Charity shop treasures that sold for a fortune

Donated treasures

Courtesy Sotheby's

They say one person’s trash is another’s treasure, but on rare occasions, real treasures are found in unsuspecting piles of charity and thrift shop donations. While some of these fall into the hands of lucky shoppers who score big profits from selling them on, others are spotted by eagle-eyed shop assistants.

Read on to see some valuable items found in donations and how much they made for good causes, ranked in order of value. All dollar values in US dollars, unless otherwise stated, and currency conversions correct for the time of sale.

A 364-year-old legal book: $1,065 (£800)

Melis/Shutterstock

In 2017, store assistants at nonprofit Brotherhood Books in Melbourne, Australia, were amazed to find this 1655 legal volume among donations. The book, titled The First Book of Judgements, was a record of crimes and legal outcomes in London and was mysteriously dumped in a donation bin by an unknown person.

The book sold for AU$1,500 ($1,065/£800) just two hours after it was put up for auction by the store, with the money going towards fighting poverty in Australia.

A 19th-century cornet: $2,580 (£1,9k)

Evgeniyjm/Shutterstock

When an old and rusty-looking cornet was handed into a British Heart Foundation store in Staffordshire, England, volunteers almost threw it out. It's a good thing they didn't.

It turned out to be a rare antique crafted by Distin & Co., a famous 19th-century instrument manufacturer. The charity listed the cornet on eBay and it made them a tidy $2,580 (£1,9k).

Ralf Schumacher's racing suit: $2,635 (£2k)

Michael Cooper/Getty Images

An anonymous donor made this generous donation to Scope in Warwickshire, England. The overalls were worn by Ralf Schumacher (pictured far right), younger brother of Formula 1 legend Michael, during the 1999 French Grand Prix.

They even had Schumacher’s name on the label and were valued at up to $2,635 (£2k).

Designer clothing: $2,640 (£2k)

SpeedKingz/Shutterstock

A stressed-out mother made an expensive mistake in 2016 when she accidentally took bags of her husband and son's designer clothing to the local charity store. Barnardo's in Haverfordwest, Wales, welcomed the clothing worth around $2,640 (£2k), and the items quickly hit the shop floor, with many selling before the woman had a chance to realise her mistake.

However, some clothes which had not yet been sold were returned.

19th-century oil paintings: $3,310 (£2.5k)

Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons

Two staff at Oxfam Books in Huntingdon, England, made the hefty sum of $3,310 (£2.5k) for the charity via the sale of two 19th-century oil paintings donated in 2018. One artwork was by Italian artist Giuseppe Carelli; the other was painted by Irish artist Sir Egerton Coghill.

They were sold at auction, raking in twice the estimated value, and the funds went towards Oxfam’s Indonesia earthquake and tsunami appeal.

First edition of The Hobbit: $7,925 (£6k)

Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons

Here's a novel find: a rare first-edition copy of The Hobbit discovered in a branch of Oxfam in Chipping Norton, England, in 2018. A diligent shop manager spotted the book in a delivery of 30 boxes, saying it "leapt out at him" as soon as he saw it.

Oxfam staff were able to auction the novel for an impressive $7,925 (£6k).

Signed Beatles fan club magazine: $8,545 (£6.5k)

Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons

John, Paul, George, and Ringo had their share of fans back in the day, just as they do now, which is why this unsuspecting magazine sold for such a huge sum. The signed memorabilia was donated to an RSPCA shop in Somerset, England, in 2016 in a box of old records.

The charity seized the opportunity and sold it for $8,545 (£6.5k) at auction, with all proceeds going to the animal charity.

Rare Atari video game: $10,590.79 (£7.8k)

Anderson Reis/Shutterstock

In June 2021, Goodwill employee and video game aficionado Alex Juarez found something special in a box of video game donations. While sorting through the box at the North Central Texas store, Juarez noticed that one of the cartridges had a distinctive T-shaped handle.

