For people who love flea markets and thrift shops, there’s nothing like scoring the perfect deal. After hours of searching through used items and antiques, finding the perfect item is like winning the jackpot. And garage sale enthusiast Emil Knodell knows just that. Emil has a knack for finding rare items.
But what he found was nothing close to what he expected. You could say it was like finding the end of a rainbow! After reading this, you’ll surely run to the nearest estate sale. So read on to find out what Emil discovered.
67-year-old Emil Knodell is a retired marketing director and US veteran. He spends his golden years treasure hunting. Yes, treasure hunting as in garage sale hopping. He loves antiques and used items.
But he didn’t like spending too much so he prefers buying from flea markets and sales. One day he ended up at an estate sale in Missouri City, Texas. Emil thought it was just another day to look for good sales. But he had no idea that what he would find that day would make him go viral.
Emil knew that scoring a very valuable item in estate sales is rare. Especially in sales organized by big organizations like the Premier Estates Sales Network.
The network is very experienced in estate sales. So they make sure that every item is sold at a fair price.
They’re also very strict when it comes to pricing and value. Which makes it harder for Emil to score a great deal. But Emil stayed positive and said, “I always come to a sale with an open mind because you never know.” Even though the Premier Estates Sale Network was strict, still, something big slipped out of their hands…
As Emil searched through the sale, one particular item caught his eye… It was an old dresser. There was nothing special with the dresser except that it’s an antique from the 1890s.
It had no flashy designs or special features. It was just a three-drawer dresser with a marble top, but Emil couldn’t take his eyes off of it…
It was a lucky day for Emil as the dresser he liked was sold at a bargain price. Originally at $300, it was only priced for $100! After being on display for three days, the sellers wanted it out.
So they lowered the price tag. Emil felt more excited so he bought the dresser right away. But getting it at a low price was just the start of his luck…
Happy about his new purchase, Emil was ready to load the dresser to his car. But as he was moving it, he was surprised by how heavy it was!
As he couldn’t carry it by himself, he asked for help. So a couple of men tried to carry the item. And that’s when they heard something unusual…
With all their might, the two men tried to lift the dresser. But it wouldn’t budge. “What is with this thing?” they thought.
“An empty dresser wouldn’t be this heavy.”
When they lifted it up again, they were surprised to hear something. The strange noise seemed to come from inside the dresser. But what was it?
Now itching with curiosity, Emil and the other men put the dresser back down. What could be making that noise they heard? Emil decided to inspect his dresser. He opened each of the three drawers but nothing was inside. They were all empty!
He circled around the dresser again but found nothing. There wasn’t anything attached to it either. So what was making all that noise? Emil was growing impatient…
Determined to find the source of the noise, Emil looked at the drawer once again. Still, nothing! By then, people had taken notice of their little scene and they started to gather.
The two men were also growing impatient so they helped Emil tip over the dresser. “As soon as we laid it down, it started making all this racket on the inside. Obviously, we were very intrigued by what was happening with the dresser.” And that’s when shock hit them...
As the men looked more closely at the dresser, they noticed something. “When you look at the front of it, it looks like it has three obvious drawers with molding on the base,” Emil explained. “But the bottom has a secret drawer that opens up.” Apparently, a secret drawer had been hiding from them in plain sight.
But this dresser had been around since the 1890s. It has gone from family to family and inspected by estate agents. But why hasn’t anyone seen the secret drawer before?
At less than $100, the dresser was definitely a steal. But what Emil didn’t know was he’s going to get more than just a good old dresser... For many years, the dresser had been handed down from family to family. And with that, its true value was lost.
For decades, a secret treasure lay hidden from the outside world. Something kept too long in the dark that nobody even noticed. In fact, it seemed like even the past owner of the dresser had no idea. So it’s a good thing Emil was able to spot this gem in the stack.
Whoever added the extra drawer wanted to keep his valuables safe. In the naked eye, nobody could see that there was a fourth drawer. Unless you touch and inspect it closely.
