Thrifty woman unknowingly bought authentic 'Scream' mask prop for $5 at Goodwill
Her act of goodwill got her a 15,000% return on her investment.
Talk about a horror movie miracle.
Brittany Carey knows her way around a thrift store. The California-based mom makes a side hustle of hunting for hidden gems to resell online, which lets her stay home with her kids when she’s not chasing the thrill of a great find. But even for a seasoned thrifter, her latest discovery was next level.
While scoping out her local Goodwill in search of a Halloween costume for her daughter, Carey spotted what looked like a basic Halloween mask. “It was dirty, had several holes, and was smushed as if it had been sitting under a heavy box for months,” Carey told Newsweek.
Still, something about it caught her eye. When she flipped it over, she noticed a small mark under the chin that read “Fun World.” That single detail changed everything.
Carey had unknowingly nabbed herself a vintage Ghostface mask—the same one worn by the killer in Scream, one of the most beloved slasher films of all time.
@curatedbycarey it’s almost Halloween, keep an eye out for these at the thrift store!!! #sidehustle #reseller #ghostface #funworld ♬ original sound - curatedbycarey
Thinking it should go to a fan that would truly “treasure it,” Carey listed her $5 Goodwill purchase on eBay for just 99 cents. Within half an hour, the bids soared to $405. By morning, they had climbed past $500. When the auction ended, the final price reached $780 (with fees, the buyer paid more than $850).
“It was incredible,” Carey said in her Instagram video, which has now been viewed more than a million times. “I’ve always heard of people finding things like this, but I never thought I’d be one of them.”
@curatedbycarey #stitch with @curatedbycarey does this mean I don’t have to get a 9-5 job now?! #reselling #sidehustle #ghostface #thriftflip ♬ original sound - curatedbycarey
For longtime Scream fans, the story is a perfect blend of nostalgia and movie magic.
The Ghostface mask, designed to emulate Edvard Munch's painting "The Scream," wasn’t originally designed for the big screen. It started life in the early 1990s as part of Fun World’s “Fantastic Faces” line of budget Halloween masks, with names like “Weeping Ghost” and “Peanut-Eyed Ghost," according to Newsweek. During production on the first Scream movie, a producer spotted the mask in a Halloween shop and showed it to director Wes Craven, who instantly knew it was perfect.
The find couldn’t have come at a better time, either. Ghostface has seen a cultural comeback in recent years, from viral TikTok trends to Halloween costumes for both people and pets.
@makoandkonasmom I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS SERIES 😁 #dogsoftiktok #dog #scream #ghostface #greenscreen ♬ glow up challenge - Spencer Hunt
Carey told Newsweek that the sale helped pay for essentials like diapers, groceries, and medical bills—but the true joy came in knowing the mask would go to someone who “valued it.”
For anyone hoping to follow in her thrifting footsteps, Carey says patience is key. “It takes time to go through every item, and it can feel discouraging when you’re not finding the right piece," she told Upworthy. "[But] if you can’t find what you’re looking for, I guarantee it will be there waiting for you next week."
She also noted that you never know what small piece of information might lead to your next great find: “I learned about vintage Ghostface masks from a friend on Instagram, and that enabled me to know what I stumbled about at the thrift store!”
It certainly makes you wonder what other treasures might be lurking in Los Angeles thrift stores. After all, if there’s any city where Hollywood relics could end up sandwiched between old Tupperware and a velvet Elvis painting, it’s LA.