The game, Air Raid, was one of just 13 known copies and fetched a whopping $10,590 (£7.8k) at auction on Goodwill's e-commerce site.

Giovanni Battista Torriglia painting: $11,205 (£8.4k)

Google Maps

Another Goodwill store employee in Manassas, Virginia, spotted a 19th-century painting by Giovanni Battista Torriglia in donations and pulled it out, thinking it might be worth something.

She was right: the charity was able to pull in $11,205 (£8.4k) from selling it at auction.

First edition Beano Annual: $11,540 (£8.7k)

Andrew Milligan/PA Archive/PA Images

In 2010, a rare first edition of an annual of British children's comic the Beano was found in a bag of donations at a charity shop in St Andrews, Scotland. Cancer Research volunteer Matthew Harris was responsible for the amazing find, which was in excellent condition, especially since it was published back in 1939.

When it was auctioned, the rare book made a massive $11,540 (£8.7k) for the charity.

Beatles demo record: $12,415 (£9.4k)

British Heart Foundation

A mystery donor made a big difference to a UK heart charity's cause with this fantastic Fab Four find. The original seven-inch demo single of Love Me Do, which spells Paul McCartney's surname as McArtney, was found among donations in a British Heart Foundation store in Midhurst, England, and is one of only 250 in the world.

It went up for auction and brought in an impressive $12,415 (£9.4k), all of which went to the charity.

Suffragette poster: $18,040 (£13.6k)

LSE Library/Picryl

This priceless poster had been sitting in a cupboard for 10 years when charity shop staff in Leeds, England, dug it out and decided to see if it was worth anything. It's a good thing they did.

When they put the item up for auction it sold for a massive $18,040 (£13.6k). The money went towards helping elderly people.

Sherlock Holmes story: $20,470 (£15.5k)

Library of Congress/Public Domain

In 2008, a fittingly mysterious discovery was made by volunteers in North Yorkshire, England, who found a rare short story by Arthur Conan Doyle (pictured) hidden inside another book.

The Oxfam branch made an astounding $20,470 (£15.5k) from selling it at auction to a delighted fan, and the money went to the charity's global causes.

A rare Henry Tuke painting: $25,000 (£20k)

Courtesy Batemans Auctioneers

This painting of a man crouching in a body of water was donated to an Oxfam shop in Oundle, England. The unsigned impressionist artwork arrived in a bag with other paintings but quickly caught the eye of senior valuer Greg Bateman of Batemans Auctioneers.

Bateman suspected the piece was a rare work by the Yorkshire-born artist Henry Tuke, likely painted in 1915, but gave it a modest estimate of £400-£600 ($500-$750) because it didn't have a signature. The artwork smashed this estimate; a collector bought it for £20,000 ($25k), making it the most expensive painting ever sold by Batemans.

A sapphire ring: $25,755 (£19.5k)

Byjeng/Shutterstock

This fantastic find gave the phrase 'hidden gem' a whole new meaning. Donated anonymously, it was left in a nondescript envelope at a Tain shop in Inverness, Scotland, where staff were delighted to learn that it might be worth $1,055-$1,320 (£800-£1k).

It exceeded expectations and fetched a colossal $25,755 (£19.5k), which went to the Highland Hospice appeal, helping to care for the terminally ill.

Book of 18th-century etchings: $39,625 (£30k)

Metropolitan Museum of Art/Public Domain

These priceless works were discovered by volunteer Tim Street at the Oxfam shop in Olney, England, in 2018. They had been part of a large anonymous donation and contained etchings by the Italian Neoclassical artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi, selling for a jaw-dropping $39,625 (£30k) at auction.

Book of Victorian photography: $49,750 (£37.5k)

Lenscap Photography/Shutterstock

A man walked into an Oxfam charity shop in Devon, England, just before Christmas in 2009 and put an item on the counter saying, “I think you’re going to find this one interesting”.

