People Are Sharing Their ‘Luckiest’ Thrift Store Finds, And It’s Making Us Feel Like We’re Missing Out

Thrift stores are treasure troves for lost or hidden gems. But that’s not all — they also house some truly bizarre items, tucked away between old furniture and dusty books. Courtesy of websites such as Instagram and Bored Panda, we’re about to take a closer look at 40 of the weirdest finds to be shared online. Let the strangeness commence!

40. Lost for words

Are you a person who struggles to keep conversations going on the phone? Well, this book might be just what you need. Let’s hope that author Meg F. Schneider provided some winning lines. Then again, judging by that very ’80s cover, it could be a little out of date. So don’t lead with stuff about shoulder pads and Mr. T!

39. Cheesy message

We’re not sure about you, but we’ve never heard this mantra before. You know what, though? We won’t disagree. The product itself appears to be made from a slice of wooden log. Maybe you could hang it somewhere in your kitchen?

38. Ex-boyfriend line

You’ve all seen cute couple’s shirts before, but how about a fashion line specifically geared towards your exes? Nope, us neither. Mind you, one thrift store harbored this...beauty on its shelves. The stitching suggests there might’ve been a bit of pent-up frustration getting unleashed here. Feel the anger!

37. Facercise

We can’t even begin to imagine how many books on obscure topics you could find scattered across America’s thrift stores. Too many to count, right? Yet can any of them touch this bad boy for outright strangeness? The tagline by itself is a huge draw. Here’s the big question, though: does it work? We’ll get back to you in a few minutes!

36. Why paint cats?

To be honest, we’re somewhat surprised that the tagline here isn’t “Why Not?” judging by the picture. For the sheer randomness alone, this is a book cover to remember. And if you’re concerned about the morality of manipulating your moggie’s appearance — or as the cover has it, “the ethics of feline aesthetics” — fear not. It’s all done with digital trickery.

35. Look at those hands...

As far as deodorant names go, First Contact isn’t all that bad. The same can’t be said for the picture on the front, though. Do you see the problem? Look at that woman’s hands. They’re terrifying! Perhaps she’s meant to be an alien? Either that or she’s experienced a rather unfortunate growth spurt.

34. No sugar!

Sugar free Jell-O? Sign us up! We’re more than a little envious of the lucky person who uncovered this gem at their thrift store. Think of all the tasty recipes stored between those pages. If they turn out just as nice as the servings on the cover, we’d be in dreamland. But is there really enough to fill an entire book?

33. Fat cat

Why do we get the feeling that someone just told that feline they’d been dubbed “The Fattest Cat In The World”? The poor puss looked pretty miffed, to say the least! And in truth, we’ve seen chubbier cats around. Still, we can’t wait for the Hollywood adaptation...assuming we’ll ever get one.

32. Heads up

Looking for pristine ornaments at your local thrift store? Well, good luck. You’re more likely to find damaged oddities similar to this one. Unless that was the artist’s intent of course! Maybe the Headless Horseman’s sister settled down to start a family? The little kid definitely has his dad’s features, then.

31. Learn how to microwave

If this book is to be believed, microwaving is a lot harder than we ever thought. And apparently, we’ve been missing out on loads across the years. Microwaved cake? Burgers? That’s only the “basic” volume as well. Imagine what the advanced issue has in store! We hope the cover’s just as psychedelic.

30. Just wear it!

Shia LaBeouf is one of Hollywood’s more controversial stars, but the guy still has his fans. Would they trip over themselves to buy this, though? A shirt housing a weird profile snap and paparazzi image? We doubt they’re flying off the rack at this thrift store. The lack of a capitalized “B” in the print is also driving us bananas!

29. It’s wrestle-o’clock

For those of you who aren’t up on your wrestling history, that’s The Giant from WCW. You might know him better as The Big Show today. Anyway, his tiny appearance on this clock isn’t the strangest thing about it — it seems to be missing both its arms, too. And you can own it for just $6.49. What a steal!

28. Princess and the Frog?

Hmm...there’s a lot to unpack here. From the weird body proportions to the random floating head, you’ll only find something like this in a thrift store. But guess what? It’s actually based on a real royal. That’s meant to be Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden. The guy/frog looks to be her hubby Daniel Westling.

