Thrift shops are great for finding almost anything one could want at extremely low prices. The catch, of course, is that the items are all used, and there is no way of knowing who used to own them or why it was that the items were discarded. Occasionally, it's possible to find a "diamond in the rough", an item that catches the eye and intrigue of an unsuspecting shopper. These "diamonds in the rough" are scattered right across the spectrum of weirdness. Some are so ridiculously weird that one would probably never find them anywhere other than at a second-hand shop. It's important to remember, however, that everything that can be found at a thrift shop has its own story for why it's there. Its reason for being created in the first place, however, is more often than not the true mystery. Let's take a peek at some of these "diamonds in the rough" that people have found while out thrift shopping.
1. "Organ Donor"
Although there are usually a few instruments in questionable shape, not many people go to the thrift shop in hopes of finding their next great musical instrument.
This old organ is definitely a "diamond in the rough". For less than $10, this person can relive all of their favorite childhood church songs, over and over and over again.
2. "Homeward Bound"
The "Pet Rock" was a million-dollar idea by a man named Gary Ross Dahl. He came up with the idea to put a rock in a box and sell it as a pet for children. A pet that did not need to be fed or cleaned up after. Parents loved it! But what happened to all those rocks? The kids had to grow up at some point and being rocks, their pets would never die, but they had names, and were loved by these children. This brings up a great question, "whatever happened to all those pets?"
Some rocks have been thrown away, discarded to live out their lives without their person, while others have been handed down from generation to generation. This rock, in particular, is waiting for its new home. For a child who will name it, and whose imagination will bring life once more to an old rock searching for a new friend.
3. "Accurate To The Last Detail"
It is obvious to anyone who has seen Nicolas Cage act, that his talent has an unlimited range and he is able to portray literally any character that he's assigned.
As proof of his outstanding talent, Nicolas Cage has taken a step to outdo even himself. He has been living with a baboon colony for the past 6 months in order to prepare for his next role. Above, is a portrait that was drawn of his time with the majestic creatures.
4. "Face-Off"
For years, people have been taking images of loved ones and superimposing them into famous scenes from movies or from throughout history.
I do not deny the fact that "The Little Mermaid" was a great film, however, I really hope that the parents who swapped their daughter's face with Ariel's didn't expect their child to wear the shirt in public. It was probably "stolen" soon after they received it.
5. "One For All"
Thrift stores usually have quite the obscure collections of old paintings and wall hangings. Some of them, like this next one, portray some of the most influential cats in modern history.
Sir Meows A-Lot was one of the most decorated cats to have fought in the Great Mouse Rebellion of 1683. He fought nobly and gallantly, right to the end. He was brave. He was courageous...he was one of a kind. He was...Sir Meows A-Lot.
6. "Check For Skid Marks"
Wearing gloves to the gym has helped people cut down on blisters and improve their grip. When people go to the gym often, however, the gloves that one wears are very likely to get sweaty and unappealing to use day after day.
We put socks on before shoes, underpants before pants, why not put on a pair of handerpants before putting on gloves? The gloves will stay nice and fresh, and the handerpants will take care of the HPS (hand-palm-sweat).
7. "Pack Your Bags, You're Coming Home"
Thrift shoppers expect to leave the store with some new vintage clothing, or perhaps a classic gaming console. They do not, however, expect to be leaving with a new pet hamster, fully equipped with a cage and food.
How could anyone leave a hamster alone in a thrift shop? I would hope the first customer who saw it, would give it a good home. Imagine the employee's shock when someone actually came to leave the hamster there. They better have given them a slow, disapproving head shake.
8. "That's Miss. Piggy Bank To You!"
"And here we have Miss, yep, you heard me, she's single and ready to mingle, Miss. Piggy. Here she is in the same dress she wore to the inaugural Hensen Awards. For those who may have forgotten, that was the first time that she and Kermit had been seen together off-set."
The person who designed this must have known what this would look like right? I'm pretty sure that teaching children that it's okay to put money down a woman's shirt is not the message that parents should be relaying to their kids.
9. "Hypno-Cats"
There is a difference between a cat person and a cat lover. A cat person enjoys hanging out with their cat, while a cat lover buys everything they can that has the image of a cat on it.
This looks like it probably could have been a shower curtain that someone turned into a dress. Look at the waist. No designer piece of clothing would have the cat's heads getting cut off around the waist. Now, imagine this dress as a shower curtain...
10. "There Is Another"
Some things that can be found at thrift shops truly are gems, unexpected gems, but gems all the same. Everyone has someone whom they admire, someone who inspires them to be the best version of themselves.
"Do or do not. There is no try." A thrift shop is not the place where anyone would expect to find a framed portrait of one of the wisest beings to have been imagined.
11. "Retirement Has Not Treated Them Well"
It has been a few years since Batman and Robin have been called upon in order to help stop the villains of Gotham from getting up to no good. After years out of the spotlight, the Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder were called upon to have a portrait painted of them that would honor all the work they had done for the city.
I bet our heroes would have prefered the portrait to be based on an old image of them. The two are just a little bit out of shape these days.