If Emil and the other guys didn’t hear a strange noise, that drawer would’ve remained untouched forever.
By this point, Emil was just happy about an extra drawer. But he was about to find out that he just landed on something much bigger...
The estate sale where Emil found the dresser was held to sell-off belongings of a man who passed away. These sales are usually held by families to let go of the things they don’t need.
It’s usually the reason for most estate sales.
That’s why it’s a pool of cheap and great deals. Sometimes, families don’t even know the true value of the things they are selling. And that’s exactly what happened to Emil’s new dresser…
Before Emil got his hands on the dresser, it had already been under a lot of eyes. First, the family, then the appraisers and estate agents. But after looking and inspecting, they still missed its most important feature. Apparently, the dresser was part of the owner’s inheritance from his parents in Michigan.
He didn’t know much about where it came from and its contents. But the dresser held something truly valuable. How valuable? Emil was about to find out…
After finding an extra drawer, more people have gathered around Emil. All of them looking and expecting to see what was inside the hidden drawer. Suddenly, Emil felt a sudden rush. Maybe it was his curiosity or maybe it was because of all the people staring. “It was a real adrenaline rush,” he said.
People held their breaths to see what the dresser stored.
Emil and the other guys were sweating with excitement. When they finally opened the drawer, the crowd gasped and Emil’s jaw hit the floor. Unbelievable! Could this even be real??
As Emil opened the drawer to the world, it revealed a chest filled with actual treasures! Gold, jewelry, money, you name it! Emil was in shock for a second.
He couldn’t believe his eyes. Shiny things that were clearly worth more than $100 gleamed before him. What even shocked Emil more was that the treasure stash also contained parts of history…
Along with the gold and jewels, there were also old mementos. Such as military dog tags and medals from the Civil War, emeralds, and diamonds. There was even a lock of hair hiding in the corner.
Since the drawer was from 1890 and held items of value, it became every antique collector’s dream catch! Surely, the dresser now costs more than $100, maybe even 150 times more than what Emil imagined…
Looking at all its contents, it’s obvious that it was expensive. But with the help of a professional appraiser, its true worth was revealed. With the dresser’s history and various items, it cost a whopping $15,000! Definitely 150 times more than what Emil paid for!
It was totally surprising. I bet the people regretted not buying the old dresser. But, just like any good plot, there was a problem…
Emil was then faced with the question, “What do I do next?”
What was he supposed to do with the treasure he just found? Does he get to keep it? Was it rightfully his?
Does he have to return it? Keep a finders keepers attitude or return it to the owner? His purchase was now more than just an old dresser, it’s a treasure chest...and he had to decide...
Emil thought about it long and hard. He already bought the dresser, for $100, it was already his property. But after seeing its contents, keeping it didn’t feel right. Emil felt the real owners should be the ones to keep the treasures.
“I bought the chest [of] drawers.
I didn’t buy those things,” Emil said. “If I kept them, I would never feel right about it. There would be a cloud over the whole thing. It’s a feeling more than anything else.” It was an easy choice for Emil. No matter how tempting it might seem, he knew he needed to return it to its rightful owner...
Luckily for Emil, the owner of the old dresser wasn’t hard to find. He was the one who hosted the estate sale! When Emil returned the dresser and showed him the treasures, the owner was shocked.
Even after years of seeing it at his grandparents’ house, he had no idea about what it held. He was grateful to Emil for his honesty and for letting him keep the dresser.
Most people would go the other way and keep the stash to themselves, but Emil was different. He knew he needed to do the right thing. He said, “I’m an old ex-Marine, and I try to do the right thing.” Even though the dresser was the most amazing deal he scored, he knew it wasn’t his to keep. So he did what was best.
And that was to return the treasures he found to its rightful and true owner. See, aside from discovering actual treasures, Emil and his values are the real treasure in this story. After this reached online, he became the talk of the town with lots of people praising him for his decision.