It was a collection of Victorian photographs taken in Fiji during the late 1800s, which was listed online by the charity and sold for an impressive $49,750 (£37.5k).

Spike Lee's Nike sneakers: $50,800 (£40k)

Courtesy Sotheby's

A pair of custom Air Jordan 3s is probably the last thing you expect to see in a charity shop donation bin – but that's exactly what one worker at an Oregon homeless charity discovered in April this year. After getting the shoes verified, it was revealed the gold sneakers were one of a few pairs made for Spike Lee, who wore a set when accepting the Academy Award for BlacKkKlansman in 2019. (Lee's name is embroidered on the size 12.5 shoes).

Another pair of the sneakers sold for $47,880 (£37.8k) at Sotheby's in 2021. The most recent pair (pictured) went on to kick that record, selling at auction for $50,800 (£40k) on 18 December this year. Sotheby's waived its auction fees so that Portland Rescue Mission, the charity that received the shoes, could take home 100% of the profits.

200 bridesmaid dresses: $53,065 (£40k)

IVASHstudio/Shutterstock

Charity stores love getting valuable dresses donated, so when this Dundee St Margaret of Scotland Hospice branch received 200 at once, they could hardly believe their luck.

One generous donor handed over 200 brand-new bridesmaid dresses, some of which were worth more than $265 (£200).

The Beckhams' clothing: $52,830 (£40k)

LEON NEAL/AFP via Getty Images

David and Victoria Beckham have fans all over the world, so it's no surprise that shoppers came out in droves to buy their clothing at a British Red Cross store in West London, England.

The items were generously donated by the family to help raise money for the disaster in the Philippines in 2013, and included designer items like Jimmy Choo shoes and Dolce & Gabbana suits, raking in a massive $52,830 (£40k) in total for the appeal.

An Italian glass vase: $107,100 (£85.5k)

Courtesy Wright Auctioneers

Jessica Vincent from Virginia, a self-confessed "avid collector, thrifter, yard sale-er", found this striking glass vase at her local Goodwill. She paid a meagre $3.99 (£3.20) for it but suspected it could be worth more, so she posted a photo of the vase – which has the word 'Murano' etched on its base – on a Murano glass Facebook page.

One man messaged her to offer her $10,000 (£7.9k) for it, confirming her suspicion that she'd found something special. After being valued by Wright Auctioneers, the vase was discovered to be a 1940s piece by the Venetian architect Carol Scarpa, whose works include the Castelvecchio museum in Verona. It was valued at $30,000-$50,000 (£23.9k-£39.9k) but sold for a staggering $107,100 (£85.5k) during an online auction on 13 December 2023.

Frank Weston Benson painting: $165,000 (£125k)

Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons

This gem was discovered by a Goodwill store worker in 2006 in Portland, Oregon. Painted by Impressionist Frank Weston Benson, it was put up for auction with a tiny starting bid of $10 (£7.55), but offers quickly raced upwards.

The artwork eventually sold for $165,000 (£125k).

17th-century Chinese wooden pot: $475,485 (£360k)

arzawen/Shutterstock

St Peter's Hospice Shop in Bristol, England, had eagle-eyed volunteers to thank for spotting this valuable antique. The 17th-century Chinese pot, although cracked and damaged, was made by the famous Chinese artist Gu Jue at some point between 1662 and 1722 and was unwittingly donated to the shop in 2012.

The charity made a massive $475,485 (£360k) selling it at auction.

A heap of designer clothes: $663,320 (£500k)

Creative Lab/Shutterstock

Not everyone likes to make a big fuss about charitable giving, which was the case when an anonymous donor made the incredibly generous contribution of piles of designer clothing to online charity store Thrift+. The stash included pieces by coveted designers like Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, and Chloe, totalling $663,320 (£500k).

Funds went to the store's partner, Dress For Success, an initiative that provides women with clothing and training to help them get on the career ladder.

Now discover the extraordinary treasures found in ordinary homes