12. "Capture The Moment"
Tabitha Betty (Tabby to her friends) was not like other cats. She was a little bit slow when it came to doing cat-like things. Then one day, when her people came home, she had a surprise for them...she had caught her first mouse, and her people decided to immortalize the moment.
Parents tend to hang on to keepsakes in order to remember the monumental moments in their children's lives. So, why should these big moments in their pet's lives be treated any differently?
13. "A Hole New Level"
There are very few options for what some of the things that people find at second-hand shops can be...
This is one of those, not so, multi-purpose items. It also brings a whole new meaning to the term "easy access". Being a second-hand shop, it is a little questionable as to why someone would be touching these though. No amount of cleaning can erase certain images from one's mind.
14. "It's Uncanny!"
At thrift shops, it is common to find memorabilia from past protests, marches, and political campaigns.
Upon seeing this button, "The 45th" must have had some fairly mixed emotions. The majority of his fan base would not have been too thrilled about the message, but at the same time, he's looking better on this button than he ever has in real life.
15. "Walking On Sunshine"
People can spend hours in a shoe store looking for a pair of shoes that meets all of their needs.
These shoes must have been sold at a regular store at some point. I'm not even sure I want to know who would have designed them. Something tells me they might be serving 15 to life at the local "for-profit" prison.
16. "That's Bizarre""
The North Face is a company that specializes in outdoor recreational clothing and equipment. The company has been provided a quality product to Americans since 1968.
It's not just Superman who has a "bizarro world" version of himself. The South Butt is apparently real, and it's a knock-off that makes clothing similar to The North Face.
17. "A Cool Treat"
Second-hand shops are excellent places to do one's Halloween costume shopping. Even if there are no costumes specifically for Halloween, there are tons of other options which one can piece together.
There are usually some of last year's costumes waiting to be purchased at the thrift shop. This ice cream looks a little worse for wear and a little difficult to move around in. One of the legs is a stick that prevents the leg from bending. It just doesn't seem all that comfortable.
18. "Problem Solved"
Once a year or so, there is a picture of a dress that makes its rounds through social media. A dress that some people see as one set of colors, while others see a different set. One designer found a solution to the confusion.
No, no one's eyes are playing tricks on them. This is a half & half dress. If you can't beat them, join them, right?
19. "The Jig Is Up"
Portraits are made as a reminder of, or tribute to, those who have left their mark somehow, on someone or something.
The 20s and 30s were tough decades to be a cat detective in America, but without brave felines like Snowball here, Al Catpone and his clowder of catnip smugglers, would probably still be slinging their products all over town.
20. "Is That George W.?"
Taking a child to a thrift shop is a fantastic way to keep them occupied for a little while. With all the weird and interesting things that it has, a thrift shop is a wonderland of sorts for children.
Most adults regret taking their kids to the thrift shop the moment they see the one item the child has chosen as their "one thing they can get".
21. "Feeling Tied Down?"
"Going camping or to the beach with some questionable characters who may, or may not be, cannibalistic or a flight risk. Are you perhaps worried that Uncle Johnny might have been bitten by a zombie?"
I would be very curious to know who the target market was for this chair. Maybe it was the original design for Hannibal Lecter's transportation? Or, maybe it was meant to be a Houdini-style escape trick? Or maybe it was just for Uncle Johnny who won't tell us how he got that bite mark...
22. "Ashes To Ashes"
Having a loved one cremated and placed in an urn to be taken home and placed on the mantel could come off as a little creepy to some people.
Finding an urn full of ashes at a thrift shop is even creepier. But that's what happened. Someone went into a thrift shop alone and left with someone else's loved one...
23. "Stand By Me"
A dog's loyalty is not something to take for granted. They will go to great lengths to protect the one who they consider to be "their person", and will stay by their side until the very end.
At a second-hand shop, someone actually came across a box that's intended for a dog's ashes. Whether or not there were ashes inside at the time is unknown.
24. "Two Brides, One Dress"
Some people search long and hard for the perfect wedding dress but are unable to find the one they had their hopes set on...until they visit the thrift shop while looking for a new pair of handerpants.
This bride found her dream gown at a second-hand store. Instead of a couple of thousand dollars, she paid less than a hundred for it. I hope the original bride parted with this dress on good terms...
25. "It Was Always Big Enough"
There has been so much debate about whether or not Pluto should have remained as a recognized planet. It's official, at least, one person thinks that Pluto had enough girth to remain in the classification.
Enough of all this bull-hickey, it's simply a fact that mums know best. It's time to re-classify Pluto as a planet and, once more, put everything back how it should be.
26. "Time Warp"
When it comes to home appliances and accessories, thrift shops usually have a wide range to choose from that can suit any occasion.
This shag carpet-covered scale looks like it has come right from the 70s. I'm sure it would be soft on the feet, but it would be quite the mission getting that thing cleaned if something spilled on it.
27. "Now, That's A Gem!"
One of the last things that someone expects to find in a thrift store, is anything of any real value.
One can only imagine the surprise when one person came out of a second-hand store with a 10k diamond sapphire ring. This truly was a "diamond in the rough".
