Gee: Wait, what?! Man buys box at estate sale, finds 6 live grenades

I’ve heard of people finding some pretty interesting things at estate sales. Old furniture, expensive jewelry, and rare collectibles, but six live hand grenades?!

That’s exactly what happened in Austin, Texas. According to police, a man purchased some boxes at an estate sale. When he got home and started going through his purchases, he discovered six grenades believed to date back to World War II. These weren’t toys or replicas; they were live.

The Austin Police Department had to send in its bomb squad, which confirmed the explosives were active and safely removed them.

Now, I’ve got a few questions. First of all, who owned these grenades?! Second, how in the world did they end up in a box at an estate sale?! Can you imagine being the person who sold them?

You’re cleaning out somebody’s house, trying to get rid of some old belongings, and you accidentally sell somebody enough explosives to bring out the bomb squad. Wait, what?!

Oh, and these grenades were approximately 80 years old.

I’m 50 years old, and sometimes I wake up wondering which body part is going to hurt that morning.

These grenades have been sitting around since World War II, and they’re STILL dangerous. Now, thankfully, nobody was hurt. The bomb squad handled the situation, and authorities said no crime was committed, but this story reminds me of something.

Mystery boxes hit differently when the bomb squad gets involved

We really have NO IDEA what some people have been keeping in their houses for decades; think about it. How many families have cleaned out a grandparent’s garage, attic, or basement and discovered something they never knew existed? Old love letters, hidden money, or family secrets. Hidden money. Apparently, in Texas, you might find a little World War II artillery.

If you ever discover something that looks like an old explosive, don’t touch it or try to figure out whether it still works. Please call 911 and let the professionals handle it.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever found at an estate sale, garage sale, or while cleaning out somebody’s house? Yo, after this story, I’m looking at those mystery boxes a whole lot differently. Oh, and to the gentleman in Texas? Next time, just buy a lamp.

Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on KIRO Newsradio.

Follow @twitter.com/geescottsr