Treasure hunters are people who spend loads of time on yard sales and garage sales trying to find unique or valuable items to add to their collection or to sell for a big profit.
This particular story is about a man who considers himself a treasure hunter. He knows exactly how to spot the best buys and has a lot of experience buying antique items. However, even people like him can be surprised sometimes...
But when he started loading a dresser that he bought for $125 in his car he heard a sound that lead to an incredible discovery...
- The story starts below -
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It was the end of a long day strolling around on a yard sale. Emil Knodell still had not found anything particularly interesting, and he had almost given up. Today seemed like a bad day for the self-called treasure hunter.
But then, at the very end of the yard sale, he saw exactly what he wanted...
A bad day for a treasure hunter
Source: YouTubeThere it was, a beautiful antique dresser. It was exactly the kind of dresser he and his wife were looking for. He approached the person selling the dresser and asked how much he wanted for it. The man said it was $125.
Emil couldn't help but smile, he thought it was worth at least $300 or more. Or would it be worth more? He would soon find out...
Only $125?
Source: YouTubeEmil quickly picked up his car so they could start loading the dresser. But when they arrived at the car with the dresser, and tried to lift it in the car, Emil suddenly heard a strange noise from inside the dresser. What was it? And why didn't they notice it before? Was there something inside that they didn't know of?
So many questions, but to understand this discovery and its significance better, some backstory is required.
A Strange Noise
Source: YouTubeMeet Emil Knodell
Source: YoutubeEmil Knodell is a retired US veteran and enjoys visiting yard sales and antique shows to find those extraordinary and otherwise priceless antiques in the midst of the junk that others throw out. But he could have never anticipated what he was going to find at this particular yard sale.
Emil Knodell considered himself a treasure hunter. He loved looking through the items that people were selling or otherwise getting rid of.
Emil received great joy sifting through everything to find the hidden beauties and pieces of history. Living by the adage “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” he arrived at an estate sale in Texas. It was just an ordinary day as he went along his business with his favorite hobby. He had no idea he’d find something that would change his life forever.
Estate Sale
Source: YouTubeEmil didn’t exactly have anything in mind when he got to the estate sale. He never did. He always just looked around until something caught his eye. He liked looking at the history of the items, believing he could find something about the owners and learn from the past. He was not prepared for the history he was about to find!
Nothing in Mind
Source: YouTubePremier Estates Sales Network was running the event. Emil was familiar with them and knew they had a lot of experience managing estate sales. He had utmost confidence that they would go through every item and make sure it was priced fairly and that nothing would be otherwise overlooked. But this day, they missed something.
Managers
Source: YouTubeEmil spotted a beautiful wooden dresser with ornate carvings. Not only that, but it had a marble top and was well-finished It was not the most exquisite item on display, but Emil’s interest was piqued nonetheless. He could already see himself putting it in his house and using it! But he was in for a real surprise.
Not the Average Rummage Auction
Source: YouTubeThe dark wood of the drawers and the white coloring of the marble had a beautiful contrast. The height of the dresser was also ideal for where he was planning to put it in his dining room. He went over to inspect it closer. Emil liked keeping an open mind at these sorts of sales, because that’s how he always found the best items!
Beautiful Dresser
Source: YouTubeThe best bargain hunters always find the most amazing items when they come to an event such as an estate sale with a positive attitude and an open mind. In the past, Emil had already figuratively struck gold a couple of times because of his attitude. So, Emil flagged down one of the managers and began asking questions about the dresser.
Best Bargain Shoppers
Source: YouTubeAccording to those running the estate sale, the dresser had been sitting there for a few days with no buyers, even though the dresser was thought to have been made around the late nineteenth century. But, because there were no buyers yet, they were reducing the price from $300 to $125. What a steal!
Dresser Facts
Source: YouTubeEmil really admired the dresser. Apparently, it had belonged to the man who had owned the estate, and had recently passed away. Emil opened all of the drawers, which were expectedly empty. It was old, but well-maintained. Emil decided to trust his gut and just buy it because he liked it so much. He had no idea how valuable it was going to end up being.
Admiring the Antique
Source: YouTubeAfter a thorough inspection, Emil knew this was going to be his purchase for the day. He already knew where he was going to put it, it was a beautiful antique, and it was a complete bargain of a price. He could honestly barely believe that the estate sale runners were willing to part with it for so little, but it was obvious they were trying to get rid of it!