28. " 'A' For Effort"
For some people, thrift shopping is a full-time job. They spend their time going from one second-hand store to another in hopes of finding anything at all that they can flip and sell at a higher price than what they got it for. Some of the objects they find, however, don't seem to make any practical sense...
This guy gets a giant thumb up for finding one of the most ridiculous things on this list. I'd be a little concerned as to what his family is going to say when he shows up at home with the Statue of Liberty's thumb though...
29. "Traditiooooon, Tradition!"
What began decades ago when Grandma would knit holiday sweaters for the kids, has transformed into friends and families exchanging and wearing ugly Christmas sweaters as a tradition of sorts.
In recent years, the tradition has evolved commercially, and the themes of the sweaters have become more satirical and full of whimsy. This Christmas sweater says everything without saying anything.
30. "Cleaning Out The Thrift Shop"
"...what I did was stupid
went searching for a big thumb
but the smartest thing I did was leave it there and buy some bubble gum
thumbs go up but a bubble can blow
Day in day out
I'd like to thank ya'll for coming to the thrift show"
went searching for a big thumb
but the smartest thing I did was leave it there and buy some bubble gum
thumbs go up but a bubble can blow
Day in day out
I'd like to thank ya'll for coming to the thrift show"
"I'm sorry matryoshka
I never meant to open you
I never meant for you to see the sky
but it's done
and that's my only answer"
I never meant to open you
I never meant for you to see the sky
but it's done
and that's my only answer"
31. "Sacrifice-Free Zone"
As we grow up, our hobbies tend to change. The things that we were once intrigued or obsessed about no longer strike our interest. Sometimes, we don't want to give up on a hobby but, for some crazy reason, our parents give us no choice other than to get rid of all the objects that could possibly be used to perform the dark arts or channel the spirits of the afterlife.
While in the thrift shop, it might be a good idea to have a look around for an Ouija board as well. It would be nice to know if any sacrifices were performed with this before making the decision to take it home.
32. "Fitting In"
Hipsters around the world pride themselves on being different from the norm, while also being, almost, exactly like every other hipster.
This guy is literally the face of the hipster movement. If that isn't a sign that perhaps it's time to change his style, I'm not sure what is.
33. "Now What's The Excuse?"
There are some items that every employer should give to their employees on day 1 of orientation. One item, in particular, should be given wrapped in a box, and with a note that tells the employee to keep, but not to open the package. And then one day, when the employer has had just about enough of the employee's excuses as to why their work hasn't been completed on time, they will ask the worker to go and retrieve the box. And in the box, they will find one of these...
This is brilliant. It works for more than just employer/employee relationships as well. Need something done around the house? Here's a round tuit, now get tuit.
34. "I Don't Ask For Much"
We all know someone who, as opposed to parallel parking, would rather stay home and miss the event they were meant to be attending.
Parallel parking might not be the easiest thing to do for the majority of drivers, but that's only because people usually avoid doing it at all costs. With just a little bit of practice, this prayer could be re-focused to something more important.
35. "Nurture Vs Nature"
When looking for a gift for a friend or colleague, a novelty coffee mug is never a bad idea. This next one is either one of the worst coffee cup ideas ever conceived, or one of the most clever milk pourors.
Ok, coffee mugs could be a bad idea sometimes. Always ensure that a gift for a colleague is HR approved. This cup does seem fairly spill proof, however, I'm not too sure how to fill the cup
36. "Neighbourhood-Watch"
"Yellow Ears has traveled long and far, and faced many trials along his journey but no matter how tough things got, nothing was going to stop him from crossing Acorn River and avenging the theft of Sammy's winter harvest."
A squirrel in a canoe is both adorable and practical. How else is Yellow Ears meant to patrol the lakes and the rivers?
37. "For All Eternity"
It is rather rare for someone to go furniture shopping at a second-hand shop, however, if a shopper is very lucky, they just might find the chair of their dreams...or nightmares.
It looks like this is the Phantom Zone of couches. All of those cats are actually criminals on their planet who have been trapped within this seat for the duration of their sentences.
38. "The Horror! The Horror!"
In order to feel close to their faith, there are some people who place images of their religious figures around their homes. Some people also believe that having these images around can act as a constant reminder to act appropriately because they are always under the watchful eye of their higher being.
Nothing says "I'm always watching" quite like a concaved image of Jesus. From the look in his eyes, he has been watching for a very long time and seen a few things that he can't unsee.
39. "The Tension Is Palpable"
There are some people who go to second-hand shops with the sole purpose of finding something unique that can't be found anywhere else.
There is a possibility that this button is telling the real story behind Buzz and Woody's hostility towards each other in "Toy Story 1". Sometimes, frenemies just need to figure out what's behind all of their animosity.
40. "Always Check The Pockets"
Searching through the seemingly endless racks of clothing at a thrift shop can be an exhausting ordeal, but on occasion, the search pays off. And I'm not talking about finding the perfect pair of handerpants.
One would think that thrift shop workers would probably check the pockets of all the clothing that comes into the store, but sometimes things are missed. Sometimes, it's not until after getting home from the second-hand shop, that one notices the stack of cash in the pockets of their new used pants. There have been stories of people finding more than $1,000 in clothing that they purchased from a second-hand shop.