In a video posted on December 11, user Meg Gostonczik (@meggostonczik) shared a recipe box she’d discovered in a secondhand store in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

The unassuming plastic box contained years of saved recipes, from handwritten notes to brand wrappers and magazine cut-outs.

Captioned “So much love in this little box,” the clip has received over 1.7 million views and more than 111,000 likes.

America’s Most Treasured Family Heirlooms

A 2021 study by watch and accessory makers Shinola Detroit asked Americans about their most beloved family heirlooms.

Surveying 2,000 U.S. adults, researchers discovered that family photographs are America’s most prized possession, according to 65 percent of respondents. That isn’t surprising, since seven out of 10 participants said looking through old photos with their grandparents was a treasured memory.

Wedding rings came in second place at 56 percent, followed by another piece of jewelry (54 percent), an engagement ring (50 percent) or another family heirloom (49 percent).

When it comes to the items Americans hope to inherit, 25 percent are waiting on a wedding dress, 18 percent for a family home, and 17 percent for a kitchen item.

‘I Couldn’t Imagine That Someone Wouldn’t Treasure It’

Gostonczik was shopping with her mother-in-law when she came across the box, and said her “heart sank” when she opened the container.

“It made me really sad to see someone’s beloved recipe box on a thrift store shelf,” she told Newsweek.

“I couldn’t imagine that someone wouldn’t treasure it—I felt an overwhelming sense of love for whoever owned those recipes and wanted to share it with others, that’s why I took the video clip.”

Inside, Gostonczik discovered everything from ingredient lists carefully cut from food packaging to recipes typed out on an old typewriter.

“The ones that hit my heart the most were the plastic bags that had been neatly folded up inside the box, one was an empty marshmallow bag,” she said.

“I kept picturing a sweet grandma meticulously folding them up and saving them to try out.”

“I love finding great deals to get the most out of my budget,” she said.

“I could also spend hours sifting through donated items, picturing who owned them prior to donation… I love imagining the sentimental value of items. It always gets me thinking.”

She explained that she loves helping others to find unique gifts through her online store, but her home is also a thrifter’s paradise, filled to the brim with unusual items.

“I found an old monthly birthday card organizer that was used,” she said. “It looked like it was a grandma’s way of storing cards that reminded her of certain people for their birthday. I thought that was so cute and wanted to do the same.

“I also recently found a vintage red and green Tupperware Christmas mug set which was really neat, and a collection of old McDonald’s mugs.”

Gostonczik is planning to try out some of the recipes in the box, making one a week and sharing the results with her followers.

“There were so many sweet souls on TikTok that gave me that idea, and I think it’s a perfect way to honor the owner’s recipes,” she said.

‘So Many Memories’

TikTok users were just as emotional over the discovery as Gostonczik and couldn’t believe that someone had donated it.

“Nothing means more than Grandma’s recipe book,” one said.

“Awe that is somebody’s life in that box,” agreed Irene Maxwell.

“First thing I grabbed when my mom passed,” said Amy Henry918. “So many memories.”

“I’m a chef and this brought tears to me,” wrote Christina Martinez.

“I wonder if it was donated by mistake,” asked Jared Pokorny.

While appleuser79346850 commented: “So much love, history and giving in that box.”

Gostonczik’s recipe box isn’t the only vintage discovery to make TikTokers teary-eyed. “Heirloom Hunter” Chelsey Brown finds lost items at flea markets and antique shops and returns them to the family. She went viral in August, after discovering the secret behind a war hero’s 1940 yearbook.

A man who accidentally donated 80 years’ worth of family heirlooms was reunited with them back in March, while a couple was shocked to discover that the basement of their new house was filled with mystery items from the previous owner—hidden behind a secret wall.