Couple’s unbelievable op-shop discovery

A couple have made an epic discovery in a Sydney op shop after finding pictures of themselves on a holiday in Italy more than 30 years earlier.

Walking through a Lifeline Mosman op-shop in Sydney’s north shore, Rob Klaric discovered two pictures lying on the floor; at first, he thought he was “hallucinating”, but once he picked up the framed images, he realised what was going on.

In the frames were photos of him and his wife Leonie during a backpacking trip across Europe in 1993 when they visited his hometown in northern Italy.

One picture shows Mr Klaric holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the other features his wife lounging against a piece of furniture in a backyard.

The Sydney man, who told 2GB’s Ben Fordham he was “still buzzing” by the unexpected discovery, couldn’t believe “the chances” of finding the images.

“I’ve walked into a store and I see these pictures and I thought I was hallucinating,” he told 2GB. “The photo’s iconic because it’s in my mother’s backyard and Mum’s just passed away a few years ago.”

The images originally hung in the couple’s apartment for a few years but were taken down and packed away when they moved home.

The removalist company hired to complete the task then misplaced a box the photos were packed inside, becoming lost for the ages.

Always wondering what happened to the photos after all those years, Mr Klaric couldn’t believe his eyes when he found them but believes his mother, who died a few years ago, had something to do with it.

“My beautiful old Italian mum, it’s got her fingerprints all over it,” he said. “If it was on the left or the right you wouldn’t have seen it. I think she’s looking down from heaven.”

As for the pictures, they’re back in the hands of their original owners.

“The ironic thing is that my picture – sorry Leonie – mine was more expensive,” Mr Klaric said. “It was $12 and hers was $8.”