I’ve always loved going to flea markets and looking through old things that people have thrown away in the hopes of finding a buried gem. Someone told my grandma that they were like “preloved jewels,” and I got her love of the hunt.
My husband Sam didn’t get why I was interested and would often make fun of my “junk collection.” He had no idea that my most recent discovery would make everything different.
I found a small, plain porcelain egg at a street event in my town. I was able to talk the seller down from $25 to $10. Sam laughed at what I bought and said it was a waste of money.
He laughed and asked, “What’s the point of that?” I saw something different in that egg than he did.
We found a small roll of red silk with a pair of beautiful earrings inside when I shook the egg. At first, we thought they were fake, but after having a jeweller look at them, we learnt they were Art Deco and made of 18k white gold, diamonds, and emeralds. An idea of how much? A shocking $300,000, which was later sold at auction for $3 million.
Because of this, Sam became a fellow treasure finder, and now we both like to check out flea markets. He’s learnt to enjoy the thrill of the hunt and the value of finding something new. Our story shows us that what someone else sees as trash can become their treasure and that sharing other people’s interests can lead to surprising findings.
As we continue our treasure hunt, I’m reminded that the best finds don’t always come from the most unusual places. And who knows, maybe we’ll find that Van Gogh one day. I’m looking forward to seeing what other secret gems we find on the hunt.
