Need advice for friend

[BigAlsGal]

Wow crazy!! Kudos to finding that!! Man I would love to know the story though. Who and why did they do this?!?

 

[osopecoso]

Wow crazy!! Kudos to finding that!! Man I would love to know the story though. Who and why did they do this?!?

So they came over for coffee and desserts tonight. This was all we can talk about. This was out guess. The books are all vintage Disney books from the 50's and 60's. Most are in mint shape. This was definitely a collector who decided to hand them down to their grandkids/kids. Kids were not interested in books so they just sat on a shelf collecting dust. The family got sick of it and just donated it.

 

[Dakota731]

It reminds me of the story where the son wants a car so badly for his birthday, but when his dad gives him a bible instead, he throws it out in anger not realizing keys to a new car were in the book. Maybe grandparents gave these books to the kids every year and the ingrates didn't even bother to read the books and discover the treasure within! What fun imagining a story to this find!

 

[Shanti]

It reminds me of the story where the son wants a car so badly for his birthday, but when his dad gives him a bible instead, he throws it out in anger not realizing keys to a new car were in the book. Maybe grandparents gave these books to the kids every year and the ingrates didn't even bother to read the books and discover the treasure within! What fun imagining a story to this find!

I don't exactly see the parallel. There is a big difference between throwing a gifted Bible back in the giver's face, and just not reading some random book you were given, but that you politely thanked the giver for. If not utilizing every gift you're ever given makes you an ingrate, then probably just about everyone is an ingrate.

 

[1GoldenSun]

I've happily read every book anyone's ever given me, and I've never found anything in them but words. No fair.

 

[clm10308]

I've heard the Bible story as a kid who was away at college and asked his dad for money. The dad told him to read his bible as God will provide. Of course, the kid did not read the Bible, but later complained about the dad not helping him. Turns out that dad had hidden 5 $100 bills among the pages of the Bible.

I assume that this is just one of those stories that get passed around but never really happened.

 

[hogwartsdropout]

Wow this is awesome... wish I could find something like that!

 

[SouthernSoprano]

Wow, what an amazing find! Love thrift store shopping.

 

[Jennasis]

This is one of those threads that will go down in DIS history. I'm just glad that I'm here now to witness it first-hand as it becomes urban legend over the years lol.

What an amazing story. What a great find for your friend! I kind of wonder if maybe somebody donated that with the stuff in it on purpose?

 

[marcyleecorgan]

Wow oh wow oh wow!

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

No, it's $400 x 26 and 104 tickets.

Incredible! Lucky friends! Love that they plan to put the money away for the girls. And they have this cool story to tell forever now.

 

[mckennarose]

Incredible story, however I'm wondering how your friend feels about having it out on a public message board? This is just the kind of story that would attract news attention. (Like how people buy paintings or jewelry and find out they're worth a lot, and we see it on the news)
If your friend exhausted trails to the original owners, she owns them fair and square, IMO. But that wouldn't stop people from being very vocal about it if they found out about it, or try to lay claim, like she was afraid the thrift shop would.

 

[Amanda999]

Just be careful as the tickets are technically non transferable.

$400 and park tickets is an impressive find, though!

Edit - what, what? $400 and park tickets IN EACH?!!?

I thought that tickets are transferable if never used, and not sold? Maybe I just got lucky.
(Our facts: my friend was given 8 comp tix (1 day hoppers) at POR about 2 years ago. She and her family know they are never going back to WDW, and know that my disabled DS lives for WDW, so wanted to give them to us. I called guest services (the 'experiences' dept - the next level up) and they said as long as I didn't pay for them and they are unused, no problem. (I gave them - with my friend's permission - my friend's contact info to confirm with her. They could tell she lives near me, and match her up with the POR visit, and match the tickets up as coming from the POR manager - so it was all verifiable.) They are in my MDE now, and I have booked FP in advance based on them.)

OP's friend didn't pay for the tickets. S/he paid for books. While I couldn't live with the guilt - I'd probably give them (ok, some!) to Make a Wish - seems to me the book buyer is totally legit in having these park tickets attached to her MDE. S/he tried to track down the owner and couldn't. I agree with a PP: she won the thrift store lottery! It happens sometimes with, say, works of art. Why not cash or tickets hiding in things.

ETA: The IRS and the finder's state will want its share of the cash and (value of) the tickets: they are taxable income. E.g.: https://www.forbes.com/sites/robert...n-in-gold-coins-taxes-take-half/#61ea436748f9

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I thought that tickets are transferable if never used, and not sold? Maybe I just got lucky.
(Our facts: my friend was given 8 comp tix (1 day hoppers) at POR about 2 years ago. She and her family know they are never going back to WDW, and know that my disabled DS lives for WDW, so wanted to give them to us. I called guest services (the 'experiences' dept - the next level up) and they said as long as I didn't pay for them and they are unused, no problem. (I gave them - with my friend's permission - my friend's contact info to confirm with her. They could tell she lives near me, and match her up with the POR visit, and match the tickets up as coming from the POR manager - so it was all verifiable.) They are in my MDE now, and I have booked FP in advance based on them.)

OP's friend didn't pay for the tickets. S/he paid for books. While I couldn't live with the guilt - I'd probably give them (ok, some!) to Make a Wish - seems to me the book buyer is totally legit in having these park tickets attached to her MDE. S/he tried to track down the owner and couldn't. I agree with a PP: she won the thrift store lottery! It happens sometimes with, say, works of art. Why not cash or tickets hiding in things.

ETA: The IRS and the finder's state will want its share of the cash and (value of) the tickets: they are taxable income. E.g.: https://www.forbes.com/sites/robert...n-in-gold-coins-taxes-take-half/#61ea436748f9

The treasure trove depends on state to state laws though. It would be best that the OP's friend, if they have concerns, speaks with a tax representative for their state (who should also be familar with government laws).

Wiki has this information as just a snippet for Treasure Trove: "The object must be concealed for long enough so it is unlikely that the true owner will reappear to claim it. The consensus appears to be that the object must be at least a few decades old." (under the State Laws aspect).

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

OP this is quite the amazing story! That's one for retelling over and over again

 

[mamamelody2]

Holy cow, that's amazing!

 

[ladynmom94]

Wow what a story! Such an amazing find. One of my first thoughts too was what if it was purposely donated?! If I had the ability I could absolutely see myself doing something like that.

 

[BigAlsGal]

So 100 something tickets were all bought in 2010? Weird.

 

[epcotty]

So they came over for coffee and desserts tonight. This was all we can talk about. This was out guess. The books are all vintage Disney books from the 50's and 60's. Most are in mint shape. This was definitely a collector who decided to hand them down to their grandkids/kids. Kids were not interested in books so they just sat on a shelf collecting dust. The family got sick of it and just donated it.

So if that's the case, it was a surprise inside that the kids never got. I guess it serves them right for not even looking through them in that case

 

[epcotty]

Just be careful as the tickets are technically non transferable.

$400 and park tickets is an impressive find, though!

Edit - what, what? $400 and park tickets IN EACH?!!?

That's how I first read it too