When 24-year-old Steven from California set out to grab a free filing cabinet from Facebook Marketplace, the only thing he expected to bring home was a new place to store his sketchbooks. But what he got instead? A mini treasure hunt that ended in a surprise $521 payday and a whole lot of mixed opinions online.
The unexpected windfall started when Steven’s mom stumbled upon a Facebook listing offering up household items for free. “It was one of those ‘everything is free, everything must go’ kind of listings,” Steven told Newsweek. After a bit of a drive, the duo arrived at the house and began picking through what was left. Steven, initially unsure about grabbing the bulky cabinet, decided to take it after the woman giving the items away encouraged him. “So I just put it in my mom’s van and came back home and moved it in my garage,” he said.
But once Steven got home and began organizing his supplies, the cabinet proved to be more than just storage. As he went to tuck his sketchbooks away, he discovered some old tins tucked up on the top shelf. Inside? A whopping $521 in cash, along with a handwritten note that hinted at when and why the money might’ve been stashed there in the first place.
California Man Finds Money In Free Facebook Marketplace Filing Cabinet
Steven shared the find in a post on Reddit’s r/ThriftStoreHauls under the username u/5teverino_5nake, and naturally, the internet had feelings. The post quickly racked up nearly 6,000 upvotes and hundreds of comments. Some users were thrilled for him, while others were more morally conflicted.
“My great grandmother had money stashed everywhere,” one commenter shared. “When she passed, my grandmother kept finding money hidden all around the house.” Another added, “My grandmother was the same,” making it clear that hiding cash in odd places isn’t as rare as you might think.
Others, of course, had jokes: “This makes the seven pennies I found in a 99c piggy bank look like a booger,” one Redditor quipped. Another person marveled, “I know where my last $2 are at all times. I can’t imagine misplacing or forgetting about $500.”
But not everyone was cheering Steven on. Some commenters urged him to return the money, while others questioned whether posting about it at all was in poor taste. “I feel bad that I unintentionally caused an uproar in the comments,” Steven admitted, adding that he’s tried to reach out to the original owner to return the cash, but hasn’t heard back yet. “I intend to reach her so I can give it back.”
What Happens Next Is Up In The Air
Since he can’t drive to the seller’s home again, Steven says he’s waiting to see if she responds to his messages before taking any further steps.
This kind of story taps into our collective fascination with secondhand shopping—one part practicality, one part mystery. And it’s big business, too. The secondhand and resale market is booming, expected to hit a whopping $256 billion globally in 2025, according to Statista.
Whether Steven in California ends up keeping the money or returning it, one thing’s for sure: his filing cabinet haul is a reminder that thrift finds can come with surprises some more valuable (and stressful) than others.
Joshua Dale 
Casey James 
Kendra Quinn 
