List of valuable items purchased at discard sales
This is a list of items purchased at junk sales that turned out to be treasures that resold for small fortunes.
List
| Item | Type of sale | Location | Purchase price | Purchase year | Resale price | Resale year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dunlap broadside[1] | Flea market | Pennsylvania, U.S. | US$4 (equivalent to $10.39 in 2025) | 1989 | US$2,420,000 (equivalent to $5,720,376 in 2025) | 1991 |
| Ding bowl (Song dynasty)[2] | Tag sale | New York, U.S. | US$3 (equivalent to $4.66 in 2025) | 2007 | US$2,200,000 (equivalent to $3,040,714 in 2025) | 2013 |
| Third Imperial Egg[3] | Flea market | Ohio, U.S. | US$13,302 (equivalent to $22,674 in 2025) | 2004 | Undisclosed, reports range from US$20,000,000 (equivalent to $27,199,888 in 2025)[4] to US$33,000,000 (equivalent to $44,879,814 in 2025)[5] | 2014 |
| Gemstone brooch[6] | Garage sale | Ohio, U.S. | US$8 (equivalent to $11.22 in 2025) | 2012 | US$26,250 (equivalent to $34,479 in 2025) | 2017 |
| 26.27-carat diamond ring[7] | Car boot sale | London, UK | £10 (thus sometimes called the Tenner Ring) | 1980s | £657,000 (equivalent to £873,078 in 2023) | 2017 |
| Yongle Emperor-era lotus bowl[8] | Yard sale | Connecticut, U.S. | US$35 (equivalent to $44.07 in 2025) | 2020 | US$721,800 (equivalent to $857,597 in 2025) | 2021 |
| Rhinoceros-horn libation cup[9] | Op shop | Melbourne, Australia | A$4 (equivalent to $4.92 in 2022) | 2013 | A$75,640 | 2023 |
| Photo of Billy the Kid | Antique Shop | Fresno, California | US$2 (equivalent to $2.64 in 2024) | 2015 | Appraised to $5,000,000[10] | 2015 |
| One Thousand and One Nights by Salvador Dalí | House Clearance Sale | London | £150 ($199.21 in 2025) | 2023 | Appraised to £20,000 to £30,000, auction in 23 October 2025.[11][12] | 2025 |
| The Adoration of the Kings (circa 1628) by Rembrandt | Online Auction | Amsterdam | $15,000 | 2021 | Reidentified as a Rembrandt. Sold for £10.9 million ($13.7 million) at Christie's Old Masters Sale on 6 December 2023.[13][14][15] | 2023 |
See also
References
- ^ Blau, Eleanor (1991-06-14). "Declaration of Independence Sells for $2.4 Million". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2023-09-15. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
- ^ McCafferty, Georgia (2013-03-20). "Bought for $3 at yard sale, bowl sells for $2.2 million". CNN Business. Archived from the original on 2023-03-23. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
- ^ Silfverstolpe, Pontus (2022-08-17). "Flea Market Fabergé: The Third Imperial Egg". Barnebys Magazine. Archived from the original on 2023-07-28. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
- ^ Faulconbridge, Guy (2014-03-20). "Find of the century? U.S. scrap dealer finds $20 million Faberge egg". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2023-01-09. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
- ^ "Scrap metal dealer becomes a millionaire thanks to Faberge Egg - UPI.com". UPI. Archived from the original on 2022-04-22. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
- ^ DeMarco, Anthony. "$8 Garage Sale Brooch Fetches $26,000 At Auction". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2022-08-16. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
- ^ "Diamond ring bought for £10 at car boot sale goes for £657,000". The Guardian. 7 June 2017. Archived from the original on 2022-11-29. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
- ^ Holland, Oscar; Palumbo, Jacqui (2021-02-25). "Chinese bowl bought for $35 at a yard sale sold for over $700,000 at Sotheby's auction". CNN. Archived from the original on 2023-04-11. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
- ^ "$4 op shop buy sells for $75,000". amp.smh.com.au. 24 June 2013. Archived from the original on 2022-03-04. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
- ^ Cascone, Sarah (2015-10-14). "Priceless and Rare Photo of Billy the Kidd Found". Artnet News. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
- ^ Ferguson, Donna (2025-07-29). "Salvador Dalí painting bought for £150 at house clearance sale valued at £20-30,000". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
- ^ Feldman, Ella. "A Man Bought This Colorful Illustration of a Sultan for £150. It Turned Out to Be a Salvador Dalí Original That Could Sell for $40,000". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
- ^ Christies. "Circle of Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (Leiden 1606-1669 Amsterdam)". Christies.com. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
- ^ "A Newly Attributed Rembrandt Sells for Almost $14 Million". Artnet News. 2023-12-13. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
- ^ Binswanger, Julia. "A Painting Originally Valued at $15,000 Turned Out to Be a Rembrandt. Now, It Could Sell for Millions". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2025-08-03.