Sometimes all it takes is the decision to start a project, and then something totally derails your plans. That’s exactly what happened to these ambitious people who simply wanted to renovate their homes – only to be stopped in their tracks when they found the most bizarre and random objects in their walls. Yes, it’s a strange thing to even write an article about this, but who doesn’t like to see the peculiar now and then?
These people all started a renovation project and ended up discovering a mystery. From unbelievable cash fortunes to relics from the past to nostalgia pastimes, they found that these items have been just sitting there for years, even decades, in their walls, waiting to be discovered. It makes you wonder what you may have in your home’s walls, right? But let me just say right here: don’t do this at home, folks!
Beehive in the Wall
Okay, I need to know how something like this even happens. Maybe this Reddit user heard buzzing in his walls and decided to ignore it. Or maybe the previous owner was a bee researcher and liked to use his house as a lab. But when the owner of this house started seeing bees buzzing around the house, they figured it simply came from outside.
When honey started seeping in from the walls, the homeowner knew something weird was going on. Nothing could have prepared them for what lay in hiding. Renovating this home turned into a nightmare of epic proportions. There’s no lake to jump into in this scenario! 11 giant honeycombs inside a wall? No thanks!
A Hidden Mural
For most people, when they don’t like open space on their walls, they’ll head to Ikea or some other home décor store and buy a painting or poster to fill it in. But, back in the old days, painting a picture directly on the wall was the way to go. In this case, a Reddit posted this image of an old mural he found behind his walls during a home renovation.
The paintings look very Bob Ross-inspired, but it looks like this mural was created way before the 1980s. It would be fun, though, to imagine Bob Ross standing there with his paint palette, painting his “friendly little trees.” It would be a little sad then to imagine someone coming in and painting right over it.
Still Waiting For Your Mail?
Here’s a “Throwback Thursday” for you. A Reddit user stumbled across outdated mailboxes while renovating his home. What’s more remarkable is that these mailboxes still have the names of the tenants on them. You can’t help but wonder how long these have been buried in the wall.
What we don’t know is if this guy opened the mailboxes and if he found any unopened mail inside them. If he did, that would definitely add another layer in this discovery and give some answers about how old these mailboxes really are. And if he was really lucky, he would find an old birthday card with a wad of cash inside. I mean, who doesn’t want to find old unclaimed cash?
Where are You, Mike?
Over half a century ago, a boy named Mike took out his notebook and wrote about the joy of his 11th birthday. He remembered helping his father fix the sink after someone named Bob sat on it and broke it off the wall. It doesn’t sound like a typical 11-year-old’s birthday celebration. But hey, to each his own.
But what is more typical of an 11-year-old is imagining life in the future. So what he did was stick that letter into the wall and urged anyone in the future who discovers it to contact him. Mike’s note was, obviously, discovered. But we don’t know if the person who found it reached out and made contact. Mike would be in his 60s now. Mike, are you out there?
A Gift From the Past
Today, people use their phones to get the kind of entertainment they desire. But back in the ’90s, the idea of quality entertainment was quite different, and this present from the past proves it. Someone opened their wall and found these two soda cans with a note that read: “To whoever finds this note, enjoy! From: Red, Fay, Daryal + Ed. Feb 24 – 1991.”
It’s cute, really. I’m guessing it was two kids and their parents, renovating their home, and the kids wanted to have some fun. It’s like the kid Mike – people get a kick out of the whole time capsule thing. Red, Fay, Daryal and Ed: if you’re out there. We got the note. And we enjoyed it.
The World’s Oldest Calculator?
When your teacher told you that you were allowed to bring a calculator to your algebra exam, did you bring something like this? Probably not. These days, it seems like calculators aren’t even relevant anymore, with smartphones having built-in calculators. But back in my day (and probably yours), they did exist.
They just didn’t look like this ancient thing. Back in the pre-cellphone era, a calculator was pretty pricey if you wanted something beyond the basics. When this Reddit user cleaned out his or her home, they came across this ancient relic of technology. I gotta say it is pretty cool. If not to use for math, at least as a piece of artwork in the living room or office!
The Sanctity of Marriage
A major milestone in many people’s lives is the significant act of walking down the aisle and marrying (hopefully) the man or woman of their dreams. Really, it’s not something to take lightly. Most couples will also hang on to the special items from their wedding, like the dress, the photos, and the marriage certificate.
Most will put them somewhere safe, too. But this couple? Well, this couple was either laid back or very strange because they chose to tuck their marriage certificate in a box and just stuck it inside the wall of their house. From the looks of this certificate, it was in that wall for a long, long time.
A Look Back into Medical History
You can imagine this person’s shock when they discovered vintage medicine in their apartment. Based on the look of those vintage bottles, they likely date back to the early ‘60s. It’s also not difficult to see just how much medicine has changed since then. These bottles are not really made anymore unless they’re used for a set of an old Hollywood movie.
