Woman finds $3,000 in garage-sale chair

talon · May 30, 2005

Why can't this happen to me!?

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/05/30/mon....ap/index.html

ccoccocats · May 30, 2005

All I know is I'm gonna start shopping at garage sales
and I mean now

C YA!

malynn · May 30, 2005

My sister bought a cookbook from an estate sale for fifty cents a few years back and it had 900 dollars in it. She loves cookbooks and is always buying them, I guess she picked the right one that day!

ali012281 · May 30, 2005

Wow. I'm gonna be sure to double check everything that I sell at tag sales first now... and check things well when I buy things at others tag sales.

winwin · May 30, 2005

Am I the only one who sees a question of ethics here ?

Leonard

malynn · May 30, 2005

In my sisters case, she thought about returning the money, but the sale was not being done by the owner, I guess they were deceased but by a small business that sells stuff from estate sales. I'm sure whomever she might have turned it over to would have pocketed the money anyway.

talon · May 30, 2005

Yep, evidently. If you read the article, the lady in question purchased the chair in question years ago, also the seller evidently received the requested monetary contribution for the purchase.

valanhb · May 30, 2005

Originally Posted by winwin

Am I the only one who sees a question of ethics here ?

Leonard

When you buy something at a garage sale, you get it "As Is", no refunds or exchanges. Sometimes you get burned in the deal and get a hunk of junk, and occassionally you find a gem.

elizwithcat · May 30, 2005

Originally Posted by winwin

Am I the only one who sees a question of ethics here ?

Leonard

I see no problem. What if she bought a chair for a couple of $$, and it turned out to cost thousands of $$? Hey, it happens, I seen it on antics roadshow. I mean, would you see a problem then if she sold it for a lot more money than she bought it for? I see this as the same sort of thing.

wellingtoncats · May 30, 2005

Wow, that's soooooooooooooo cool!

fwan · May 31, 2005

i saved up 800 euros, put it in my diary and it was gone out of my draw. this was in 2003 and i still havent found it
My parents think that my friend has taken it but i have a feeling its still in the house..

kittylover4ever · May 31, 2005

Originally Posted by elizwithcat

I see no problem. What if she bought a chair for a couple of $$, and it turned out to cost thousands of $$? Hey, it happens, I seen it on antics roadshow. I mean, would you see a problem then if she sold it for a lot more money than she bought it for? I see this as the same sort of thing.

I agree! In this situation, finders keepers, losers weepers!!

rosiemac · May 31, 2005

It's ages since i heard that term Susie!

The lucky toads is what i say!

winwin · May 31, 2005

I am on an outdoor forum where hikers and bikers and 4-wheelers ride, and someone posted that they found a handgun and if the owner would identify it it would be returned.

Handguns are generally very much sought-after items and are valued at from $250.00 up.

My daughter at age 10 bought a purse from a yard sale in the neighborhood, and sadly informed me that she had to go back to the sale, for she found a folded-up $5 bill in one of the purse pockets.

I was (and still am, 35 years later) SO VERY proud of the child for that.

My neighbor returned a large, expensive, (now dented) stainless steel thermos jug he said he saw fall off the rear bumper of my truck as I turned into the street from my driveway.

I am both puzzled and perhaps a bit saddened by some of the comments and atitudes I am seeing and hearing.

I am old and was born in a different time, unlocked doors, trusting people and all that, and perhaps things have changed.

Leonard

elizwithcat · May 31, 2005

Originally Posted by winwin

I am on an outdoor forum where hikers and bikers and 4-wheelers ride, and someone posted that they found a handgun and if the owner would identify it it would be returned.

Handguns are generally very much sought-after items and are valued at from $250.00 up.

My daughter at age 10 bought a purse from a yard sale in the neighborhood, and sadly informed me that she had to go back to the sale, for she found a folded-up $5 bill in one of the purse pockets.

I was (and still am, 35 years later) SO VERY proud of the child for that.

My neighbor returned a large, expensive, (now dented) stainless steel thermos jug he said he saw fall off the rear bumper of my truck as I turned into the street from my driveway.

I am both puzzled and perhaps a bit saddened by some of the comments and atitudes I am seeing and hearing.

I am old and was born in a different time, unlocked doors, trusting people and all that, and perhaps things have changed.

Leonard

Times of unlocked doors are over, I am afraid.
I wouldn't return the money if I found it in a chair I bought. Just as I wouldn't return the money if I bought a chair for a few dollars, and it turned out to be some valuable antique worth hundreds of thousands-one can dream. I see this situation all the time on an antique roadshow, where people bought something chiply in a garage sale, and then are told it worth thousands if not hundreds of thousands cause it's a valuable antique. I have yet to see anyone tell a person like that they have to pay back the money to the original owner because they didn't know that thing was a valuable antique. In fact, the new owner is always congratulated on their great find.

rosiemac · May 31, 2005

Originally Posted by winwin

I am both puzzled and perhaps a bit saddened by some of the comments and atitudes I am seeing and hearing.

I am old and was born in a different time, unlocked doors, trusting people and all that, and perhaps things have changed.

Leonard

I also remember when i was small and my parents were able to leave our doors unlocked, but sadly this is not the case these days.

And if someone is silly enough to stash $3000 in a chair rather than put it where it should be, in the bank?!.

pondwader · May 31, 2005

Oh what a conundrum.... seriously, I would've returned the money.... though first I would ask how long they have had the chair and if it was used often. If they themselves bought it used, the money may not even belong to them either. (just me lookin for a way to keep it)

okeefecl · May 31, 2005

Originally Posted by elizwithcat

I see this situation all the time on an antique roadshow, where people bought something chiply in a garage sale, and then are told it worth thousands if not hundreds of thousands cause it's a valuable antique. I have yet to see anyone tell a person like that they have to pay back the money to the original owner because they didn't know that thing was a valuable antique. In fact, the new owner is always congratulated on their great find.

Actually, a situation similar to that happened in Cleveland, due to the Antiques Roadshow. A man had found a suitcase thrown out in the trash that had a bunch of pictures in it. When he brought them to the show it ended up they were extremely valuable (10s of thousands of dollars). The original owner saw the show and tried to sue the finder to get the pictures back. Since they had been thrown out, it was decided that the original owner had no claim to the photos and did not deserve any reimbursement. I think the law is pretty clear on the subject of discarded or sold items-the original owner loses all legal claim.

MoochNNoodles · May 31, 2005

One of my co-workers said that whoever bought her parents house after they died probably found money like that somewhere. Her father didn't believe in banks so he hid money everywhere. When he died they found several thoulsand in places like pockets and drawers. They never found the rest....kinda makes ya wanna tear down the walls and tear up the floors huh?

Woman finds $3,000 in garage-sale chair

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