What Even Are These Weird Thrift Store Findings?
If you believe that thrift stores only contain piles of junk fit for Macklemore, you're missing out. Yes, there's a lot of junk in thrift shops. But if you dig deep enough, you'll unearth some real gems: hilarious, unexpected objects sold for under $10.
What will Goodwill accept? As it turns out, they'll take anything from a dragon bike helmet to a horse-shaped shoe, to a rock. Put on your $3 sweater and enjoy the weirdest items found in thrift stores.
How To Take Baby Steps
There are many puns at play here. Baby shoes. Baby steps. Sole child. Nightmare fuel. That last one wasn't a pun; it was just the truth. These shoes look like a horror movie prop that was donated to a thrift shop.
Internet users theorize that these shoes were custom-made, because why would any company think this is a good idea? One thing's for sure: whoever wears these must be incredibly metal.
In Case The Scale Hurts Your Feet
Have you ever stepped onto a scale and went, "Ouch! Why are there spikes on this?" If so, this thrift store item can replace your potentially dangerous scale. The weight results might affect a person's confidence, but at least the faux fur will comfort their toes.
If you look closely, you'll notice that someone wrote the price on the glass that shields the weight measures. Will that wash off? If it doesn't, you might weigh yourself every week only to see $3 as a result.
Turn On The Radio, Grab A Phone, And Sit On The Toilet
This is one of those products where, the more you look at it, the weirder it becomes. It's a toilet paper holder with a built-in AM/FM radio. Also, it has a working telephone for some reason.
As you can probably tell, this item is quite dated. Most phones don't have cords anymore, and anyone can bring their smartphone into a bathroom to play music or text. But it makes a funny blast from the past.
Imagine This Barreling Toward You
At first glance, it's difficult to tell what exactly this dragon mold is. According to the thrift shop worker, it's a bike helmet. Yes, you can speed down the street while an enormous furry dragon soars above your head.
If you look closer at the design, you'll see that it was hastily made. The dragon "face" belongs to an alligator, the "tongue" is a red hand mold, and the fur looks like a ferret's or a rabbit's. It's just...strange.
Electronic Music
Someone heard the command "make a keyboard" and didn't understand what their boss made. A piano, or a computer keyboard? How about both in one? If you grow frustrated while writing an essay or playing a game, you can cool down with some self-made music.
It's a keyboard-keyboard: you can type while you play. Although this makes a unique thrift store item, you can also find it on Amazon for $94.
Just Your Average Horseshoe
Do you know a horse fan who's looking for the perfect shoe? Check this thrift shop. It's a horse shoe. Not a horseshoe, but like, a literal shoe designed in the likeness of a horse. It's the perfect accessory for a horse barn wedding.
Some Reddit users have theorized that this horse shoe might actually be a wine or beer container. Even so, it looks suspiciously shoe-shaped. It's probably an indie design that never made it to the runway.
A Rock
Yeah, Goodwill sold a rock for $1. We know what you're thinking: that's a phenomenal deal! That stone is worth $5 at least. Who wouldn't pay for that?
On the original Reddit post, a current Goodwill employee commented that some of the stores would sell anything because they have to reach a certain number of items sold every day. If your local Goodwill has fallen on hard times, expect some more rocks.
Homerchu
What's the greatest crossover in history? Look at this hat, and you'll find your answer. This wonderfully awful hat was found in a thrift store in South Korea. It's a disconcerting blend between Pikachu and Homer Simpson.
Although the design deserves questioning, it's so small that most people likely wouldn't notice it. From afar, it looks like a tiny Pikachu. Look at it up close, and you'll discover the figure that people see in sleep paralysis.
An Oddly Specific And Relatable Prayer
Religious items are common in thrift stores such as Goodwill. But for all the amusing Jesus statues and angel ornaments, this mug earns an award for being the most oddly specific. It says, "Dear Lord, Please don't make me have to parallel park. Amen."
The Tumblr user who posted this called it a "weirdly specific but extremely relatable Goodwill find," which is an accurate summation. Few people enjoy parallel parking, so you might as well add that to your morning prayer.
No Headline Can Clarify What's Going On Here
As you can see, this is a... a painting. A strange painting. It seems to depict a woman wearing a bonnet, and a fish pokes through both her head and the bonnet. It's hard to believe that someone wouldn't want this in their kitchen.
