Shopper stunned after opening hidden pocket in hat purchased at thrift store: 'Guess I know what I'm doing in my spare time'

A Redditor scored some fancy headwear while shopping secondhand and just had to share their find with the community at r/ThriftStoreHauls.

"As a fisherman, I always grab Tilley hats," the original poster wrote. "They have a lifetime warranty and a hidden pocket where you're supposed to write your info. Or, as this fella did, stash $10-20 (and 50 cents… maybe for parking fees?)."

Besides the money, the poster was even more interested in digging into the hat's history. They expected that the original owner had passed away and were hoping to find some relatives who might want the hat as a keepsake.  

"I'm positive this guy has passed but I'd love to give a grandkid the first option for the hat," the poster wrote. "I guess I know what I'm doing in my spare time this week!"

Thrift stores are a great way to find fishing gear on the cheap. Other shoppers have scored full tackle boxes. Finding cash tucked away in surprising spots isn't unheard of either. Some have found a $50 bill tucked into a book.

Between saving a few bucks on the stuff you need, exciting surprises like unexpected cash, and the mystery of an item's previous life, thrift shopping can be a lot of fun. Best of all, it also helps the environment. 

When clothing items are prevented from going to the landfill, they don't get the chance to release methane as they break down. Methane traps heat in the atmosphere and exacerbates a bunch of destructive weather patterns like storms and floods. Those disasters end up costing society at large a lot of money. 

Most clothing also includes synthetic fibers, like polyester. Over time, these break down into microplastics in landfills. These particles filter into waterways and eventually end up in human food supplies. Once ingested, microplastics can increase reproductive and neurological health risks. 

By shopping second-hand, you help curb all of those costs. You can help keep the circular economy moving by putting your own stuff up for sale and making a little money on the side. 

The Reddit community wanted to help the original poster find the owner of the Tilley hat. 

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"My dad would do this with his Tilley hats in the hope that if lost, the person who found it would use the money to pay to mail it back," one commenter wrote. 

"You're a gem," another replied. 

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