A thrifter thought he’d snagged a bargain after finding what he believed was a simple craft organizer, but his mind was blown when he got home and realized what it actually was.
While Reddit user u/mrpickle123 was thrifting at his local Goodwill outlet in California, he thought he’d found the perfect binder to organize his art supplies. The black binder opened up to reveal numerous small boxes that the 36-year-old initially had in mind to store his beads and small crafts.
It only cost 50 cents, so it seemed like an incredible bargain. But when u/mrpickle123 got home and took a proper look at the binder, it was far more than he originally thought. He told Newsweek that he felt “absolutely blown away” by what was inside, which carried a deep sentimental value.
It turned out that the binder contained a collection of eight rocks, 20 pottery pieces and a sample of flint which could date all the way back to 60,000 BCE, according to the notations. Each item is accompanied by a location and date of where it was found. There are also several pieces of paper featuring thorough notes to analyze each sample.
“It was in a simple binder that I initially only picked up because I often snag things like that to store arts and crafts supplies. When I got home and opened it and saw what was inside, my jaw dropped,” u/mrpickle123 said.
“I know next to nothing about the collector. The only glimpse I got into their life was the immaculate handwriting, which to me suggests an older collector. The other insight was that they either had kids or grandkids that they loved and showed their collection to, while showing them identifying tactics to determine the differences,” he continued.
After seeing how immaculate the collection was kept, the Reddit user believes it must have been “a special and sentimental event” for them.
At the time, u/mrpickle123 was searching for jigsaw puzzles in the thrift store when he came across the rock collection. In fact, he almost walked out before spotting the binder but quickly threw it into his cart after seeing it on the shelf.
He couldn’t resist sharing pictures of the rock collection on Reddit, and the post has gone viral with over 2,000 upvotes in a matter of days.
Having looked through the collection, u/mrpickle123 tells Newsweek that his favorite artifact is the copper ore that is said to be from King Solomon’s mines.
“When I got home and was able to make a closer inspection, I was blown away. I have a friend in mind that I may give this to, but it will be hard to give it up,” u/mrpickle123 said.
He continued: “I’ve learned a lot from the responses on Reddit and my own research on these types of collections. I reached out to a local professor in anthropology and geology and have a date set to have them take a look. Based on their initial response, it appears this collection would mostly have sentimental value, but we’ll see when they get to look at them up close.”
While many social media users reached out to praise the rock collection, others were keen to find out if u/mrpickle123 would consider selling it (the answer is no). He’s been overwhelmed by the reaction and hopes this will encourage others to see what hidden treasures are waiting in their local thrift stores.
“My walls are lined with artwork I’ve thrifted, and my kitchen is stocked with German steel knives and ceramic dishware that would cost hundreds new. It’s amazing what people give away,” u/mrpickle123 said.
Among the responses on Reddit, one person commented: “Wow this is really special, not sure how it ended up in the bins. Glad you were able to rescue it before it was tossed.”
Another Reddit user wrote: “awesome piece of anthropology and geology.”
While one comment reads: “What a find!! Literally pieces of the ancient past. It’s amazing.”
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