Nothing beats the thrill you get when scoring a deal, especially during yard sales where one man’s garbage becomes another man’s treasure. Our story, however, doesn’t just talk about lost treasure but also includes a hint of a hidden curse which comes along with it!
This is the story of Emil Knodell, who got a bit more than he expected during one of his backyard scavenger hunts. Click next and find out what exactly happened to old Emil and how his hobby soon turned into a nightmare!
When Fate Seals The Sale
Emil Knodell is a 67-year-old retired Marketing Director and US veteran from Texas, who also happens to have a fascination for treasure hunting. He spends most of his free time sifting through various estate and yard sales with the hopes of finding something valuable among the unwanted items their original owners are trying to dispose of. Well, Emil must have done something good because Lady Luck was on his side on that particular day.
Emil found his treasure while on a quest in Missouri City, Texas. It all started out just like any other day for him, and this estate sale was just as normal as all the other ones he’d visited. Little did he know that by the time he leaves this sale, his entire life may be changed by a discovery that would turn his otherwise ordinary story into a national sensation.
What Are The Odds
The odds of finding a valuable antique at such a low price was very bleak, and Emil knew this very well. However, this didn’t stop him from scouring through the estate sale that day as he had a good feeling about it. It didn’t take him long to learn that a company called Premier Estates Sales Network was the organizer of that particular event.
With a reputation to uphold, companies like Premier Estates Sales Network would surely do thorough checking among their items to make sure that everything was sold at a fair price. The company had a reputable background in running estate sales after all, and this meant that they definitely knew what they were doing.
Slipping Through
Be that as it may, this didn’t stop Emil from scouring through the sale as if it were like any other sale he’d gone through. While he was doing his best to find something valuable at the estate sale, the company was also doing its best to make sure that anything valuable won’t slip through their hands. Tightening their grip didn’t do much in the end, though, as something huge still managed to escape their grasp.
Later on, Emil told reporters that “I always come to a sale with an open mind because you never know.” And truly, this is something that every bargain hunter must keep in mind. Treasures are called such because they don’t just come out from anywhere, but this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t keep an open mind and strike out when you are just about to strike gold.
Extraordinarily Ordinary
While at the estate sale, an antique wooden dresser stood out to Emil so he wandered over towards it to get a closer look. It wasn’t particularly interesting in the sense that it was just like any other old dresser. However, Emil felt a certain pull to the antique; he didn’t know just how valuable it actually was but it was probably its age that added some charm to it. According to its appraiser, the marble-top item with three drawers dates back to the 1890s.
Emil inspected the dresser and found all three drawers empty. As previously mentioned, the dresser wasn’t something too fancy, nor was it anything out of the ordinary. This didn’t stop Emil from making the purchase, though. Fortunately for him, it was probably his best decision that day.
Third Time’s A Charm
Lady Luck tagged along with Emil the entire time he was at the estate sale, or the saying “third time’s a charm” just might prove itself true. The dresser had been at the sale for three days now, and the company was eager for someone to take it off their hands, even for a bargain price.
The dresser was being sold at $300 on the first day of the sale, but had gone down to only $100 on its third day–at this rate, the 1890s antique wooden dresser would be a steal. Little did anyone know that this would be more than just a small-scale steal.
Bagging A Steal
The 1890s dresser being sold at $100 made it a steal, but that’s not everything that’s special about it. It also kept a secret, possibly for decades, from the world that not even the owner and his relatives seemed to know about.
Emil thought that getting the dresser for only $100 was his jackpot. Quite apparently, it was more than that–actually, it was about 150 times more than what he paid for. If that doesn’t count as a jackpot, what else could be?
A Well-Kept Secret
Apart from a great deal he just scored, Emil didn’t see anything out of the ordinary until after his purchase when he was trying to get the dresser into his car. It was only then that he suspected something different about his new antique, and it was definitely not about its external appearance.
The dresser was apparently too heavy for Emil to carry by himself so he asked someone to help him carry it over into his car. No one realized it then, but this small gesture is just exactly what led them to discover the antique’s well-kept secret – that is, until Emil found out, of course. Truly, you can’t judge a book by its cover.
An Audible Secret
A couple of men came to help Emil and it was then that they noticed something off. True, the antique dresser was far too heavy for one person to carry, but an empty dresser couldn’t possibly weigh so much that it took more than two people to get it up. No one could quite put their finger to it, but something was definitely not right about the item.
That being said, the men laid the antique on its side and that’s when they heard a myriad of sounds coming from inside the supposedly empty dresser. This elicited a mixture of reactions from these men such as surprise, curiosity, and most importantly, confusion–especially the latter when they found nothing after inspecting it thoroughly.
Unexplainable
The men took the inspection seriously and had it done twice. Yet, nobody found anything inside that may have caused the sounds they had just heard. There was no indication of anything that may have caused it, so this drove the men to explore further.
