Scoring on a great deal brings with it a wondrous jolt of exhilaration that is one of life’s simplest pleasures. On top of that, every once in a while, those good deals can end up being their own set of rip-roaring, wild deals. These folks certainly encountered their own moments when vintage items sold at surreal initial prices and then blossomed into treasure-like value.
1. When the junk is actually a gem
“A pair of headphones that I thought were cheap junk for 50p because my headphones had just died on me, and I needed something whilst deciding what to get next. Ended up being vintage 1970s Japanese-made headphones with a weird proprietary connector (the reason I searched them up, wanted to find an adapter because I was too stupid to check the connector before buying). Sold them for £130-ish a week later.” – u/3original5me
2. Don’t overlook skater deals
“At a rummage sale my husband brought me a tiny wooden skateboard for $2.50 and said, ‘I think this could be worth something.’ I sell clothes, so I rarely look at hard goods. Figured it was worth a gamble for the price. Turns out it was a very rare early skateboard made by a surfboard company. Sold at auction for $200.” – u/sweetsquashy
3. Time to check the kids’ Crayola set
“Got a set of old, unused colored pencils for $2 at Goodwill. Was planning on giving them to my kids to use. Decided to look them up to see how good a deal I got thinking they were worth maybe $20-30. When I saw the comps I was very surprised and chose to list them. Sold for $200 within an hour of listing.” – u/Lyrehctoo
4. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure
“A former billionaire boss used to clean out her closet and just leave stuff in the laundry room for the staff to take/donate/sell. One day, alongside the pile of obvious valuable designer goods was a box of boxes and bags for the dump. All designer names — Louis Vuitton, Manolo Blahnik, Tiffany’s, Louboutin, etc. On a whim on my way to the dumpster, I looked up one box, and was shocked to see they were selling! I got like $75-$90 a box at the time.” – u/ThriftStoreUnicorn
5. Always keep an eye on the kitchen gadgets
“A can opener for $6, the guy retired and his work let him take it home. Sold for $200 a week later. It was a commercial Edlund Model 266 opener.” – u/Joatoat
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6. Dang, Dostoyevsky, it didn’t realize it was like that
“Grabbed an old Dostoyevsky for $6 because I thought I could sell it for $20. Turned out to be the 1st American edition. Comps are above $3,500 (but no Solds so the actual value is still TBD).” – u/likelyculprit
7. Now that’s how one turns a profit
“I bought a beat-up old ex-library book of Stephen King’s ‘Salem’s Lot’ for 50 cents. Was a super rare first edition in which only a few existed (a different name for a main character, a different price, etc). Worth and sold for 5K!” – u/thejohnmc963
8. The Pyrex goldmine is a true sight to behold
“I found a cute, unmarked chip and dip bowl set at a thrift store once. Bought it cause I liked it. It sat in my kitchen for months before I tried to research it. Turns out it was an ultra-rare Pyrex Atomic Eyes chip and dip set. I sold it for about $600.” – u/toodleroo
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9. Imagine buying history like that
“I bought a Native American basket at Goodwill – COVERED in dust, for $1.99. Thought it was a Zulu basket and worth maybe $30… it was a Navajo basket and worth $1,800.” – u/Chartwellandgodspeed
10. Ornate Oysters anyone?
“An antique Maryland oyster can. Bought it for 50 cents at a thrift and it sold for nearly $3,000 on an eBay auction.” – u/kciro
