At the Goodwill summit, Dr. Lori had everyone leaning in with stories that sounded almost too good to be true, but they weren’t. This isn’t your average thrift haul; these are tales of ordinary people stumbling across extraordinary treasures.
Dr. Lori, a PhD in arts and architecture, grew up just minutes from Yale. As a kid with little money, she spent countless hours wandering museums for free, soaking in “pretty things” and learning the history and construction of every object she could. That early curiosity turned into expertise that now guides collectors and thrifters alike.
Some of the finds she’s seen are jaw-dropping. One man in Virginia bought a painting in Boston for $275. Everyone told him it was fake. But he didn’t listen. He drove all the way to Rhode Island to get Dr. Lori’s opinion and it was real. Today it’s worth $2.1 million. Then there’s George Washington’s wallet, yes, the one he carried crossing the Delaware. Two elderly women brought it in and donated it to a museum, insisting that history was more important than money.
And the team’s finds at GoodWill and antique stores prove that treasure can hide in plain sight:
- Amy bought a painting for $5. Hidden on the back was a tucked-away signature, turning it into a piece worth around $150. Dr. Lori reminded everyone that the back of a painting often tells the story the front can’t.
- Eddie scored a well-known artist’s painting for $7. The frame was bad and the dates didn’t match, but online it could fetch $350.
- Lunchbox found porcelain figurines he thought were 200 years old. Turned out they were 75-year-old Japanese replicas of 18th-century French Rococo figures, bought for $6, worth maybe $60–$100.
- Bobby snagged an Edwardian football helmet with the original string for $28. Retail? Around $75, plus the DIY stand adds another $15.
Even more obscure treasures make appearances in Dr. Lori's tour, like a ball cannon jar from 1858, though Dr. Lori noted that many jars have that same date.
Her advice? Sports collectibles, fine art, and jewelry are still top performers. But beyond money, Dr. Lori shows that thrifting is about curiosity, patience, and knowing where to look. You never know when a $5 find could be your ticket to an unforgettable story or a life-changing treasure.
Whether you’re a casual browser or a full-on collector, her stories prove one thing: sometimes the best finds aren’t on the front shelf, and the real value is in looking closely.