'Sick With Jealousy' — The Vintage Vase Set You'd Be Thrilled To Find At A Thrift Store

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It takes patience, persistence, and a little bit of luck to find a real treasure at a thrift store. But for TikToker MomTimeOnADime, it also required taking a chance. Her curiosity was piqued by a small wooden display shelf filled with 25 paper-wrapped mysteries. Since the entire find was sealed in cellophane, the $9.99 purchase was a risk. But when she started unwrapping each item to find a vintage Franklin Mint vase set, her bet more than paid off.

The best thrift store and estate sale finds usually combine age, rarity, and collectibility with prices well below what the items typically fetch at auction. As the TikToker shared her find, commenters immediately clocked that the tiny Franklin Mint vases tucked inside each compartment could be worth thousands. One investigative person discovered that the thrilling find contained the "Treasures of the Shoguns" mini vase collection, one of the limited edition sets issued by Franklin Porcelain in the 1980s. "I'm literally sick with jealousy," wrote one commenter who echoed the sentiments of dozens of others. "You gambled and won," added another.

Each of the vases has a slightly different shape and stands just around 3 inches tall. Most feature delicate floral patterns in a wide range of colors, from Imperial Red to Gosu Blue. Only one of the compartments held an outlier: a clear shot glass from Ireland that seemed bizarrely misplaced. Because it was in the shelf's lowest corner slot, some people suspected that thrifters had unwrapped it and quickly lost interest, without realizing how thrilling it would be to find the vintage vase set surrounding it.

There are plenty of valuable antique and vintage finds to look for at thrift stores, but we were a little skeptical at the TikTok comments claiming this collection was "worth $2,000". The vases were indeed made by Franklin Mint, a collectibles manufacturer founded in 1964 that became well-known for its mass-produced coins, collectible plates, and figurines. However, a quick scroll through popular sites like eBay and Etsy reveals that these Asian-inspired mini vase sets can range anywhere from $70 to $275. Do note: The number and condition of the vases in these collections vary, as do the style and size of their compartmentalized wooden display cases. 

If you experienced the thrill of finding a Franklin Mint vintage vase set at the thrift store and wanted to flip it for as much profit as possible, the best approach might be to sell each vase separately. One antique dealer on Etsy has listed several similar Franklin Mint mini vases individually for $24 each. While that would only add up to $360 for a 15-piece set like the one found by MomTimeOnADime, it's still an excellent return for a $9.99 bet.

@momtimeonadime_

I can't believe what was inside the last box 😂😂😂 so random! #thrift #thrifted #thriftstore #thrifthaul #thriftedhome

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Of course, hanging onto the set is also a terrific option. Tucked into a wooden display shelf, the mini vases would make an excellent addition to a gallery wall. Or, you could elevate any grocery store bouquet by using them as sweet bud vases on a nightstand table or bathroom countertop.