A woman was left gobsmacked when she found a valuable furniture set in a charity shop for just £85 was actually worth much more – so she resold it for an impressive profit12:40, 17 Jul 2026Charity shops are one of the best places to uncover genuine hidden gems – and, with a bit of know-how, they can also be a surprisingly good way to make money. From designer labels and vintage denim to collectable homeware and in-demand tech, the shelves are often packed with items that slip under the radar at bargain prices.‌The trick is having a keen eye, knowing what’s worth picking up, and understanding what people are actually buying online right now – because the right find can turn a few pounds at the till into a hefty profit later. That's exactly what a woman did when she went thrifting recently.‌Erin spotted some furniture being sold for just $115 (£85) – but immediately saw potential lurking beneath the paint. She soon realised it was an "iconic Broyhill Brasilia set," worth "thousands". So, she decided to restore the item to its former glory and ended up making a fortune.‌Content cannot be displayed without consentErin shared a video on her TikTok page capturing her sheer disbelief at the find, her hand flying to her mouth in shock.In the comments section, one person fumed: "That's Broyhill Brasilia, and SHAME on whoever painted that!" Others admitted they "gasped" when she swung the camera round to reveal her haul.‌Broyhill Brasilia is a highly sought-after line of mid-century modern furniture launched in 1962 by the Broyhill Furniture Company.Drawing inspiration from the modernist architecture of Brasília, Brazil's capital, the collection is renowned for its distinctive cathedral-shaped, parabolic arches and sculpted walnut wood, with pieces fetching hefty sums.The transformationErin shared a video documenting how she breathed new life into the piece of furniture and restored it to its former glory, despite some viewers admitting they had a soft spot for the painted look.‌She started by removing decorative trims that weren't part of the original design, though she was delighted to find the original hardware still intact, given that each piece can cost upwards of £100.As she stripped back the paint, Erin said: "Imagine how shocked I was to find that these pieces were pristine underneath all of the paint".She remarked that peeling back paint on a piece "never gets old," particularly when you uncover "beautiful walnut" lurking beneath the duck egg blue.Article continues belowErin then set about sanding the piece, noting that the "arches on these pieces are notoriously thin veneer," meaning every bit had to be sanded by hand.Next came the time to "add some colour back in with stain," in a bid to "replicate the original finish" as closely as possible. Once the stain had dried, she applied a sanding sealer, built up a base, and fixed it to the dresser.All the effort paid off – as Erin decided to sell the furniture she worked so hard on. She told Newsweek: "I didn't count the hours, but I think it's safe to say this took around 50 to 60 hours to thoroughly restore. I sold it for $9,000 (£6,686) in less than 24 hours on Facebook Marketplace."