By this time, a crowd had already gathered around the men and the dresser out of curiosity. These people all knew now that the dresser was hiding something, it’s just that nobody knew what it was. This spiked people’s curiosities and many lingered to find out what the secret was. What exactly made that seemingly unexplainable noise?
Source of Intrigue
Allen, one of the men who helped Emil carry the dresser onto his truck, shared, “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.”
Since all three drawers had been proven empty time and again, the curious bystanders came up with the conclusion that there must be some sort of secret compartment somewhere inside the dresser which would hopefully explain the strange noise they heard from it. But where exactly was this secret compartment, if there is one? Suffice to say, the people eventually found out, albeit unintentionally.
Secret Compartment
Since laying it down on its side or right side up didn’t seem to work, the men decided to lay the dresser down on its back to check if there might be a secret opening there somewhere. As it turned out, this was exactly what they needed to do as this was how they found the secret compartment which was apparently hiding from plain sight.
As previously mentioned, the dresser had three drawers with mouldings decorated on the outside. What they didn’t know (and just found out) was that there was another compartment just at the base of the dresser. It looked just like an ordinary piece of wood but when turned upside down, you’ll find a cut-out of what seemed like a drawer handle.
The Perfect Hiding Place
“When you look at the front of it, it looks like it has three obvious drawers with moulding on the base. But the bottom has a secret drawer that opens up,” Emil explained. This was actually a genius hiding place! It’s right there in plain sight, which is exactly why no one would think to look at it.
Apparently, no one did–that is, not until Emil and the men. Anyone who had previously had ownership of the dresser probably had their heads roll upon finding out what was inside the antique. Imagine what the company must have felt, seeing how they let go of such a treasure! Most of the secrets the dresser held were long-forgotten priceless antiques that not even the organizers of the estate sale knew about. Otherwise, they probably wouldn’t have let go of the dresser at all!
Estate and Yard Sales
The estate sale was tasked to auction off items of a man who had passed away, and this included the antique dresser. Such sales usually take place so that the deceased’s family could dispose of his unwanted belongings properly.
These sales usually offer cheap but great deals as the family members are often unaware of the value of each item for sale. Most of the time, they really just need to dispose of the items as they either don’t need it or they have no room for it. Luckily for Emil, this 1890s dresser just fit the bill.
Everyone Else Missed It
This discovery doesn’t mean that nobody had thought of inspecting the dresser previously. Before every estate or yard sale, each item is thoroughly inspected to make sure that the owner has not left anything inside that may be of value to him. Unfortunately for the professional appraisers and the deceased’s family, no one had thought to look for the secret compartment with hidden treasures.
Come to think of it, it’s actually interesting how the immediate family of the deceased never knew about this secret prior to the discovery. At this rate, even the man himself must have had no knowledge about this, too. Apparently, the dresser was part of his inheritance from his parents who used to live in Michigan. So it’s not far-fetched that even he never knew about the treasures hidden inside the dresser, too–treasures just waiting to be found.
So Much More
Emil certainly got more than he bargained for. The seemingly three-drawer dresser turned out to be a four-drawer antique that contained riches that nobody knew about until that fateful day.
The marble top and each drawer’s beautiful intricacies were already enough to spark joy in Emil, but fate decided to give him much more. While most people only wish to find buried treasure, he had an actual encounter with one and the best part is, he gets to keep it! Apparently, the secret compartment was only the first part of the reveal.
More Bang For The Buck
The curious bystanders were already on the edge of their seats (even though they weren’t sitting) as Emil and Jeff Allen began opening the secret compartment. Everyone was anticipating this moment, and it was just about the time that everyone found out what the secret was.
The drawer’s contents drew out gasps from the crowd once Emil and Allen opened it. No one had expected to find anything hugely significant, but the contents were more than just treasures–they were trinkets that were apparently important artefacts from American history. The day began normally for everyone at the estate sale, but now it had just become far more interesting.
Hold Your Breath
“It was a huge adrenaline rush,” Emil said about opening the fourth drawer for the very first time. Everyone held their breaths during that moment, expecting to see a pot of gold or a drawer full of money. Unexpectedly, and quite fortunately, it was far more than that.
The not-so-secret compartment was brimming with treasures of gold, money, and jewels! Emil, Allen, and everyone else around was shocked for a minute as they see how much priceless items were inside. Clearly, no one expected such a huge haul. For $100, this was definitely a steal!
A Treasure Chest
Emil’s treasure hunting certainly took a turn for the best that day. He had discovered a real-life buried treasure on his antique quest, and this was definitely one for the books. Not only did the fourth drawer contain mementoes, jewellery, and money from all around the world, but it also contained another surprise.
There were items such as military medals and dog tags that was dated all the way back to the Civil War. Quite curiously, there was also a well-preserved lock of hair hidden amongst these treasures. Whose it was, nobody knew. What Emil did know, however, was that his $100 payment for this antique dresser sure was a great investment for something as priceless as what he had found. In fact, the value of everything he had just discovered was far more than anything he had ever imagined.