Making the Purchase
Source: YouTubeEmil paid the $125 for the dresser and began taking it to his truck. However, it soon became clear that it was too heavy for him to move by himself. He asked for some help to get it from where it had been staged all the way to his truck. A couple of the estate sale workers eagerly jumped in to help him. None of them were prepared for what happened next!
Finalizing
Source: Shutterstock.com/ Tyler OlsonJeff Allen, one of the employees of Premier Estate Sales, and a couple of his coworkers gathered together to carefully move the dresser towards the truck. Emil was so excited to be taking this beautiful bargain antique home. The estate sale runners were glad to be getting rid of the dresser and satisfying a customer. But then things took a surprising turn.
Helping Hands
Source: YouTubeAs it would happen, the dresser would not even make it to Emil’s home before this discovery was unearthed. The unassuming chest of drawers had a decades-old secret within its wooden panels. The price Emil paid for it would not be the only incredible thing about this antique on this day.
Fate
Source: YouTubeAs they lifted the dresser to move it, a loud crashing sound was heard from within. All of the men stopped, as far as any of them knew, the dresser had been empty. Clearly they had all missed something! That single noise was about to completely upend the day as they searched for the source!
Unknowing
Source: YouTubeEveryone was very intrigued and wanted to know what was loose and rattling around inside a supposedly empty dresser. They opened up all of the drawers again, searching for the source of the sound, but couldn’t find anything. Yet they had all heard the loud crashing sound from before! Had something broken or become dislodged?
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Searching
Source: YouTubeEveryone was determined to find the source of the sound. However, despite looking in every seeable nook and cranny, none of the men could find anything inside the antique dresser. By this point, a crowd had gathered to see what was going on. Emil knew his recent purchase was special, but he needed to figure out how.
Mystery
Source: YouTubeThe men moved the dresser out of the way and began taking out the drawers and seeing if there was anything else to dismantle. The drawers were large and deep, but there was nothing to be found in any of them. There really seemed to be no explanation for the sound. But the men were not ready to give up!
Closer Inspection
Source: YouTubeMost of the customers at the estate sale had no idea what was unfolding mere feet away from them. They were all happily browsing the second-hand goods and other antiques. However, one of the people standing around suggested it might be a secret compartment somewhere in the construction of the dresser or the drawers.
Hidden Secrets
Source: Shutterstock.com/ Paul McKinnonThe men turned the dresser over on its back so they could look at it from a different angle and maybe try to find the source of the noise. As they did so, a cacophony of sound came from the dresser. They knew they were on the right track. They were so close to finding the hidden mystery!
Continued Inspection
Source: YouTubeThe compartment ended up being right under their noses. It had been like that the whole time. Once the drawers were out, there was a plain board at the base of the dresser, but it was a false bottom, which the men could clearly see once the dresser was tipped on its side with none of the drawers in. So now, what was in it?
The Hidden Compartment
Source: YouTubeEmil was not new to the estate sale buying business. He’d found plenty of bargains and even a few figurative diamonds in the rough. It was completely plausible for someone to throw away parts of collections or other expensive items without knowing their true value. Sometimes, the companies running the estate sales misjudged. So what had happened here?
In the Past
Source: YouTubeExperienced sellers always checked their items very carefully beforehand. And, ordinarily, Premier Estate Sales was very thorough. But, given the weight of the dresser and how it had not been moved prior to Emil picking it out from the house, no one had realized that there had been a false bottom.
Overlooked
Source: Shutterstock.com/ Paul McKinnonIn fact, if it hadn’t been for the noise, no one would have found out about the compartment at all. It was unlikely that even the relatives of the owner of the estate even knew what was truly inside of the dresser. This estate sale was auctioning off items belonging to a deceased man, whose family members could not keep the items. But perhaps they wanted to hang onto this one…
Noise
Source: YouTubeIt was finds like this that kept Emil coming back to estate sales because he could find stuff that the family wasn’t aware of nor did they really care about anymore. However, Emil had no idea that the find in this secret compartment was going to be about 150 times what he’d paid for the dresser.
Good Finds
Source: YouTubeThe compartment truly was the best secret hiding place for the most special of items. If one didn’t know what they were looking for, they’d completely gloss over the secret compartment. As it was, however, the dresser had a secret drawer that opened up, right in plain sight so no one would ever think to look. They weren’t prepared for what they found inside.
Perfect Hiding Place
Source: YouTubeWith all the people who had looked at it, Emil began to wonder if the deceased man’s immediate family had known about it. Perhaps, the compartment was older than the deceased man himself. According to what the estate sale runners knew, he’d inherited it from his parents who’d used to live in Michigan. How long had this compartment been unknown?