27. Pants For Real People

Are you a real person? And do you wear pants? Well, get a load of this — we think we’ve found the perfect magazine for you. Just look at how happy all those women are! Plus, it’s only the “second edition.” That suggests there’s a full series out in the wild somewhere. Keep your eyes peeled then, fellow real people.

26. Wedding sponge

Congratulations Mark and Sharon. Nothing projects newly-wed romance better than an old sponge. But considering that it ended up in a thrift store somewhere, that might not be the best sign. And for whoever actually goes on to buy it, we hope that isn’t permanent marker scribbled on the surface.

25. Why are you crying?

Nope, that cat ornament isn’t crying...or at least, we don’t think it is. Instead, it looks like someone overdid it with the glue to fix a broken eye. A clearer adhesive might’ve been a better choice! The lady here could always cover it with a white marker pen or something.

24. Creepy cat art

We’re going to be blunt here, folks — that piece of art is pure nightmare fuel. What happened to the poor cat’s face? And what’s going on with its tail? Plus, there’s the creepy shadow to consider, too. We’re getting major Dracula vibes for some reason. This should be kept in the thrift store’s Halloween section.

23. Outwitting Cats

Felines are truly fascinating creatures. As any owner will tell you, they can be fiercely independent and ignore your instructions, all while maintaining a charming demeanor at home. Could this book help, then? Honestly, we have our doubts. No human can outwit a cat. Or, judging by the blurb, hypnotize them.

22. Beehive doppelgänger

Taking to Instagram, a social media user posted the following message alongside a rather creepy image. It read, “Here’s a picture of me with my thrift store find — a photograph of an unknown woman who basically looks exactly like me with a beehive.” She’s right, you know. The resemblance is ridiculously uncanny.

21. E.T. lamp

Ever since E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial came out back in 1982 the titular character has since appeared on tons of merch. But still, this is a first for us. An E.T. lamp? How wonderfully bizarre! Mind you, the designer missed a trick in our opinion. Why isn’t his finger doubling as the light bulb?

20. Strike a pose

Where does Steven Seagal rank in your list of favorite action stars? If he’s near the top, this next entry could catch your eye...or leave you scratching your head. Yes, from the smoldering pose to the black-and-white filter, this is an hilariously odd find. Where would you even hang it?

19. What a haul

Attention all geology fans — here’s one for you! As you can see, there’s a thrift store out in the wild selling a literal “Cup of Rocks.” Yet it looks more like a jar to us. And those “rocks” seem to have a closer resemblance to pebbles. Plus, don’t get us started on the apostrophe. That’s a deal-breaker right there!

18. Scary purse

Have you ever wondered what an Eldritch horror would look like in the form of a purse? Well, here you go. This thing is equal parts terrifying and absolutely awesome. It’ll scare thieves off in an instant. But don’t stare into its eyes for too long. You know, just to be on the safe side.

17. Rewording an old phrase

You know that old saying, right? “Eat, Drink, and Remarry” — wait, what? That’s very wrong. Then again, something tells us that there’d still be quite a few takers for this bit of stitching. It could get a laugh or two, along with some disapproving frowns. We can’t tell how this dude feels.

16. How...arty?

Some thrift store ornaments just immediately stand out. But not always for the right reasons. This piece here certainly comes under that umbrella. Why is it so… brown? Is it meant to be depicting a wave of chocolate swallowing that poor woman and her horse? Meanwhile, an Instagram user described it as a “Stevie Nicks fever dream” and now we can’t unsee it.

15. Flowbee

Yes folks, that’s a real product. The Flowbee is a vacuum hair trimmer. And somewhat surprisingly, they’re still being made today. No joke. How about this for an even bigger shock, though? Apparently, George Clooney owned one back in the day. His mane has always looked great, so maybe there’s something to be said for this bizarre-sounding invention after all?

14. Halos and eyebrows

We’ve seen some bizarre ornaments at thrift stores before, but this one takes the cake. Firstly, it looks like the angel’s trying to play his violin with a large knife. Then, there’s the eyebrows. Oh boy. We can’t decide if we love or hate them. Maybe the artist was a big Marx Brothers fan?

