20+ Photos Proving That You Can Find Something Cool, Even in a Pile of Old Junk

The people from this article learned that something truly valuable can be found in unexpected places like a secondhand store or a flea market. You don’t have to have any special knowledge or skills — sometimes you just have to be a little lucky.

Bright Side is about to show you some photos taken by lucky people who managed to buy some cool and very expensive stuff when they least expected to.

“In high school, I found this vintage apple necklace that I loved at an antique store, but I left it at an ex-boyfriend’s house and never got it back. Yesterday I walked into an antique store and SAW THE SAME NECKLACE! 10 years later and 700 miles away, the treasure hunt always pays off!”

“I found a nice hardcover edition of a book I’ve been wanting to read at Value Village, and I was happy to pay the $5 for it. Then I found this when I flipped through it at home.”

“I always make sure to look through the entire costume jewelry section before leaving and today I found this diamond sapphire engagement ring in a rummage bowl for $2. Took it to a jeweler straight after and they confirmed it was real.”

“I was searching for a suit for a wedding and found a 3-piece with a retail value of $1,700. And I paid $20 for it!”

“Needed an emergency dress for an event yesterday and found one for $9 at my favorite charity shop!”

“Found a camera in a thrift store that belonged to a soldier in WW1. It has undeveloped Verichrome film in the back.”

“I found a Loewe ’puzzle’ bag in pristine condition for $20 at Goodwill. It retails at $2,590.”

“Always check your piggy banks! Found $170 in a piggy bank that cost $7!”

“Found my wedding dress today. I believe it’s from the 1950s and I only paid $64 for it and I’m in love. Going to add my own twist to the top and redo the corset but the bottom is staying just how it is.”

“This is the best $1.99 I will ever spend in my lifetime. The book has a photo of Stephen King and his autograph in it!”

“This is a thrifted vintage gown that resembles the lamé dress Marilyn Monroe wore. I did not nail the pose, I know…”

“Went to a house clearance sale and found this pin marked as ’costume jewelry’ for $5. Took it to a jeweler and they confirmed it’s unmarked gold with diamonds and sapphires.”

“3 designer blazers on the same trip to GW — I paid under $15 for all 3.”

“Fell in love with this painting and got it for $10!”

“I found a $5 vintage, heavily-beaded, seashell purse with a handmade tag inside. It’s so pretty!”

“Cute vintage strawberry salt and pepper shakers, new and in a box”

“Found $5 in this jacket I paid $6 for.”

“I got a Harry Potter wand for $1.78.”

“I only started learning embroidery a few days ago and found 700 skeins of string for $5 at a thrift store. They retail for about $.50 each.”

“This was probably my favorite purchase ever! A $3 vintage wedding dress!”

“I was told this was a green amethyst and haggled it down to $42. Took it to a jeweler to have it appraised — it’s a rare green diamond over 100 years old, conservatively worth more than $8,000!”

We’re sure that our readers have interesting stories too. Which of your purchases do you think was a really great find? Tell us!

Uncovering the Mysteries of the Lake in Oklahoma

Residents of Oklahoma found a mysterious hard sac-like ‘egg’ hanging from the tree roots at the lake, but scientists are now calming the locals, who immediately jumped to conclusions of alien proportions, by explaining that it’s an ancient creature

These creatures have found the right space and environment, so its likely they'll be around a lot this summer

These creatures have found the right space and environment, so its likely they’ll be around a lot this summer.

Locals in Oklahoma discovered large, jelly-like sacs with a hard exterior hanging from tree roots; they immediately thought the answer was extraterrestrial. Or at least not good news.

But scientists, reassuring the public, have said that the locals in the area got a rare treat – the glimpse of the reproductive system of an ancient animal that’s been around since before the dinosaurs.

Immediately, locals put it up online, and spectators began commenting on the extraterrestrial-looking eggs. But scientists say that the creatures were simple bryozoans. They’ve been around for hundreds of millions of years, before the first dinosaurs roamed the planet. The animals may actually be good news for the lake.

a egg sac looking creature

These bizarre creatures are actually hundreds of tiny bryozoans.

egg sac looking creature

Officials reassured the public that the animals are absolutely supposed to be there 

Bryozoans clone themselves into large masses to filter tiny particles out of the water for food, cleaning up the lake. The critters normally reside in ponds and lakes. This time, it was found in McGee Creek Reservoir, located on the southwest edge of the Ouachita Mountain Range.

Bryozoan clumps aren’t an egg or just one animal at all. They form this hard shell as they are hundreds of creatures banded together. The pods, known as zooids, are each a fraction of a millimeter long. They lack any respiratory or circulatory systems, but their central nerve ganglion allows the animal to respond to stimuli.

floating pod-like creatures below the surface of the water

These pods are hanging from tree roots, and actually help clean the lake

The tiny invertebrates possess both male and female reproductive organs, allowing them to self-clone and spread through clumps of cells on the organism known as statoblasts.

Each statoblast can reproduce asexually. They do this by breaking off from a colony, allowing the animal to reproduce rapidly if the space and the weather are suitable. The animals eat phytoplankton and bacteria lurking in water.

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Fossil records suggest they may have evolved from an ancient marine worm. Their grandparents, ancient bryozoans, date back as far as 470 million years. For perspective, dinosaurs came around 245 million years ago.

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) shared the photos on social media. “What is that??? If you’re out boating somewhere like McGee Creek Reservoir you may notice these strange jelly-like balls hanging from submerged tree limbs,” begins the post.

“These are Bryozoans, and they’ll likely show up in large numbers this summer. Don’t be alarmed these microorganisms are native and are of no danger to you or wildlife. In fact, they are an indicator of good environmental quality and clear water!”

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