GESancMan, I recently came across my Life magazines from that period and put them away in a protected place where I wouldn’t lose track of 'em again.
Working at a video store in college late one Friday night, I was in back putting away returns. I happen to look up at the security monitor and see that on the ground in front of the monitor was a bunch of garbage. When I went out to pick it up, it turned out to be a pile of cash! I think it was just under $800!!
Anyway, I put it under the counter, and 20 minutes later a very drunk dude came in and claimed the money (I made him tell me how much it was first). It was his entire paycheck, I guess, though I still have no idea who just cashes their check instead of depositing at least some of it? Even in 1990.
The worst part was when, after I handed him the money, he fumbles around with the wad of cash and the offers me $2 or $3 as a reward. Maybe I’m a dick, but it pissed me off a little. I mean, I could have kept it all and the best you can offer me is $2? C’mon!
I got a pair of gardening gloves as a gift. I tried them on and found a gold and ruby ring in one of the fingers. It was a rather ugly specimen you might see 10 times a day on QVC, but it was still a gold and ruby ring!
Once, in payment for storing some chintzy furniture and household items in my apartment for a neighbor who had been given the stuff but couldn’t take until she found her own place, I received a metal storage cabinet.
Months later, after she’d moved and I lost contact with her, I looked inside: in the bottom were two water color paintings in cheap frames. They’re quite good and seem to have some (small) value. One day, I’m going to have them appraised.
I had almost the entire run of Mad Magazine from the 70’s through swap meets, including rare issues like the digests and summer specials with the inserts.
One time, at a swap meet, I bought a Snoopy paperback. However, inside wasn’t the Snoopy book. Actually, somebody had cut off the cover from the Snoopy book, and glued it to the pages for a book called “How to be an Erotic man.” I learned a lot from that book. 
Exactly $22,000 in cash. In a bag. When i was 22.
I was once buying a load of old Spice Girls singles (how embarrassing, etc.) at a record exchange store, and the guy at the counter, as a bonus, gave me an old CD of theirs which looked like something you might find stuck to the front of a magazine, as a bonus because I was buying lots of other stuff.
I took it home and did a little research, turns out it’s a New Zealand promo disc worth about $500, and now probably the rarest CD in my collection. I suppose I didn’t find it because it was given to me but if I hadn’t made the guy drag out this old box of shit, who knows how long it would have sat there in the back room.
We bought a complete set of dinner plates (small, large, coffee cups and saucers) from Goodwill - simply liked the modern design and colors. I think we paid 50 cents per item.
Looked them up online, as wanted two more large plates to make a complete set of eight.
They were listed at $35 per plate - and that was the discount price!
Also, I wear odd and funny ties to work at the college where I teach. My SO will occasionally go to Goodwill and search through the tie section and come home with some fun ones - Gumby, Peanuts cartoon characters, Betty Boop, etc.
He recently found an original Star Wars tie with Luke Skywalker that seems to be quite rare - not only do students stop me in the hallways, but I have had them beg to buy it off me. One girl insisted on taking a picture and emailing it to her friend.
BTW, ties cost $1 at the local Goodwill.
**What’s the best thing you’ve ever found?
**
SWMBO. That lady makes my life worth living.
The best and most miraculous thing found was when we were driving the RV to Denali. Stopped in Glenallen to gas up, left the gas cap sitting on top of the pump and drove off. 75 miles later, I decided to top off the tank and discovered the missing cap. Standing there cursing, I happened to look up and there, on top of the gas pump, was a gas cap. A chance in a million that it could possibly fit my Toyota chassis, right? Click. ::cue Twilight Zone music::
Driving back into my neighborhood one day on trash day and saw a piece of wooden furniture with the sign “FREE” on it. I pulled over and it was an antique oak sideboard in perfect condition. I mean PERFECT condition. I took it home, cleaned it up a bit from being outside and put it at the top of my stairs to hold guest towels, beach towels and other random things that don’t really have a place in a small bathroom closet. Every person who stays at my house comments on how beautiful it is.
I love that you remember the exact amount.
In 1966 I was three years old, and found a 20 bill blown up against a fence with some other trash. A lot in 1966, and probably still a lot to a three year old, especially one from a family of very modest means...for perspective, I can remember being about 8 and my allowance was .75/week.
I remember finding it, but for a long time I thought it was only $1, as I probably wasn’t counting yet. It came up years later, and my siblings and parents all swore it was $20. My mom kept track of it for me, apparently it took me a couple years to spend it.
Two years ago I was doing an errand for my boyfriend. I was across town, had just dropped papers off to someone I disliked, but saw a yard sale and decided to stop.
I saw a box that said “autumn dishes $10” and I checked them out.
Wedgwood Wakefield dishes, service for 8, with two veggie bowls, a large and small platter, cream and sugar set. Perfect condition, I doubt they were even used, there is almost no wear on any of them.
The two women holding the sale were cleaning out their grandmothers house after she had been dead for 5 years. One said “Oh those are good dishes, try to get more for them” and the other one said “If you want them, you’ve had 5 years to come get them, this lady wants them and is taking them right now.”
I gave the 10 bucks, went home right away. I didnt even know I had the whole extra platters and things until I got home, I just saw wegewood paid and left.
A few years ago on a hike, I found a brand new high end pocket knife sitting in the middle of a trail that someone had obviously had fall out of their backpack at some recent point. When I looked it up online, it was worth about $150. I still have it.
Several years ago, my then-husband was on a “clean out the garage” kick, and put a box out to throw away. Items in the box were from his late parents’ house, and he didn’t even sort to see what was in the box. (He had already broken my heart by telling me about the mounds of Fiestaware he had practically given away at a yard sale after his mother passed away, so I knew he was clueless!) Anyway, I don’t feel the least bit bad about keeping the items I found in the box, including a good-sized handful of silver turn-of-the-century English coins, other collectible coins, a couple of American silver certificate bills, and a 1926 gold Quarter Eagle coin. The last time I researched (probably 2 or 3 years ago,) these items were conservatively worth over $1000 US. (I say “conservatively” because I don’t know much about how coins and currency are graded.) Said items are put away safely for the kids when they’re older - I didn’t steal them, I simply recovered a part of their heritage. Also included in that box were photographs of the ex’s parents, him in his Navy uniform and her in her Army uniform, from WWII. Who throws stuff like that away?!
O do a lot ebay flipping.
Most memorable. Leather motorcycle police style boots I got at the Goodwill for 5.00. Turned out to be a very high end brand that retails for 800+. 30 years old and they sold for $350.00. Boot company actually had a record of the last owner a DE motorcycle cop.
When I was a kid I always checked the payphones for forgotten change every time I walked by. Once, the phone was left off the hook. I hung it up and flicked the change return lever for kicks.
Ching ching ching, like a slot machine the phone unloaded so many quarters I had to hold my pants up, my pockets were that heavy.
Pictures of relatives (some of them from around the 1800’s) in my late grandfather’s old army trunk. I learned some things I never knew: for instance, that my grandfather was blond. It was a bit startling to me, because my family is chock full of dark haired people. Even my sister’s husband has dark brown hair. (My boyfriend, on the other hand, is blond, so that should be interesting if we get married.)
I also found 20 bucks on the ground walking to work one time. That was pretty awesome.
Wow! I’ve got the OTHER HALF of your book!
I bought a cool how-to book at a swap meet hoping to become “an erotic man.” Found out I’d just bought a Snoopy book. BUT, by reading it over and over and getting in touch with my Inner Snoopy, I became the Wilt Chamberlain of Wauwatosa High.