A yard sale - few things in the world can beat the excitement of it. The owners seek to clear out their unused belongings and willing to sell them at cheap prices. Participating in yard sales & property sales is like participating in a treasure hunt. Emil Knodell is passionate about finding old and unusual items. Emil once purchased an ancient dresser at an auction & heard odd sounds inside. When the dresser was opened, he discovered things he did not expect. Read on to learn more about Emil's sensational discovery that will persuade you to start attending yard sales!

After you'll finish reading the story about Emil's astounding discovery you’ll hurry up and check where there's a yard sale near your house!>>

Emil the Treasure Hunter

Emil Knodell (born and raised in Texas) is a former marketing executive & army veteran, but he's into treasure hunting as well. In his spare time, he likes attending estate sales & yard sales, dreaming of coming across incredibly expansive artifacts that people had thrown away and give his accounts a boost. One of the many yard sales he attended was located in Missouri City, Texas. When he just got there, it looked like a standard estate sale, nothing prepared him to the astonishing thing he was about to uncover. Something that might alter his life forever and turn his story into a media sensation.

The Life Changing Estate Sale

Emil Knodell knew that the chances to uncover a fantastic antique and pay an extremely low amount of money for it were rather slim. But the estate sale he attended wasn't an ordinary auction. He had great expectations for it, and soon discovered that a company by the name of Premier Estates Sales Network stood behind the sale. Premier Estate had a lot of experience in conducting estate sales. The company would try to guarantee that everything was sold fairly and that nothing really expansive slipped away; They'd do everything they could to ensure clients didn’t find a hidden treasure by mistake.

Stay Open Minded

That wasn't enough to discourage Emil and he was determined to make an effort and find something unique there, despite the fact that the agency responsible for it was trying hard to guarantee that nothing valuable would escape them. They had no idea that something amazing was about to leave the sale for no money at all. Emil believes that you should consistently arrive to a yard sale open minded. That's the right spirit for a treasure hunter. You can’t find a treasure every time, but, in this case, Emil will soon discover something truly remarkable.

The Dresser Caught Emil's Attention

One item really got Emil curious – An ancient wooden dresser. It didn't look that extraordinary or opulent. It fashioned a marble top & 3 wooden drawers. It was made around the 1890s. Emil had no idea what he was about to discover inside. As he searched through it, he discovered that dresser's three drawers were clear. It looked like the dresser was quite an ordinary one, it wasn’t too bombastic, but still Emil sensed it was special and he just had to buy the thing. And it’s a good thing he did.

A Bargain Price

The dresser was shown there for 3 days without being sold and the firm in charge of the sale wanted to get rid of it quickly, even at the cost of lowering the price. The original asking charge of the ancient dresser was $300 at the beginning of the sale, and now, in the remaining days of the sale, they agreed to sell the dresser for below than $100. Such a price was really a bargain price. But something still remained hidden and mysterious regarding the ancient dresser. Something that would put a smile on Emil’s face.

Lady Luck

Buying such an antique dresser for below $100, was practically a steal. However, that isn't where the dresser stopped being incredible. Inside there was a secret that was kept hidden perhaps for several decades. It's more than possible that the family members of the owner of the estate didn't know what exactly was hidden in the dresser as well. Emil’s good fortune was changing for the good and lady luck stood right by his side with the dresser he bought. With lady luck's help he was about to get an amazing worth for the dresser, thousands of dollars more than the money he paid, actually.

Moving the Dresser Would Uncover the Secret

Only after Emil bought the dresser and tried to take it into his truck he started thinking that it possessed a secret. Looking at it superficially, the dresser looked completely regular in every sense, but coincidentally, Emil was on the verge of discovering something bigger. The ancient dresser felt way too heavy, so Emil couldn't lift it alone, so he politely requested help putting the dresser in his truck. He wasn't yet aware of it but lifting the ancient piece of furniture would shortly uncover that there was something hidden under the surface.

Weird Sounds Were Coming Out of It

Just when the guys helping Emil began lifting the ancient dresser that they felt something odd. It was a wooden dresser, and as such, was extremely weighty. But perhaps, way too weighty for a vacant one. Something felt off, and firstly, they didn't know why. They then put it on its back and something unexpected happened. They heard unexplained sounds coming from inside the dresser. Everyone were left perplexed and they started looking at each other's surprised faces. They looked inside the dresser and found once more, that the furniture was vacant.

