Many of us have, at one point or another, dreamt of finding some hidden treasure or long-lost artifact at a flea market.
I know I have, in any case. And my hope is compounded by the fact that there are examples of people doing just that. Many, in fact (don’t try to tell me you’ve never read about someone unwittingly picking up an old painting from a famous artist for pretty much the price of a cup of coffee).
Of course, ‘treasure’ can be defined in many ways. Most will hear the word and think immediately of a pirate horde, a treasure chest brimming with gold coins and jewel-studded goblets, but the truth is that old family photographs and documents can be just as valuable to the right person. If nothing else, such items most always hold interesting stories.
Randy Guijarro was probably thinking along those lines when he paid $2 at a garage sale for an old photo album that seemed to contain relatively ordinary memories.
The photos in question were unquestionably old – their composition and lack of color was enough to confirm that – but no one had any idea that one of the images held a detail that would make it an extremely rare find.
As per reports, Randy picked out the box of black and white photos purely because he thought they appeared cool and unique.
When he got home he began to flick through the photos, before suddenly stumbling upon a familiar face.
That face belonged to Billy the Kid, known as one of the Wild West’s most notorious outlaws. Billy the Kid, or, more officially, William H. Bonney, was shot dead in 1881 when he was only 23 years old, after having lived a life on the run from justice.
An incredible piece of history? Sure. But Randy’s find also turned out to be astonishingly valuable.
According to reports, the image Randy had – remember, he had purchased it for a measly $2 – could have been worth as much as $5million!