The Big Return
Just from a plain view, this stash could easily be worth at least $15,000, though this was not a professional appraisal yet. It was quite a cashback, as $14,900 was not exactly what Emil thought he would gain when he first decided to purchase this dresser, which was already very interesting and valuable to begin with given its old age.
It was indeed old. Initial appraisals by the company that organized the estate sale declared that the drawer dates back to the 1890s which was perhaps a good estimate, based on the age of its contents. However, it was found to be even older than that considering the items inside that had been dated way back to the Civil War. If this seems extraordinary, what Emil did with his newfound discovery made everything even more incredible.
What To Do
After the initial shock, the question that lingered on the minds of everyone who witnessed this discovery was this: what exactly does Emil plan to do with this loot? Most would probably think of selling everything off and keeping the profit all to himself, but was this the moral thing to do?
The latter was the first question that popped in Emil’s mind as soon as he recovered from the initial shock of his discovery. Technically, his purchase only covered the dresser and not its contents. What made things even more complicated was that no one knew about the contents prior to the discovery, so to whom exactly did they rightfully belong?
Too Good to Be True
This caused a dilemma for Emil, as the contents weren’t exactly part of the deal when he purchased the antique dresser. The remaining options for him were to either keep the contents for himself, justifying that he bought the dresser after all; or, return the items to the deceased man’s next of kin. Indeed, the situation was just too good to be true.
The first option was a tempting one, but many others have already seen its contents and they all know that this wasn’t his treasures, to begin with. Emil’s second option was to return everything to the family as he believed that this was the morally right thing to do. Being the good man that he is, this wasn’t even a question for Emil and he chose to simply give the contents back to their rightful owner.
No Ordinary Man
Emil wasn’t exactly a “finders keepers” type of guy, and let’s face it: the man deserves a huge pat on the back for being such a good guy! While others would have just kept these treasures, he chose the right path and followed his conscience, ignoring what could have been a huge profit out of his $100 purchase. In this scenario, Emil is certainly an extraordinary one.
Striving to do the right thing has always been part of Emil’s values in life, even more so since he is a US veteran. His strong moral compass overwhelmed him at a challenging time such as this, and this moment is something he could be proud of.
Not A Question
Emil didn’t even have to hesitate for a second, it was simply no question. He returned all the items immediately to the next of kin, who would then decide what to do with the treasures.
“I bought the chest [of] drawers. I didn’t buy those things,” Emil explained. “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 that didn’t garner a second thought, as he always made decisions based on what’s right and wrong. It was an admirable thing to do, given the number of treasures he had just given up to do what he believed was right.
The Rightful Owner
As fate would have it, Jeff also felt the same way and agreed that the contents had to be returned to their rightful owner. It’s all the more heartwarming to find out that there still are people like Jeff and Emil in this world who choose to do what’s right instead of putting themselves above anything else.
As it turns out, the rightful owner wasn’t so hard to find as he was the one who executed the estate sale from where the dresser had been bought. Apparently even he didn’t know about the treasures as he was just as shocked to find about them as Emil and the other people were.
A Grateful Man
The dresser’s owner recalled seeing the item a couple of times in Michigan at his grandparents’ place but he never could have imagined that something so valuable was hidden inside it, and certainly not an entire drawer full of timeless, priceless antiques. Expectedly, the owner was eternally grateful that Emil decided to return the treasures instead of keeping them for himself.
Emil later explained to reporters that “I’m an old ex-Marine, and I try to do the right thing.” In fact, he immediately asked someone to call the owner as soon as they found the valuables as he knew very well how important it was to return them. While it was indeed a fantastic discovery, it was just not his treasures to keep.
To Be Or Not To Be… Ethical
While Emil, Jeff, and the owner thought that it was only proper and morally right to return the items, many people on social media expressed their belief that he had the right to and that he should have kept the treasures as his own. These people believed that finders should indeed be keepers.
While this may be the case for some, this definitely was not the case for Emil. None of these comments mattered to him as he believed that what he did was the right thing to do and that no amount of treasure should keep him from sticking to his moral and ethical compass. This just didn’t seem like something that would spark joy and peace in him, now or ever. Many agreed with this, too.
Honesty Is The Best Policy
Many people congratulated and commended Emil for what he had done, especially since at a time like this, discovering great treasures can be such a huge lift and could change one’s life entirely. After all, he did make the purchase and the entire dresser was technically his, including the contents. However, this doesn’t change the fact that the items had their rightful owner – and Emil and a few others believed that it wasn’t him.
Some social media users expressed their belief that sentimental value for the original owners in itself should be enough to return the items, whether they be valuable treasures or not. Moreover, many people don’t even know that they’re missing out on something good or, more importantly, valuable until someone points it out to them. A few others simply accept the fact that these precious items had simply gotten lost and are just pleased to have them back where they belong. Indeed, this was a lesson to learn for many–and Emil was certainly a great teacher.