shut with a tiny padlock. I took it home and spent an hour carefully prying it open with a flathead screwdriver. Inside was just a single, slightly rusted key and a folded piece of paper with the number '17' written on it. What do you think the most boring possible story behind this thing is?