Thrift stores often display paintings that nobody knew existed. This is one of them. Besides the artwork itself, the concept that someone owned this beforehand is fascinating. Did they ever hang it? When did they decide that it was too much?
The Potty Putter
If you're a fan of bad infomercials, you may recognize this item. An ad for this product used to air on TV over a decade ago. Evidently, the informercial worked, and people bought it--only to dump it at a thrift shop years later.
As you can see, the potty putter allows you to practice your golf skills while on the toilet. Although the original product sold for $19.99, this Imgur user bought it for $1.99. "Best $1.99 I've ever spent," they wrote.
The Strongest Superhero
Have you ever heard a kid say, "I want to be a superhero when I grow up"? Most parents would think that this dream isn't possible. But these parents haven't met Mega Plumber, the strongest superhero of them all.
Mega Plumber has enough strength to plunge a toilet, the speed to rectify a leaky pipe, and supervision to pinpoint water stains. An action figure is the perfect kid's toy if you think about it. He's a true hero.
These Boots Aren't Made For Walking
These silver boots were found in a Mexican flea market in 2018. In Mexico, pointed shoes are in fashion. But these boots are a little... too pointed. They look more like Crakows, extremely long-toed shows that Polish men wore in the 15th century.
Imagine wearing these for a moment. Every time you step, you might kick a person who walks two feet ahead of you. These boots aren't very practical, which explains how they ended up in a flea market.
The Shirt Of Relationships Past
This thrift store shirt seems to be custom-made, as it depicts a couple. Considering that the shirt has been donated, it's easy to assume that they're not together anymore. The Redditor who posted the photo said that the shirt had been on sale for at least a month, and nobody bought it.
The original poster also posed the question, "Who left who?" There's a story behind this thrift find that's both intriguing and sad. Also, the shirt features Bob Marley for some reason.
Michael Snowman
Most people are familiar with customizable snow globes. Usually, families place photos of themselves in snow globes to signify a Christmas celebration or vacation. This thrift shop snow globe has a picture of Michael Cera. The conclusion? Michael Cera is a part of this donor's family.
Perhaps Michael Cera owned this snow globe and was kind enough to donate it to a shop. That would make it quite valuable! Also, the person who found this purchased it for $2.
Will The Real Slim Shady Please Stand Up?
Nesting dolls are the kind of knick-knacks that most people expect at thrift stores. Celebrity knick-knacks are not. Here, we have a set of Eminem Russian nesting dolls, in case you want to unveil Slim Shady's many outfits.
If you haven't seen a celebrity Russian nesting doll before, then you'd be surprised to know that these are fairly common in Russia. You can buy KISS, Motley Crue, Harry Potter, or Frida Kahlo nesting dolls if you look hard enough.
A Freaky Hyper-Realistic Old Lady Mask
Sure, thrift stores can offer some inexpensive Halloween options whenever people donate costumes. But this costume looks a little too realistic. It's also not something you'd anticipate finding in a thrift shop.
If you encountered a stranger with this mask, would you think that it's a mask at first? You'd probably see a witch straight out of a fantasy novel. On second thought, maybe don't wear this during Halloween. It'll scare the children.
The Most Uncomfortable Shoes On The Planet
Sometimes, people want to feel fresh grass in between your toes. If you don't have access to real grass, how about you step on fake grass? You can pretend that it's not the itchiest material on the planet.
And why step on a grass field when you can wear fake grass shoes? Doesn't that sound comfortable? They're so cozy that they're basically a pair of slippers. And you can buy them for the low price of $6.98.
Wait...That's Not Ariel
One thrift worker volunteer came across this gem that most people would walk right by. Look closely at Ariel's face, and you'll realize that the Disney princess looks strangely realistic. It's the face of six-year-old Yanna, the birthday girl, according to the shirt text.
Why do people donate personalized shirts to thrift stores? And who buys them? These are the questions that plague our souls at night after a day of thrift shopping.
Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Fatman!
Sometimes, thrift stores sell creepy paintings. Other times, they sell true masterpieces. One such masterpiece is this Batman and Robin painting where both characters seem chubbier than their actor counterparts. One commenter called them "Fatman and Baskin Robbin," effectively stealing the best joke from everyone else.
This painting's artist is Craig Gleason from Arizona, and he gave this work to Goodwill in 2014. Although the original Imgur poster bought the portrait for $6, other commenters were offering them $50 and up.
