Found a hidden jewelry stash behind a fake outlet plate at a sale in Tacoma

I went to this estate sale in Tacoma last weekend and something felt off about the layout. There was this outlet in the back of a bedroom closet that looked too new compared to the old fixtures. I tapped on it and it sounded hollow so I popped it off with a screwdriver from my delivery truck. Behind it was a little zippered bag with three gold rings and a brooch worth about $400 at a pawn shop. Has anyone else found secret hiding spots like that at estate sales in Washington?

3 comments

3 Comments

willow7324d ago

HOLD ON. I gotta push back on this whole "secret hiding spot" thing. I mean, it's a fun story and all, but why would someone hide jewelry behind a fake outlet in a closet? That doesn't make sense to me. If they wanted to keep it safe, why not just put it in a safety deposit box or even a normal lockbox under the bed? An outlet in a closet is the first place I'd look if I were trying to find something hidden, honestly. And what if the person who hid it was just a confused old person who forgot where they put their rings? You basically stole from someone's personal stash, not some grand treasure hunt. I bet the family is going to be mad when they find out, especially if the person is still alive and just misplaced them.

hernandez.ben1d ago

Look, I get what you're saying but I've actually seen this kind of thing before. I had a friend who bought a house from an elderly couple that moved into assisted living, and we found cash and old coins behind a loose floorboard in the laundry room. The thing is, old people who lived through the Depression or wars don't trust banks. My grandma literally kept cash in her freezer and behind the toilet tank. So yeah, a fake outlet in a closet makes total sense to someone who grew up during the Great Depression. They figure nobody will check a closet because why would you. As for the family being mad, well, that's why you gotta cover yourself legally. In most places, once you buy the house and close, anything left behind is technically yours unless it was specifically mentioned in the contract. Still, I'd try to track down the family first if you can, just to CYA. Better to be wrong and return it than have a knock on your door asking where grandmas rings went.

schmidt.grant4d ago

Weird that the outlet looked way newer than everything else. Did you check the rest of the closet for more fake plates or loose baseboards? I bet whoever hid that stuff figured it was safe but left other clues around the house if you look close.