The good thing is that these bottles are empty and so they won’t entice any curious and not-so-smart person to try the decades-old medicine. Chances are, it would cause a different kind of reaction than today’s Advil. If it were me, I would upcycle these bottles and turn them into little plant holders.
Leave it to Elvis
When people think of who had the best head of hair in the ‘50s, most would easily name Elvis Presley as the obvious winner. The man really did have a solid head of hair. He was so stylish that some company was going to pay The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll the big bucks to name their shampoo after a famous song of his.
This Elvis-branded shampoo didn’t come in the most stylish of bottles, but it did come with the promise of making an average Joe’s hair as cool as the King’s. And who wouldn’t want that? Who knows, maybe it worked so well that the owner hid the bottle in the wall for no one to discover his secret to the perfect hair.
A Throwback to Disney
In today’s vintage-obsessed world where people look endlessly for the cool, old versions of things to put in their homes, this would be right up their alley. A wall covered in old-school Disney wallpaper? Ask any hipster, and they’ll say, “Heck ya!” If these walls could talk, what would Mickey and Minnie say about the home’s previous owners?
The person who scraped away the paint from the wall found by his two-eared, three-fingered childhood friend, I’m sure it created a grin. As he further removed the paint, more iconic characters like Snow White, Bambi, and Peter Pan showed up. This Disney wallpaper wasn’t from the ‘80s as it featured characters dating back to Disney’s Golden Age.
Not a Straight-A Student
At first glance, you might assume that this is a homework assignment is from 2009. But, it’s just a bit older than that. More like a century older. If the name “Millie” doesn’t give it away, then the two tins of lip balm found alongside the homework might. Reddit user Franklesteinex was doing some renovations in his house when he discovered this tucked into the wall.
What kind of life did Millie live, and how far did she get in her schooling? I mean, hiding your homework assignment in the wall takes “My dog ate my homework” to a whole new level. Was this a one-off incident? Or does Millie have other half-finished assignments hidden in other walls?
Retro Toys
Many of today’s parents enjoy telling their kids about their childhood days playing in the woods or riding on bikes. But these kinds of toys are something that our great grandparents would have claimed as their own personal pastimes. Word on the street is that this came from a Gothic Revival home in Forest River, Illinois, which was first built by a Civil War veteran named Herman Yalding in 1869.
He married and had four children in that house. Fast forward to 2014, and while the house was going through renovations, these relics were discovered inside the walls. What you’re looking at is a very old toy boat with a string attached to it, a slingshot, and a baby’s shoe – all of which date back to the 19th century!
Another Place to Store Beverages
You know, if you don’t have enough space in your fridge, you can always store your beverages in the walls. At least that’s what these previous homeowners did. Usually, when you find something behind a wall, you’re expecting it to be aged (like the other items on this list). Just based on the design of these soda cans, you can tell that they have to be at least as old as the ‘70s.
The Pepsi can has a design that hasn’t been around since the ‘90s and Grape Crush? Does that even exist anymore? While some people would definitely be tempted to see how these taste after decades, others would rather capitalize on them and see what collectors are willing to pay for these fizzy relics.
He Would Be Proud
Anyone who was around in 1997 will remember how incredibly popular the Spice Girls were. If you weren’t, then you should know that they had successful albums and even a movie. They were an international sensation, and you couldn’t avoid them even if you tried. Reddit user Angeb1818 knocked out her walls in her home when this showed up.
She discovered this cry for help that was written on the wall that used to be standing there. It was a message from a father in 1997 who was apparently so fed up with the Spice Girls that he couldn’t help but leave this note on the wall. Thankfully for him, the Spice Girls are no longer the talk of the town.
Fast Food Relic
Here’s a fun fact about McDonald’s (other than this old cup being found in a wall). Although the first McDonald’s restaurant opened 77 years ago, the first drive-through didn’t open until 1975 in Arizona. At the time, this was a revolutionary concept. What’s interesting is that the drive-through restaurant was inspired by the army.
There was a military installation near Fort Huachuca, and soldiers weren’t allowed to leave their cars while they were in full uniform. Another fun (possibly frightening) fact: there are more McDonald’s than hospitals in America. If you live in the United States, you are never more than 115 miles from a McDonald’s location.
An Epic Journey
When a house is more than 100 years old, there’s really no telling what can be found behind the walls. The possibilities are endless and can include wartime relics. Take this discovery, for example. While doing renovations, a Reddit user stumbled upon possibly one of the coolest hidden treasures: an old sword. Right there in his home!
While it sounds like the sword could definitely be in some wacky ‘80s adventure flick or the beginning of an old Nintendo game, this guy likely just put the old sword over his fireplace. It is now his go-to conversation piece (at least in my mind it is). It can also serve as a deterrent for intruders.
