Donating a valuable item to charity by accident happens often enough that it has long been a sitcom plot device — like in “The Brady Bunch,” when Cindy Brady accidentally donated her sister Marcia’s diary with a box of books. This led to Marcia worrying that everyone in the world would learn about her feelings for Desi Arnaz Jr.
But in real life, not all such situations have a happy ending like Marcia’s, when she got to meet her crush in real life. Even in the time of the Internet, everyone can make a post and hope to go viral in hopes of getting their property back, but it doesn’t always work.
So far, this appears to be the case for one Bristol, Connecticut woman known only as Chrissy. She recently lost her wedding and engagement rings when she cleaned out her closet and got rid of a bunch of clothes.
“A last-minute decision, I threw in a sweatshirt,” the unlucky woman told WTNH News 8. “It was a blue zip-up hoodie, and I left my rings in the pocket.”
MORE: Here’s what happens to your Goodwill donations
She didn’t make the connection for weeks, but eventually she figured out that she’d put her rings in the faded Six Flags sweatshirt as she did some work around the house. Unfortunately, by then it was too late.
She had dropped the clothes off at a Goodwill store in nearby Plainville, which told her they do not check the pockets of clothing, nor do they inventory individual items. She believed that, if the hoodie wasn’t sold, it might have gotten sent to a different Goodwill location, so she and her friends expanded their search to no avail.
She has since turned to media outlets to help her find the lost rings, which are designed by Neil Lane and have the jewelry maker’s name engraved on the inside like the set below.
Chrissy says her ring set wasn’t expensive. She may have gotten them from a retailer like Kay’s Jewelers, which sells lower-priced Lane bridal sets for about $2,300 and up. But it has sentimental value.
MORE: Thrifter finds $6,200 designer wedding dress at Goodwill for $25
“It was different. It was unique. So, I can’t replace the sentimental value,” Chrissy said. “I also can’t replace the physical piece because they don’t make it anymore, and there’s nothing that I’ve seen that’s similar.”
Because Chrissy is person who values her privacy, she has not released images of what the ring looks like or even much of a description, but WTNH asks that anyone who might have information send it along to reportit@wtnh.com. Meanwhile, if you’re planning to donate any personal items like clothing or bags, make sure to check any pockets first so you don’t make the same mistake.
We hope the rings get returned to her soon!
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