It Became Clear That the Dresser Had a Secret Inside it

The guys examined the heavy piece of furniture and then checked it again. They still couldn’t locate anything in the dresser, or maybe that's just what they thought. They didn't have any reasonable reason as to where the sounds from (inside?) the dresser were coming from when they flipped it over. The fellows were still determined to find out. They were really eager, and many people assembled to see what was happening. One thing was clear now - the dresser held something inside, all that remained now was to understand where they need to further look.

The Mission – Uncover the Mystery

Allen, one of the guys who helped Emil take the dresser to his truck said that once they put it down, the dresser began making really weird noises. All the men were really curious and dying to find out what was the deal with the piece of furniture. The guys that assembled near the ancient dresser determined that there's surely a secret section hidden inside of it, since all 3 of the dresser's drawers were vacant. But why couldn't they find it? This was a mystery they really didn't want to leave unresolved.

The Secret Compartment

In their attempts to uncover the mystery, the men decided to put the dresser sideways, and luckily for them it was just what they had to do in order to find the secret section. Apparently, it was hidden just below their noses.You did not need eyeglasses to see it, just some luck or intuition. Besides the 3 unmissable drawers of the dresser, all of them had molding in their exterior, a basic board was at the bottom of it. Superficially, it looked as if there was nothing there but wood, but after you rotate it upside down you're able to notice something that looks like a handle.

Valuable Antiques

Emil Knodell said that when you take a glimpse at the anterior of it, you see it has only 3 drawers and molding on its bottom. But the base has a hidden drawer. Come to think of it, it's an ideal hiding space. Just under your nose but one would not consider looking there. Naturally, other people didn't consider looking there either. The people who had the furniture before Emil, they'd surely be jealous of what he’d soon discover as a lot of the items kept inside the hidden drawer were valuable antiques. In no time they'll open the drawer and find out what is the treasure that's kept inside.

The Sellers Didn't Know What They Were Selling

The estate sale in which Emil purchased the dresser took place in order to sell several artifacts of a person who had perished. Estate sales like of that sort frequently occur in an attempt to get rid of the person’s possessions that the relatives don’t desire to keep or don’t have enough space to keep it in. Relatives of the person who died sometimes don't know exactly just how valuable their inheritance is. That's also the case concerning yard sales, in which families just desire to vacate free space inside their home, without consideration of how priceless some objects are. That’s just the thing Emil Knodell came across.

It's Likely That Even the Owner Didn't Know All the Secrets of the Dresser

Before it was sold many people already saw the dresser and inspected it. The expert appraisers and the relatives of the dead man who owned the estate, missed the hidden section in the dresser. It’s unbelievable to acknowledge that even the man’s relatives didn't know about the mysterious extra drawer — and perhaps he even wasn't aware about it himself. The deceased owner of the estate got the dresser from his parents in inheritance. So, it’s more than possible to assume the drawer was kept in secret for decades, just waiting for someone to reveal it. Still, other amazing discoveries regarding the secret section inside the dresser remained.

An Astonishing Treasure

After purchasing the old piece of furniture, former military man Emil Knodell received much more than what he was expecting for. He purchased the antique 3-drawer dresser paying a very low price, finding that it was actually a 4-drawer dresser. And one of the compartments makes a really good secret hiding spot. Emil Knodell felt highly content with the 3-drawer dresser he bought and its lovely marble top & labyrinthine molding, but eventually he had a lot more than he bargained for. He had an astonishing treasure that most people just fantasize about.

Important Items from America's History

The suspense climbed as Emil Knodell and Jeff Allen got ready to unlock the secret compartment of the dresser. When they finally opened the drawer, everyone were shocked at what the hidden drawer it contained. It was something beyond their wildest imaginations. They didn’t only find a treasure, they found important legacy items from America's history. Finding out what these artifacts in the hidden drawer were, made everyone there gasp with disbelief. Emil was just starting to understand what treasure landed in his hands and he just couldn't believe his luck.

