A Florida man says he stumbled upon what he considers his “most disturbing thrift find ever” during a recent shopping trip.

Liam McNamara, based in Venice, describes himself as an “avid thrifter” who has turned his hobby into a side hustle reselling vintage home decor on Etsy. The work involves long days, with McNamara telling Newsweek he typically visits “multiple thrift stores a day” in search of hidden gems.

Shocking Discovery in Sarasota County Antique Store

McNamara got more than he bargained for when he visited a local antique store in Sarasota County recently after receiving a tip from a friend.

“She had taken her baby out for a little thrifting and went to this antique shop that we had been to before,” he said.

During her visit, she spotted a white conical hood—an item historically associated with the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). Initially skeptical, McNamara said he assumed there had been some kind of misunderstanding.

“I thought maybe she was exaggerating or had misinterpreted the mask, so I planned on going to that store the next day myself,” he said.

KKK Hood Discovered for Sale

When McNamara arrived at the shop, which he chose not to name, he said his fears were confirmed. The hood was on display and priced at $350.

After speaking with the store’s owner, he learned the item had been acquired during an estate cleanout at a home in South Venice.

“He said he had kept the mask under his desk for months because he was hesitant to display it,” McNamara said. “He also claimed that up until the 1980s, you would see KKK members wearing those types of masks and patrolling beaches locally. The mask also came with a red flag featuring a swastika.”

The KKK was active in Florida in the early 20th century and mid-century. By the 1980s, however, the Klan was part of a broader, declining white supremacist movement rather than a dominant organization, and membership nationally was only in the thousands—far below earlier peaks in the 1920s or 1960s.

There is evidence of some activity in the 1980s. A rally took place on Fort Walton Beach in 1980, and photographs exist from another in Winter Haven’s Central Park in 1988. However, such demonstrations were small in scale, and there is no evidence of masked KKK beach patrols during this period.

History of KKK Hoods and Anti-Mask Laws

The white hood became closely associated with the Ku Klux Klan during its early 20th-century revival. Designed to create a ghostly appearance and conceal identities, the costume was intended to intimidate others while preserving anonymity.

Although not standardized in the original post–Civil War KKK, the outfit later became emblematic of the group. In response, anti-mask laws were introduced in several U.S. states beginning in the 1920s and were later strengthened during the Civil Rights era. In Florida, such hoods are not automatically illegal. However, wearing a mask or hood in public to conceal identity—particularly to intimidate or harass—is prohibited under a law dating back to 1951.

Discovery Sparks Debate

McNamara said the discovery, while shocking, was not entirely surprising given the store’s inventory, which included other controversial items such as Nazi knives, helmets, and firearms.

He decided to share the find in a video posted to his TikTok account, @itsinvintage. Due to the item's sensitive nature, he chose to censor parts of the footage. The clip quickly gained traction, racking up more than 1 million views and sparking a heated online debate.

“There were definitely a lot more hateful comments and comments in support of the mask’s purchase, like people saying they wanted to buy it,” McNamara said. “But there were also a lot of people who agreed it shouldn’t just be casually displayed in a store for anyone to purchase. It’s a kind of history that belongs in a museum or exhibit, not in someone’s personal collection.”

Item Sold as ‘Piece of Dark American History’

According to McNamara, the hood has since been sold to a local buyer for $450.

“When I asked the store owner if he knew what the woman planned to do with it, he said she told him she intended to preserve it as a piece of dark American history,” he said.

Although McNamara never considered purchasing the item himself, he said the reaction to his video highlights a broader issue.

“It shows there’s still a lot of hate out there,” he said. “You never know who might share these kinds of beliefs behind closed doors.”

Selling KKK Memorabilia

In the United States, displaying or selling extremist symbols such as KKK imagery is generally legal under the First Amendment, which protects even highly offensive forms of expression. As a result, these symbols can legally appear on clothing, flags, tattoos, and other merchandise and are often easy to buy online or display in public or private settings.

Private platforms have much tighter controls than U.S. law when it comes to the sale of KKK memorabilia or white supremacist symbols.

Etsy prohibits items that “promote, support, or glorify hatred” and also bans shop content that glorifies hate groups or uses hateful language. eBay bans listings that promote hatred, violence, or extremist organizations. This includes racist propaganda, Nazi items, and other hateful materials. Some historical items may be allowed only if purely educational and not glorifying.

Independent shops operate in a different space: while they are legally allowed to sell such items under First Amendment protections, they are also private businesses and can choose not to stock them. As a result, sales are more common in antique shops, collectors’ markets, or fringe outlets. There have been periodic controversies when stores sell KKK or racist memorabilia, often prompting public backlash and, in many cases, the removal of items despite their legality.