Going to a flea market or a yard sale is always fun. People spend hours going through other person’s stuff hoping to find something that suits their needs. Most of us usually browse for vintage objects, cool furniture or unique pieces that can add some flair to our homes or wardrobe.
Also, there are people like Emil Knodell, a Texas man who enjoys spending his free time looking for valuable items in yard sales. He is what some people call a “treasure hunter”, and this time, he truly found one! Check out his unbelievable story, but be careful: it might make you want to run to the nearest flea market you can find!
1. The art of yard sailing
Yard sailing is known as the art of shopping at numerous yard sales, flea markets and the like. It has become so popular that people now consider it a hobby! While some events of this kind are usually organized by neighbors, others are thoroughly planned and help attract many visitors.
There are many well-known estate sales and flea markets around the world. Also, there are visitors who are called “early birds” because they arrive very early, or even before the sale starts, to be able to check out the items before everyone else. Many of them are also resellers or restorers.
2. Hidden treasures
The most usual items found in garage or yard sales are used sports goods, books, clothing, electronics, toys, garden tools, decorative objects and home appliances. However, some pieces of furniture like sofas, cabinets, couches and chairs, among others, are also popular items that sell quickly if the price is right.
When Emil Knodell became interested in an old dresser, which had been marked down many times already, he never would have thought that his luck was about to change. It all happened at a estate sale in Missouri City, Texas: Emil was destined to find a small fortune without even knowing it.
3. The treasure hunter
Emil Knodell is very lucky, but for him to find a treasure at the estate sale was not entirely a coincidence. He is definitely not a stranger to large yard sales.
In fact, he knew that Premier Estate Sales Network, a famous estate sale organizer, was hosting this event. Thus, he was sure that driving to Missouri City was worth it because there would be good offers.
After browsing for a few hours, he stumbled upon a vintage dresser that seemed like a valuable piece. “I always come to a sale with an open mind because you never know,” said Emil. His curiosity paid big time!
4. A decisive moment
After looking at many items at the estate sale, Emil found a beautiful dresser. His experience helped him realize that this piece of furniture was unlike the rest: not only did it have something very special in it, but it also was a wonderful antique piece!
An antique dealer usually gives a price to an item based on its condition, his knowledge of the market, and the price he has personally paid for it. In this case, the dresser was made entirely out of wood, had a beautiful marble top and was in excellent condition. Because of its great features, the price was set at $300.
5. Time to bargain!
Even though the dresser was in mint condition and its materials were valuable, Emil wanted to get more bang for his buck! As a person who does this often, he knew he could get a better price if he waited for the perfect moment to bargain.
It was the third day of the sale, and the dresser was still there. This gave Emil the opportunity to ask the seller to lower his price. The original price was $300, and now he was willing to sell it for $100! The dresser was an antique from the 1890s, which made the purchase an absolute steal.
6. A secret within
Once Emil paid the ridiculous amount for such a pretty dresser, he checked every detail about his purchase: the handles were long gone, but the metal appliances looked good, and the drawers were clean and empty. Or at least, they seemed to be.
It was when he decided to take the dresser to his car that he noticed a rattling sound. It came from the dresser, but the drawers didn’t have anything in them, so it was all very odd. Emil had already gone through every single detail, but he decided to do a double check. What he found was a real surprise.
7. What’s that sound?
After spending a few minutes checking the drawers, Emil still couldn’t find anything. His continuous searching made people around him very curious, and some of them offered their help.
The seller and Emil shook the dresser, which was also very heavy, and together they figured out that there were, in fact, some items inside, just not in plain sight. Then, Emil discovered a drawer that seemed to have a secret compartment.
It is not entirely unusual for dressers to have drawers with a double bottom. They are normally used to store valuable objects such as keys, personal letters, jewelry and important documents.
8. The extra drawer
Jeff Allen, the seller appointed by Premier Estate Sales to conduct the sale, was also very surprised about the whole situation: he had basically sold the dresser, and therefore, all of its contents, for only $100.
Obviously, the piece of furniture was now worth much more, since most people who have double bottom drawers use them for only one thing: to hide their most valuable possessions!
Nevertheless, getting the drawer open was not so easy. It must have been shut for many, many decades. Obviously, people at the estate sale were very intrigued by the discovery and waited patiently for someone to finally open it.
9. Appraisers didn’t notice a thing
Most of the items that are sold during a well organized estate sale have been appraised first. This is not done only by professionals: people who run estate sales, based on their vast experience, make also wonderful appraisers.
However, sometimes people make mistakes, or they simply don’t have the necessary information to do a good job. In this case, the mystery drawer with a double bottom went completely unnoticed, which turned into a valuable loss for the seller.
If they had only taken the time to examine the dresser through and through, this wouldn’t have happened. But we can’t turn back time!
10. The precious items
Emil was still interested in maintaining the good condition of the dresser, which meant not damaging the wood. Thankfully, after a few attempts, Jeff and Emil were able to open the drawer and see its contents. What they found was a real surprise!