So Many Inspections
Source: YouTubeAlready this dresser was a bargain. Emil had bought a three-drawer dresser only to find out that it was actually a four-drawer dresser, the fourth drawer, of course, being completely secret. Plus, the finish was nice and it was obviously well-kept. And, he already knew where he was going to put it. But the contents of the drawer were the icing on the cake.
Screaming Deal
Source: YouTubeThe suspense was immense as Emil finally opened the secret drawer. He was prepared to see just about anything. Perhaps the contents of the drawer wouldn’t be much at all, but sometimes it wasn’t monetary value that made the purchase worth it, it was what he could learn from the history. But the contents were more than that.
Taking the Plunge
Source: YouTubeEveryone gasped when they saw the contents of the secret drawer. It was more amazing than anyone standing around could have imagined. The treasures inside were antiques that hadn’t seen the light of day in decades! They were important artifacts from American history, carefully preserved inside the dresser. No one could believe when they pieced together the next bit…
Open at Last
Source: YouTubeThe gathering crowd was captivated at the sight. Emil couldn’t believe his eyes when he recognized what he was looking at. At first, it almost looked like he was holding a chest full of gold. And while it wasn’t exactly gold he was looking at, he wasn’t far off as far as value. The contents were nearly priceless!
Special Find
Source: YouTubeEmil’s expertise at antique hunting had truly paid off at this estate sale. For all intents and purposes, he’d found a hidden treasure chest. The drawer was full of coins, jewels, other money, and old personal mementos. But it was also clear, that some of the hidden objects dated back to the Civil War, decades after the dresser was appraised to have been built!
Expertise
Source: YouTubeThese artifacts included some military medals and dog tags, and a preserved lock of hair. The appraisers at the estate sale estimated the contents of the drawer to be worth nearly fifteen thousand dollars! Not only that, but the dresser was clearly older than they’d originally thought. But now, Emil was faced with a serious decision…
Civil War Antiques
Source: YouTubeThe average person may have just had a finder’s keepers attitude. Emil had bought the dresser as it had been assessed after all. It would be completely within his rights to resell the dresser and the treasure inside of it and completely recoup all of the money spent. But, morally, should he do that?
Ethical Dilemma
Source: YouTubeAdditionally, if Emil started splitting hairs, he’d bought the dresser, but not necessarily the contents inside. The assessors had not known about it, but they’d also priced outside of that knowledge. So, really, who did the items even belong to? Emil had truly stumbled across some amazing historical treasure. So where did it belong?
Technicality
Source: YouTubeEmil couldn’t live with himself if he just kept everything. He wanted to return the items to their rightful owner, or at least the next of kin. He would have never been able to live with himself if he’d taken the profits of the contents. So, he carefully put the drawer back in and announced what he was going to do, shocking those around them.
Morality
Source: YouTubeEmil’s strong sense of right and wrong, guided by his own veteran’s status, had him tracking down the next of kin so that the items inside the dresser could be returned. Emil knew that they needed to stay within the family. Many people around him were shocked that he was giving up such a fortune!
Moral Compass
Source: YouTubeEmil and Jeff from Premier Estate Sales tracked down the grandson of the deceased man and they told him what they had found. As it happened, the dresser had been in the family’s possession for many, many years. The man’s grandson, a grown man himself now, remembered seeing the dresser at his grandparents’ house as a kid. But he’d had no idea just how special it was!
Next of Kin
Source: YouTubeThough he hadn’t thought the dresser to be special, he certainly was grateful to have all of the mementos and valuable contents returned to him. He felt rather silly that he hadn’t looked closer to begin with. Regardless, this find and Emil’s decision afterwards, brought this story to the newspapers!
Grateful
Source: YouTubeEmil told the reporters that he was really trying to do the right thing. He knew as soon as he recognized what the treasure was, that he wasn’t going to be able to keep it. That stuff had an owner, even if the owner didn’t know it existed. There was never a question of keeping it, which truly goes to show just how amazing of a man Emil is.
Talking to the Reporters
Source: YouTubeEmil couldn’t even imagine the amount of guilt he would have felt had he kept the items. Sure, there was a lot of jewels and cash, and other very valuable items in the secret compartment, but keeping them would have made Emil so bad. So, he returned them and the dresser to the grandson, who was grateful to have not accidentally lost a huge part of his family history.
Finding Joy
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Source: YouTube
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