# A Hidden Fortune in My New House? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 9, 2013, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hidden-fortune-in-my-new-house/660523 "2013-06-09T03:25:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2013, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hidden-fortune-in-my-new-house/660523/21 "2013-06-10T15:33:52Z")
> [@Jennshark](#): > > The house is almost 100 years old and 50 years ago a plumber found about $35,000 in silver dollars and valuable coins in the bathroom behind a wall he was replacing. Sounds to me like any hidden fortune to be found already has. Personally I would do a little research and verify that tale, through newspaper records for example, before expending any time or energy on a potentially disastrous wild goose chase. And even assuming the story is true, is it not reasonable to assume that whoever owned the house at the time performed a thorough search and presumably recovered any additional “treasure” that was there to be found, if any? ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2013, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hidden-fortune-in-my-new-house/660523/22 "2013-06-10T15:44:56Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > Technically, it’s a local legend, but not an urban legend. All that means is that it’s a recognizable story pattern. Could be true, could be untrue. Good luck! An [urban legend](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_legend) does not have to be true. > [@](#): > > An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true. As with all folklore and mythology, the designation suggests nothing about the story’s veracity, but merely that it is in circulation, exhibits variation over time, and carries some significance that motivates the community in preserving and propagating it. I have an urban legend calendar on my desk, with one story for each day. About a fourth of them are actually true (the flip side of each day’s page verifies or refutes it). > [@60wag](#): > > Get a cheap bore scope form Home Depot. Then get to work drilling small holes in the walls and have a peek with the scope. You might not find anything but it’ll be a load of fun and the holes will be easy to patch. After that at least you won’t be lying awake at night wondering about a stash of money in the walls, you’ll be able to focus on the ghosts. And talk loudly when you come into the room, so you don’t catch any ghosts sleeping. They don’t like to be drilled into, so give them a chance to get out of the way. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2013, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hidden-fortune-in-my-new-house/660523/23 "2013-06-10T15:51:09Z")
> [@Jennshark](#): > > is there any equipment that can be used inside the house to detect what I assume is paper money or something like railroad bonds? Go to your local Home Depot and ask for an “intra-joist cellulose detector.” It should be next to the blinker fluid. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2013, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hidden-fortune-in-my-new-house/660523/24 "2013-06-10T15:59:43Z")
I think I’d get one of those little glass fiber cameras and start drilling holes to look for things. I wouldn’t really expect to find anything, but it sounds like fun. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2013, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hidden-fortune-in-my-new-house/660523/25 "2013-06-10T17:01:29Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > An [urban legend](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_legend) does not have to be true. I know: what I meant was that not all legends are urban legends. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2013, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hidden-fortune-in-my-new-house/660523/26 "2013-06-10T18:19:23Z")
Is it possible one of the prior owners was a Nigerian prince? If so, the key isn’t drilling holes in the wall, you just need to wire me $50,000 to cover the bank’s processing fee, after which they’ll release the safe deposit box saying where in the house the money is. ---
**Author:** ![phall0106](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phall0106/32/5934_2.png) [@phall0106](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phall0106)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2013, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hidden-fortune-in-my-new-house/660523/27 "2013-06-11T01:11:42Z")
Oh, great! Now you guys scared her off. :dubious: **Jennshark** , come back and tell us about your ghosties! …Or maybe she’s digging up her back yard and basement, or tearing the plaster off the studs… ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2013, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hidden-fortune-in-my-new-house/660523/28 "2013-06-11T19:02:19Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Go to your local Home Depot and ask for an “intra-joist cellulose detector.” It should be next to the blinker fluid. I’ll help you search for the treasure if you get me a radiator cap for a 1972 VW Beetle. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2013, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hidden-fortune-in-my-new-house/660523/29 "2013-06-12T15:50:13Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > (and, if you’re a bit more serious about searching the house. you can rent [equipment to spy inside walls](http://www.hss.com/g/49613/Inspection-Endoscope.html) I was going to suggest something similar. [You can buy one as cheaply as renting.](http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-Tek4-Digital-Inspection-Scope-RP4205/202223756) ---
**Author:** ![Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8c91f0/32.png) [@Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bam_Boo_Gut)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2013, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hidden-fortune-in-my-new-house/660523/30 "2013-06-12T16:17:46Z")
May I suggest the OP drills as many holes as possible into the house, then paint it yellow and turn it into The Big Cheese amusement park? There’s a fortune to be made! ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hidden-fortune-in-my-new-house/660523/31 "2013-06-14T01:39:55Z")
Maybe Jennshark found out too much and is being held in some villain’s lair? Who will save her? ---
**Author:** ![Tracijo67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@Tracijo67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tracijo67)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hidden-fortune-in-my-new-house/660523/33 "2013-07-05T12:33:41Z")
My father found $5000 in small bills plus a handwritten will buried in a mason jar underneath the kitchen floorboard in the old farmhouse he bought. He found the woman’s adult children and gave it to them. They hadn’t been associated with the house in more than 20 years and it had been sold several times before my dad bought it. In 1976 this was not a small amount. The family gave each of us kids $100 to spend. My honest, benevolent dad promptly snatched it away from us and spent it on himself 😃 ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hidden-fortune-in-my-new-house/660523/34 "2013-07-05T14:17:43Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > I’ll help you search for the treasure if you get me a radiator cap for a 1972 VW Beetle. _sigh_ you know, it sucks because we sold the parts bug about 3 years ago. If you had mentioned this back then I could have accommodated you with an original stock one ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Silence\_Lenore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@Silence\_Lenore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silence_Lenore)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hidden-fortune-in-my-new-house/660523/35 "2013-07-05T21:54:49Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > We left a “treasure” for future owners. It isn’t really worth anything, just some pictures of the bathroom before we remodeled and pieces of floor and wall tile. It’s all behind the 4’X8’ mirror over the sink. . I did that too. When we replaced the soffit & fascia in 2010, I took one of those small metal chocolate sample boxes and put $1 & some coins, a article about Mark Zuckerberg cut out of Time mag (The Social Network was all in the news), another article cut from the local paper, tiny plastic cat my daughter happened to have in her purse, and a note saying how we were happy in this house & wished the finder happiness too, and stuck it up between the joists. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hidden-fortune-in-my-new-house/660523/36 "2013-07-05T21:59:22Z")
> [@Silence\_Lenore](#): > > I did that too. When we replaced the soffit & fascia in 2010, I took one of those small metal chocolate sample boxes and put $1 & some coins, a article about Mark Zuckerberg cut out of Time mag (The Social Network was all in the news), another article cut from the local paper, tiny plastic cat my daughter happened to have in her purse, and a note saying how we were happy in this house & wished the finder happiness too, and stuck it up between the joists. That is awesome. 🙂 If I ever have to move, I’d love to do something like that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hidden-fortune-in-my-new-house/660523.md?page=1)