The article shares 15 stories of people who found incredible items in thrift stores, charity shops, or second-hand stores. These items, often purchased for a low price, turned out to be extremely valuable, including:
1. A Vince Lombardi sweater sold for $43,000
2. A Jackson Pollock painting worth $50 million (although the sale is still pending)
3. A rare diving watch sold for $35,000
4. A Faberge egg sold for $33 million
5. A copy of the Declaration of Independence sold for $477,650
6. A photo of Billy the Kid sold for $5 million
7. A 17th-century Chinese ceramic bowl sold for $2 million
8. An NES cartridge sold for $25,000
9. A Stephen Hawking book with a fingerprint (authenticity disputed)
10. An autographed Ernest Hemingway book
11. A Barack Obama award
12. A Martin Johnson Heade painting sold for $1.2 million
13. A Flemish school painting from 1650 sold for $190,000
14. An Andy Warhol-designed bag worth up to $500,000
15. A thrift store purse filled with cash, potentially worth more than its face value.
These stories highlight the potential for finding hidden treasures in unexpected places and the importance of doing research and verifying the authenticity of unusual items.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. A Vince Lombardi sweater was found at a thrift store for $0.58 and sold at auction for $43,000.
2. A bag with a picture of Elvis by Andy Warhol was found at a charity shop in England for £20 and was offered £250,000 and £350,000 by Chinese buyers.
3. A painting bought for $3 at a thrift store was later sold at auction for $190,000.
4. A man from Indiana bought a painting for $30 to hide a hole in his wall, which turned out to be a piece by Martin Johnson Heade and sold for $1.2 million.
5. A copy of the Declaration of Independence was found at a thrift store for $248 and sold at auction for $467,650.
6. A photo of Billy the Kid was found at a thrift store for $3 and sold for $5 million.
7. A Fabergé egg was bought for $14,000 and sold for $33 million.
8. A Chinese lab Asian cup from the 17th century was found at a thrift store for $4 and sold for $60,000.
9. A bowl bought for $3 was later sold at auction for $2 million.
10. A rare videogame, Stadium Events, was found at a thrift store for $7.99 and sold for $25,000.
11. A copy of Stephen Hawking's "A Brief History of Time" was found at a thrift store, but the signature was not authentic.
12. An autographed copy of Ernest Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea" was found at a thrift store.
13. A Jackson Pollock painting was bought for $5 at a thrift store and offered $9 million, but the seller believed it was worth $50 million.
14. A rare diving watch, a 1959 Jaeger-LeCoultre Deep Sea Alarm watch, was found at a thrift store for $5.99 and sold for $35,000.
15. A woman found a wedding dress at a charity shop for £25, which was originally priced at £159.50.
16. Barack Obama's National Middle School Associations Distinguished Service Award was found at a thrift store.
17. A rare Chinese item, a 1,000-year-old Ding Bowl, was bought for $3 and sold at auction for $2 million.