Gold & Jewels

When Emil first unlocked the secret 4th drawer he reported that he was super excited. For that fleeting moment in which they opened the drawer everyone held their breath, wishing that plenty of gold would be revealed. The truth wasn't that far from what they'd hoped for. The now unhidden secret 4th drawer was glittering with gold and jewels. They were all shocked and mesmerized by what they were looking at. It became clear that the hidden drawer was packed with valuable artifacts that no one could have dreamt of.

Money from all Over the Globe

Emil’s experience as a treasure hunter really paid off. He had stumbled upon an unreal treasure concealed in a 19th-century dresser. The hidden 4th draw was filled with jewelry, money from several countries and old intimate souvenirs. But that wasn’t all of it. Several artifacts even dated years back to America's Civil War - army medals & dog tags. One of the oddest things found was a flawlessly preserved bolt of hair. The veteran treasure hunter had struck gold with his dresser, considering its value was much higher than the $100 paid for the ancient dresser.

The Dresser is Possibly Older Than First Thought

While all the valuables in the hidden compartment weren't expertly appraised, Emil believed that they were worth no less than $15,000. That’s quite a nice profit on a less than $100 investment, plus Emil also received the ancient wooden dresser which alone was a valuable artifact taking into account how ancient it was. The estimates taken by the estate sales firm claimed that the dresser was from 1890 or so, which sounded like a good estimate considering the artifacts that were found inside the dresser. But, it could be even older than first thought since that some items found in the hidden 4th drawer dated all the way back to the American Civil War.

Did Emil Really Own the Contents of the Dresser?

One question still remained unanswered. What would our protagonist do with the things that were found? Most people would probably sell the loot & keep the money from such an astonishing find. But Emil felt that is wasn't the most moral thing he could do. This question bothered Emil after he found the hidden drawer and its content. Technically, he just bought the dresser, the things he found inside were not his to take. Considering no one else knew about the hidden compartment or what it held inside, it remained unclear who actually owned it?

What Will Emil Do with the Treasure?

Considering Emil didn't really purchase the contents of the secret dresser, he stood in front of a moral dilemma. He could keep the valuable artifacts to himself or bring them back to the deceased man's relatives. Emil could've easily held on to the treasure, but, many already witnessed Emil open the hidden 4th drawer & find the gems kept inside. He was also contemplating about just returning the items he found, doing so would relieve his conscience. For Emil, it was question he found easy answering & he didn’t have to overthink it.

A Firm Moral Compass

Emil Knodell was a morally honest man. Other people might've just run away taking all the valuable artifacts with them and been satisfied with making one hundred and fifty times more than what they initially paid in the transaction, Emil was an extraordinary person in this sense. Emil Knodell always tries to do what's right. And as a former army man, he had a very firm moral compass. What will Emil do with the valuable artifacts he discovered in the hidden drawer worth over $15,000? Read on to find out!

The Artifacts Were Returned to the Next of Kin

Emil knew what he was going to do all along. He didn't hesitate for one second. He immediately gave back all the valuables that he discovered to the estate where the auction took place, it was then taken back to the family members. Emil kept emphasizing that he didn't buy the contents of the secret drawer, just the dresser itself. Emil would've felt as if he was stealing if he'd decided to keep the treasure. He'd have to deal with an over lasting feeling that he's doing something wrong. Emil’s developed moral compass was the thing that guided him into making the right choice & for Emil it was the obvious one.

Jeff Allen Agreed with Emil

Jeff Allen, who helped out Emil put the dresser in his truck, also felt like Emil did. They weren't even considering keeping the treasure. They both agreed that the items should be brought back to their true owner. It wasn't difficult for them to track down the people who owned the treasure since they were the executors of the estate in which the estate auction occurred. And they were also really surprised to see what was hidden inside the hidden 4th drawer.

The Original Owner Was Grateful

The people who owned the dresser reminisced about seeing it in their grandparents' Michigan home, but even in their wildest dreams they couldn't have foreseen that the dresser contained a hidden compartment or that the dresser contained the amazing valuable artifacts that it did. He was naturally extremely thankful that Emil decided to bring the items back instead of keeping them. Emil said that at the exact same instant in which he discovered what was hidden inside he knew that they need to inform the owner. It was an astonishing find, but keeping it was never an option for Emil.