13. Where’s your face?

Okay, where do we start here? It’s not everyday that you see a stuffed toy with a missing face. We find it to be weirdly chilling. The former owner could’ve at least drawn some features on the tin foil. As it is, this monkey could double as Terminator 2’s T-1000 in its present condition. Watch out, Arnie!

12. Thursday doll

At first glance, this appears to be a pretty normal doll. Yet that soon changes when you look at its shirt. Thursday? Was this part of a “weekday” collection of toys? How strange. And what happens if you play with it on a different day? We wouldn’t be shocked to hear that a vortex opens up, or something of that ilk.

11. Weird Princess Di painting

Calling this a weird painting doesn’t quite do it justice. In fact, we’d suggest that it ventures into the “so bad it’s good” category. The sentiment is definitely there, but the execution is baffling! Why use real feathers to depict Princess Diana’s angel wings? Plus, what happened to Prince William’s face? We don’t know whether to laugh or gasp.

10. Nice heels

Looking for shoes that are both stylish and sporty? Well, this thrift store has you covered. Yes folks, that’s a high-heeled Converse-style sneaker. It’s a fashion chimera come to life! Still, we’re not sure if you should try to play a game of basketball wearing these babies. Seems a little risky.

9. Crocs purse

For all you Crocs fans out there, how about this for surprise? Someone managed to uncover a matching purse at a thrift store. Mind you, the design raises a few questions. Are the holes a good idea when you’re carrying money around? Plus, it looks absolutely huge. Still, that’s useful if you’re one of those people who carries absolutely everything they might ever need around with them on a daily basis, we guess…

8. Strange, you are

The idea behind creating a Yoda garden gnome is fantastic. It just fits, right? But the execution here leaves a lot to be desired. Yep, the famous Jedi Master has certainly seen better days than this one. He really should get that eye looked at. Seriously, call a doctor man!

7. What a shirt!

Who doesn’t love Jeff Goldblum? The guy’s a Hollywood legend. So, we’re quite frankly amazed that this gloriously bizarre shirt hadn’t already been snapped up. Just look at it — there’s a Goldblum for every mood. He’s even cuddling a dog in one image. Whatever the thrift store was charging, it wasn’t enough!

6. Hot dog container

Don’t you just hate it when you’ve got nowhere to store your freshly-cooked hot dogs? Well, this thrift store find could be a game-changer… we think. According to the packaging, the container can house ten at a time. Whether it actually “preserves freshness” is anyone’s guess, though. Good luck to whoever buys it.

5. Hello Morris

No, that isn’t just a random feline. In case you didn’t know, he’s actually the face of the 9Lives Cat Food brand. Morris is a big deal! As per the company’s website, he was described as “the Clark Gable of cats” at his tryout for the role back in 1968. There are worse mugs to pick up at the thrift store.

4. Calling A.L.F.

To paraphrase a classic line from The Simpsons, “Remember A.L.F.? He’s back. In phone form.” Yes, someone found this really odd bit of merch at a thrift store. It’s in equal parts charming and unnerving. Just let the poor guy put the receiver down — his arm must be killing him.

3. Whoa!

Who knew that thrift stores sold full-on shrines? In this case, Keanu Reeves is the lucky, or unlucky, source of inspiration. Seriously, that’s a lot of photographs. Look at all the different frames, too. Someone made a lot of effort to put it together. Anyway, which room would you even put this in?

2. Smile...if you can

Clowns can be creepy at the best of times, yet this piece of art from a thrift store takes things to a whole new level. As one Instagram user aptly stated, “[I] just found out what’s scarier than a clown...more clowns. Ghost clowns.” That poor child. Someone really should help them!

1. Pillow Cage

Trust us, folks — that’s not a shot from a secret Face/Off sequel! Sorry to disappoint you. Given Nicolas Cage’s reputation, we love how fittingly weird this is. At the same time, though, we’d be pretty wary of snuggling up to said pillow. It looks as though it could spring to life at any second.