Treasure hunting at a thrift store can be exhilarating: No matter what you're in the market for, you never know what you'll stumble upon. But the thrill isn't just in searching through the racks—it's also in investigating your purchase once you've taken it home. One woman took to social media recently to share what she found inside a purse she bought at a Salvation Army, which included $300 and a shocking secret note. Read on to find out what the note said, and why so much money was stashed in a donated bag.
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This isn't the first thrift store find to feature a hidden message.
ShutterstockThis is far from the only odd find recently picked off of a secondhand store's shelves. At her local Goodwill, Kaylee Powell, a stained glass artist based in Arizona, stumbled upon a heart-shaped mosaic piece she had made for her high school boyfriend 10 years prior. Recognizing her own handiwork, Powell paid $4.99 to take the mosaic home, documenting the experience on her TikTok page.
Adding to the drama, Powell remembered that there was a love letter on the back of the mosaic, which had since been covered up with a layer of paint. She was able to scrape it off and reveal the "cringey" letter underneath, calling the mosaic "a relic of the past."
"It's a nice reminder of just how awful high school was but how much I love doing stained glass," Powell said.
Now, another mysterious note has ended up stashed at a thrift store, just waiting for the right buyer to uncover it.
An envelope was hidden inside of a thrifted purse.
Tanitka / ShutterstockA TikTok video posted by user @marthainfused, identified by the Daily Mail as Lynora Silverman, has gone viral. In the video, the TikToker explains that you bought a Coach brand bag from Goodwill—later correcting herself to clarify it was from a Salvation Army store—for $6.99. Thinking she could spruce up and clean the bag, Silverman first looked inside.
"I thought I could clean it up, so I start working on trying to take this flap out at the bottom of the purse, and there is an envelope in there with money," she said in the video. Inside, Silverman found $300, and while that is enough to inspire delight, what was even more interesting was the note written on the envelope.
The note spilled some long-held secrets.
stockfour / ShutterstockSilverman read the note out loud, which was signed by a woman named Martha. "I have three children," the note read. "They will give my things to Goodwill when I die, so I am putting their inheritance inside all my favorite things."
But Martha didn't stop there, as she noted that the purse was given to her by her husband's girlfriend. However, that was not exactly the case, and Martha went on to clarify. "Well, actually, I came home early from a visit to my parents' house in Connecticut," the note said. "She must have left quickly because she forgot her bag and shoes."
The note continued, "I carry this bag every day. I wonder if my husband ever knew this was his girlfriend's. I carried it daily, and I am giving it away because my kids don't want it. So, go buy yourself a new bag." Martha signed her message with love.
Social media users are invested in "Martha" and her attitude.
XanderSt / ShutterstockSilverman's video has 9.2 million views and 1.9 million likes, with many voicing support for Martha in the comments section.
"Be a Martha in a World of Karen's," one TikToker wrote, while a fellow secondhand shopper added, "As someone who loves thrifting, deals, and good tea—this is the ultimate win."
Coach even commented on the video. "MARTHA IS AN ICON," the brand wrote, accompanying the comment with three yellow heart emojis.
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The drama has continued to unfold.
Ken Wolter / ShutterstockFellow TikTokers are loving the developing saga, while some are skeptical about the story's authenticity. But with so many invested in Martha's story, Silverman has been on the hunt to learn more about her identity. When she asked for more information at the Salvation Army store she purchased the bag from, an employee allegedly confirmed to Silverman that she knew Martha and that she'd last been in the store in December.
Furthering the mystery, another commenter claimed she also found a note—but no money—in a box of glassware she purchased from a thrift store. Silverman obtained the box and read the letters in a separate TikTok video, where Martha revealed more of her secrets and family drama.
And now, Silverman is literally "paying it forward," as she posted another video to explain that she had donated a pair of jeans with $100 in the pocket to a local Goodwill.
