Getting more than you bargain for isn’t always a good thing. Fortunately, that’s not how it played out for one Texan. He made a worthwhile investment at a yard sale. There’s something aesthetically pleasing about old furniture – the care it was made with, the stories it holds. But what about furniture that holds secrets? This man found an incredible score at a yard sale, but the secret it holds is worth even more, and no one could believe what the furniture was hiding.
Emil Knodell had no clue what he was in for when he went to a local estate sale. He is a collector and he enjoys going to these kinds of events. He made a habit of frequently visiting estate and yard sale, and he’s found a number of beautiful vintage pieces because of it. On this day, in particular, Emil found a stunning piece at a yard sale. But he had no clue that there was more to the dresser than what he could see.
Estate sales can be a difficult thing. The public doesn’t have a problem, but it can be hard for the family. Unfortunately, that was the case for this estate sale. The son of the deceased homeowner couldn’t bring himself to attend the sale. He knew that his father’s belongings needed to be sold, but he couldn’t bear to watch. It would prove to be a huge mistake when Emil bought the dresser.
All of a sudden, Emil saw the item, a vintage wood dresser that had a marble top. Emil fell in love with it. He figured it would look perfect sitting in his dining room. He walked over to the dresser and knew that he wanted it. As he looked closer, he could see the details in the craftsmanship. Emil had to have it, but there was one problem with it.
As soon as Emil saw the dresser, he knew that he wanted to buy it. So he walked up to the estate staff and asked about the dresser. Once he was told how much it would cost, he couldn’t believe it. They wanted over $300 for the dresser. Unfortunately, that was a little bit more than he could pay that day. Disappointed, Emil asked how long the sale would be going on for. Their answer was exactly what he wanted to hear.
The estate sale would be going on for three more days, so Emil decided to wait it out. It made Emil happy that the sale would continue, but he became worried. He wasn’t sure if his dresser would be bought before they dropped the prices. Typically, when an item doesn’t sell, their prices are lowered. Emil was entering into a dangerous waiting game. It was then that Emil was hit by an incredible amount of luck.
If you’ve ever been to an estate sale then you understand that the competition can get tough, especially if more than one person wants the same item. Just think about Black Friday. Emil found himself at war during this particular estate sale. Why would someone want the dresser he had his eyes on? Emil was going to make sure that he walked away with it, but he still didn’t realize that the prize wasn’t the dresser, it was what was inside of it.
Fortunately, Emil was able to walk away the victor. Luckily for Emil, the other party walked away from the dresser. As he went to claim his prize, Emil was consumed with pride. His dining room would finally be complete, and the best part was that he got the dresser for an incredible deal. They had knocked the original price down to $100! Emil still had no clue that what was hidden in the dresser was worth so much more.
One thing that Emil hadn’t thought about was how he was going to transport the dresser. Due to the fact that it was vintage, the dresser was made from solid oak. And the marble top added quite a bit of weight, as well. Emil attempted to lift it, but he immediately regretted it. He knew that he would need help lifting the dresser. Luckily, this is what led him to finding the hidden surprise inside.
Emil immediately needed help moving the dresser. As Emil and Jeff Allan started lifting the chest, it began to slip out of their hands. As it slipped, the men heard something in the dresser. As soon as the dresser hit the ground, they could hear a very distinctive metallic sound. It was time to investigate. And that’s when Emil discovered a hidden drawer. As they opened the drawer, the men were in shock!
As Emil pulled open the drawer, his heart jumped. Inside of the drawer was an unbelievable amount of treasure. Beautiful coins and old foreign currency were bouncing around the drawer. Diamonds, and emeralds, and rubies were shining brightly in the sun. Nicely folded old war medals were in there, as well. Emil and Jeff were in shock at what they found. But what Emil did next would prove to be even more amazing than the treasure they found.
“Let’s call the owner!” said Emil. Most people would be excited about their own luck, but not Emil. He was more than excited, but not for himself. He just wanted to be able to share the find with the son of the original owner of the dresser. He was truly a humble man. “I bought the chest drawers. I didn’t buy those things. If I kept them, I would never feel right about it,” explained Emil. The son couldn’t have been more grateful.
The son of the original owner was more than grateful for Emil’s kind act. The son shared with Jeff how he had fond memories of the chest. He remembered the dresser being in his grandparent’s home, but no one ever expected it to be filled with treasure. It was truly a remarkable find. Emil was able to share a piece of the son’s history that he knew nothing about.
As soon as the story was released online, it gained a lot of attention. Emil was Internet famous. He also gave people a glimmer of hope. People were excited to go to yard sales to see what they could find. As exciting as this find was, it was extremely uncommon. Luckily for the son, Emil was a good, honest man. “I’m an old ex-Marine and I try to do the right thing,” he explained in the interview.
Thanks to Emil, a family has a piece of their history back. Often, family heirlooms carry nothing but sentiment with them. Luckily for this family, their treasure trove was indeed a really valuable treasure. More importantly, they have a piece of their past that they never even knew about. And if it wasn’t for Emil and his kind heart, they would’ve stayed in the dark forever.