Shopper surprised after coming across eerie drawing at thrift store: 'The thing was uncanny'

Thrift stores "wear many hats," and one of their most prominent traits is as a retail time capsule offering one-of-a-kind wares from eras past.

Most thrifters know this aspect of secondhand stores well, but one shopper's recent experience was more like time travel, according to Newsweek.

Maine resident Mitchell Carey, 26, recently posted about his bizarre thrifting find on Reddit's r/MildlyInteresting, although the story arguably blew past "mildly" and definitively into "interesting" territory.

Carey's post pertained to a piece of art; photographs, artwork, and frames contain some of the most fascinating surprises in secondhand shopping venues.

Thrifting is beloved partly for the thrill of the hunt, and shoppers have shared stories of recovering long-lost heirlooms and almost magically meaningful finds.

Shopping at thrift stores isn't just about deep discounts on designer items or valuables hiding among costume jewelry, although avid thrifters save an average of $2,071 a year, according to Capital One Shopping.

Thrifters also keep scores of perfectly good items out of landfills, reducing the problem of excessive textile waste and the harmful carbon pollution it generates. Shopping secondhand also slows demand for more manufacturing, keeping future items out of the trash.

Sustainable shopping makes a difference — but as Carey's post illustrated, the magic of thrifting simply can't be replicated in a mall. 

He chanced upon a basic charcoal drawing, one that might appear unremarkable at first glance, but his title neatly summarized why it stood out.

"Thrift store drawing made 22 years before I was born that looks like me as broody fisherman," Carey explained. He came across the portrait, drawn in 1978, in 2024, but didn't think about sharing it until he saw others' posts about similar finds.

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"The thing was uncanny. Especially considering how long my hair was at the time," he told Newsweek.

Carey stumbled upon the portrait of his apparent 1970s doppelganger at the Big Chicken Barn, a books and antiques store in Ellsworth. In a comment, he admitted that it came home with him.

"I took it home, felt if I didn't I'd get cursed. Also weird to think someone else might have a photo that looks like me in their house," Carey said. Commenters joked about what it might mean.

"Your coming was prophesied a long time ago. Welcome Chosen One!" one wrote.

"A premonition. You gotta go to the sea," another agreed.

"Now you've gotta find a corncob pipe," a third advised.

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