Those Darn Candy Wrappers
Anyone who has ever eaten a Mini Milky Way or Snickers has likely taken that little and annoying wrapper and stuffed it between the couch cushions. Or they “accidentally” dropped it when nobody was looking. Or, then again, someone thought to put it in a wall was the safest best. Back in 1961, someone had the bright idea of secretly getting rid of the candy wrapper in a wall.
A sweet-toothed snacker preferred to get up and stuff the wrapper into the wall, meaning it took less energy for him/her than actually going to the garbage can and disposing of it like normal people do. Good thing that the person who found this checked the date.
Pre-Internet Days
Before the Internet completely hijacked our world as we know it, there were certain movies that people (cough – men – cough) couldn’t watch without taking a long walk of shame into the back of the video store. You know, those old-school beaded doorways that led to the adults-only section.
Apparently, the previous owner of this home didn’t want to go through that again. So instead of heading back to the rental store, he figured he would just hide the VHS and deal with the fine of a missing rental (how much did it cost? $7?) Anyway, years later, a Reddit user found this ancient adult video hanging on a pillar in their garage. Too bad he doesn’t have a VHS player to check it out.
Hide the Evidence
This isn’t the most pleasant thing to find in your wall, let alone anywhere for that matter, but it is what it is. A pair of vintage underwear sitting inside your wall is definitely something to take another glance at. I’m sure your mind is rolling out all kinds of scenarios that would permit such a thing to happen.
There’s gotta be an interesting story behind it. Maybe the underwear was the evidence of a steamy affair, and the husband or wife had to hide the evidence. That’s one idea. But another idea is that a lazy teenager didn’t want to clean his room. If anyone has answers to this puzzle, feel free to contact us.
Box of Cash?
While one couple was renovating their home, they found a strange lunch pail hidden just sitting above them in their ceiling. Oddly enough, the box didn’t look like anything made in the 21st century. They immediately cracked the box open and couldn’t believe what they found.
This lucky couple found stacks of $20, $50 and $100 dollar bills! Talk about a dream come true, right? The money was apparently minted during the first half of the 20th century, but still, it means their wallets just got a heck of a lot fatter. They thought about investing the newfound cash into their home renovations. But then the plot twisted when they discovered something else.
Another Strange Discovery
While exploring the attic, the same couple discovered a crawl space they never knew even existed in the house. Despite some initial hesitation, they decided to go inside and explore the spooky nook. At the end of the attic was a locked door. After a few minutes of fiddling, they managed to get it open.
Inside the nook was a small room with a white tarp covering up the floor. There was a black safe and briefcase. Inside the unlocked briefcase were an array of riches – envelopes full of foreign bills, a wooden box with expensive watches and several silver ingots. While you may think that this was clearly their lucky day, there was more to the story…
Part Three of the Lunch Box Saga
After discovering a lunch box full of cash and a secret room with a briefcase of goodies, the couple couldn’t wait to open the mystery safe and see what was inside. Little did they know that they were going to open a vault of nightmares. Inside the safe, they found stacks of old VHS tapes.
While you might assume they were the fun kind of home videos, the labels on the tapes didn’t really support that notion. One label read: “No, no, no, no, no.” Another one read: “Save yourself.” After watching one VHS, the police were called, and a full-on investigation went underway. No details provided here, but that is chilling enough!
Newspaper Clippings
If you hang onto anything for a long time, chances are it will eventually have some value to it. This Reddit user found a piece of history folded up and tucked into his wall. The subsequent trip down memory lane was likely an interesting one. He wrote that he flipped open the newspaper and read the buzzwords of yesteryear, like “Soviets” and “Cuba.”
While the Soviet Union pops up in history books from time to time, it wasn’t too long ago that it was a trending news topic. Many folks can remember the days when Russia and America had their rockets pointed at each other – a time when any slip-up could mean a nuclear disaster.
Old, Breaking News
Imagine digging into a wall and finding a newspaper with a crucial part of history that’s way older then you and is also perfectly preserved. That’s what happened to this Reddit user who did some work on his house and came across this newspaper dating back to December 21, 1944, during the notorious Battle of the Bulge.
Like in a time capsule, this guy found himself transported back to a time when Allied forces fought for the freedom of the world, and the world didn’t know what fate had in store for humanity. A pretty scary place if you ask me! I’m guessing the previous homeowner knew how significant the era was and chose to hide the newspaper for generations to come.
Hangers With Style
It goes without saying that modern-day hangers completely lack any degree of elegance. At least the cheap ones you buy at Walmart or Target. And if you ask me, paying more than a few bucks on clothes hangers is unnecessary. But don’t get me started on wire hangers – those ugly things need to go. But if you back five or six decades, hangers had a certain class to them.
This Reddit user found a vintage hanger behind the wall of his garage, doing what it does best – hanging. It’s yet another strange and unexpected item to see literally hanging behind a wall. But hey, I told this would be a peculiar list!
If making unexpected discoveries is your kind of entertainment, then you can’t miss this next story…