As they opened the bottom, they were blinded by the shiny contents. Cash, coins, precious stones, photographs, rings, necklaces, stamps and pearls were among the valuables they found, which were still in good condition, especially after being secretly stored for many years.
Judging by the quality of the items, Emil could immediately notice that they were somebody else’s family heirlooms.
11. The thrill of it all
Can you imagine what it feels like to discover such an amount of precious items all at once? Emil was undoubtedly more than thrilled. It was almost like winning the lottery! The excitement left him completely shocked for a minute, feeling something which can only be described as an adrenaline rush.
The seller, Jeff Allen, couldn’t believe his eyes. He could have never imagined that something like this could happen in real life. However, both men immediately realized that these things belonged to somebody else, and that they might actually be part of an inheritance.
Technically, this was a “finders keepers” situation, but the idea of keeping the findings felt wrong.
12. The real value of things
Without a shadow of a doubt, this dresser used to belong to a lady, since most of the objects inside it were those of a woman. Some of them were jewels, and many others seemed like sentimental items.
Either way, they were somebody’s very valuable possessions, not only because they were worth a lot of money, but because they were part of a person’s life.
Souvenirs, photographs, family heirlooms, letters or postcards are objects that evoke another moment in our lives, a life well-lived, in this case. Most people rarely look at these items, but they feel comforted by knowing that they are there for them at any time.
13. A rough guess
Dollar bills, coins, photographs, jewelry boxes, letters, and many more objects were part of this dresser’s hidden treasure. Some items were purely sentimental, but others were surely worth a lot of money.
Just by looking at the quality and the quantity of precious stones, including diamonds and emeralds, the people from the estate sale estimated a value of $15,000 dollars, at the least.
However, some items needed a professional appraisal, as they could be worth much more. When appraising an object, it is not only the material what is valuable, but also its origin, desirability, condition, rarity and many other factors.
14. A lot of potential antiques
An antique dresser with a drawer full of mementos, jewels, and priceless things is a treasure by itself. Undoubtedly, this was more than what Emil had paid for, and the professional appraisal hadn’t even happened yet.
With the right appraisal and another stroke of luck, the owner of these valuables could become a much richer man if any of the newly found items turned out to be a valuable antique.
Emil was curious, but he also felt something in his heart that made him want to look for the rightful owner of the newly discovered treasure. After all, being a US veteran, Emil is a man with a strong moral code.
15. Symbols of bravery and honor
Among the many items found in the dresser are dog tags, rare coins and military medals, and collecting medals is one of the most popular collecting fields.
There is a very large amount of medal collectors around the world, but most collectors seek medals from their own country. Some look for certain regiments and battles, while others focus on condition and rarity. As anniversaries of battles approach, the demand increases.
Also, collectors are able to determine the value of the medals based on various factors. For example, ranks, colors and provenance, among others, help determine the price of these hard-won symbols of bravery and honor.
16. Who does the treasure belong to?
Finding something so valuable left Emil with a new task: to look for the rightful owner. In his head, Emil bought the dresser, but not the things that were inside it. For him, the idea of keeping the items was not a possibility.
Emil shared that, if he kept them, he would not feel right about it. He felt that there would be a cloud over the whole event. His statement left reporters, who were already amazed by the incredible occurrence, even more baffled.
Emile proved to the world what an honorable man he is by doing the right thing.
17. Finding the owner
After the drawer was opened and the treasure was discovered, the staff of Premier Estate Sale Network started looking for the contact information of the previous owner of the piece of furniture.
Luckily, the man who hired Premier Estate Sale Network to sell his belongings was also attending the estate sale, so he was quickly notified about the interesting finding.
The poor man couldn’t believe he had sold the dresser without properly checking its contents first! He felt remorseful and disappointed, but luckily, Emil assured him that he had no intention of keeping the items and that he was still the rightful owner. That’s a pretty nice thing to do, right?
18. Setting a good example
The former owner of the dresser, and now the owner of a true treasure, was very grateful to Emil for his honesty and his strong sense of ethics and integrity. Certainly, not many men would have done the same in this particular situation.
Emil knew that keeping the valuables wouldn’t have made him happy. When asked about it, he said he wasn’t looking for anything but the furniture piece and that he was very satisfied with his new dresser.
He also said to reporters that he is an old ex-marine who is trying to do a good thing. What a nice guy!
19. The memories behind the treasure
After getting over the shock of finding out about the secret hiding in the old dresser, the treasure’s rightful owner finally took some time to carefully go through the items that were stored for many years. Like a sweet caress, memories with his grandmother came flooding back.
He could remember his grandparents wearing the things contained in the drawer, and recognized the people in the photographs as his own relatives. He was very emotional and thankful for Emil’s good deed.
For Emil, this was the best reward he could think of. Knowing that he had done the right thing, he would be able to sleep soundly for days to come.
