An Indiana woman was thrilled when she spotted a “beautiful” frame in the bins at her local Goodwill.
But it wasn’t until she returned to her car and took a closer look that she realized she’d stumbled upon one of the best thrift store finds of her life.
Tatiana Brito was shopping at the Goodwill in Gary when she came across the frame.
“I didn’t think much of it besides it being a pretty frame,” Brito told Newsweek. “But once I got in my car and really took a look at it, I realized the stamp and then read the sticker.”
The frame included a sticker informing Brito that it was made from pure .925 silver, free of lead and nickel, and made in Greece.
Along with the sticker, Brito found a hallmark bearing the number 925, indicating the frame was made from sterling silver, which contains 92.5 percent pure silver.
Sterling silver is highly sought after by thrift shoppers because global silver prices have surged over the past year, rising from around $40 per ounce in August 2025 to more than $67 per ounce by August 2026.
The rally has been driven by strong industrial demand, particularly from the solar energy and electronics sectors, alongside continued investor interest in precious metals.
Despite the sharp rise in silver prices, some thrift stores still fail to recognize the authenticity hallmarks stamped on items, meaning valuable precious metals can be mispriced and sold for little more than ordinary stainless steel or silver-plated goods.
Brito said she paid “less than a dollar” for the frame but could be set for a sizable return. Based on her calculations, she estimates the frame has a resale value of around $150.
She reckons it ranks among her “top three” thrift store finds. While she loves the thrill of the hunt, Brito’s top tip for anyone hoping to replicate her success is to browse the Goodwill bins for bargains that can be quickly flipped for a profit.
“I always loved thrifting items for myself, but lately I’ve been reselling them using the Goodwill bins to help pay the bills,” she said.
Goodwill bins are considered the final stop for unsold thrift store items, but they are known for yielding everything from vintage treasures to bizarre oddities.
Recent success stories include a woman who pulled a $1,000 dress from a Goodwill bin after spotting it priced at just $10. Then there was the thrifter who found a 1970s oil lamp on sale for only $2.
Thrifting is an increasingly popular pastime.
Figures published by Capital One Shopping show the U.S. secondhand market was worth $56 billion in 2025, up 14.3 percent year over year.
With interest in thrifting continuing to grow, knowing what to look for can make all the difference. For Brito, that knowledge turned a frame worth less than a dollar into a potential $150 payday.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Rebecca Flood and Emma Lee-Sang