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A man who discovered a decades-old letter hidden inside a piece of furniture is hoping to reunite it with the family to whom it was written.
The discovery was shared on Threads by user @alienmilian, whose post has amassed more than 174,000 views since it was posted on July 21.
Alongside images of the multi-page handwritten letter, the user wrote: “Found a hidden letter from 1969 inside a piece of furniture we bought. Written by Mike to his wife and son. Can we use the power of the internet to get this back to his family? Please share!”
The letter is dated October 18, 1969, and appears to have been written by a man identified as Michael Donlan to his wife and young son, according to the writing on the envelope.
In the letter, Michael recounts an ordinary day in his life, describing how he ate an inexpensive breakfast and watched the Cary Grant film To Catch a Thief. He also wrote about visiting a library and reading information about Wichita, Kansas. Reflecting on what he learned, Michael told his family that Wichita seemed like a promising place to settle, writing: “I think it’ll be a pretty nice place to live.” He noted attractions including a zoo, amusement park, lakes, and an old western town museum, while also remarking on apartment prices.
Elsewhere in the letter, he mentioned receiving letters and photographs from his wife and appeared to comment on how small his son looked in the pictures. He concluded the message on an affectionate note, telling his family: “Until tomorrow, take care and I love you!”
The post comes at a time when second-hand shopping remains popular in the United States.
According to a 2025 report by Capital One Shopping, 93 percent of Americans shop online for second-hand items. The report found there are more than 25,000 resale, consignment, and not-for-profit resale shops across the country, with shoppers saving an average of $2,071 annually by purchasing used goods. The U.S. second-hand market was estimated to be worth $56 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $61 billion in 2026.
Meanwhile, the global furniture market was valued at $786.1 billion in 2025, according to Grand View Research, which forecasts it will grow to $1.33 trillion by 2033. The report said demand is being driven by growth in the housing sector and consumer interest in sustainable and multifunctional furnishings.
‘How Cool’
Many Threads users were captivated by the unexpected find and expressed hope that the letter would eventually make its way back to Michael’s relatives.
User @jordansmom769 wrote: “How cool is this. btw I was almost 3 months old at that time.”
Another commenter, @littlebungalow, imagined the family’s future after the letter was written, saying: “I like to think they moved to Wichita so they could have a nice apartment for $100 month. I hope they got to visit the zoo and museum, the amusement parks, the old western town, and the lakes. May this treasure find its way to the family!”
User @jlove006 added: “Shared. Let’s hope this finds them, what a wonderful memory I’m sure they’d love to have back. Thank you.”
Others praised the effort to return the letter. User @ibjb8s commented: “Kudos to you for trying to get this letter home.”
Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via Threads.
Do you have a similar story to share? Let us know via [email protected], and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Sirena Bergman and Emma Lee-Sang
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