How I Discovered a $30,000 Photo in My Family’s Storage Unit
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Roger Hicks
Veteran
Dear Keith,
Wow! Thanks!
And, of course, "How it wasn't thrown away."
Cheers,
R.
Wow! Thanks!
And, of course, "How it wasn't thrown away."
Cheers,
R.
Tijmendal
Young photog
Great read! Thanks for sharing.
Robert Lai
Well-known
Terrible storage conditions, broken frame, and mom's desire to throw it out.
It's amazing that the print survived at all.
It's amazing that the print survived at all.
raid
Dad Photographer
What a wonderful find and story. Thanks.
semi-ambivalent
Little to say
Good thing he made copies, huh. Now everybody can have one...
Mudman
Well-known
I rescued an Ansel Adams print from a thriftshop for $40. Unfortunately not signed by him, but it is one of the series that is printed by hand by his assistant (worth about $300 from the Ansel gallery). Fun find!
swoop
Well-known
"It belongs in a museum!"
Bille
Well-known
"We have decided to keep the photo in our family"
... I would have sold the original and kept a copy. Why hang something on your wall when someone else is crazy and wealthy enough to pay 30.000$ for it?
Roger Hicks
Veteran
Because you can?
I have a few things that are probably worth silly money, such as a pair of pewter chargers, made before 1804 with the Glasgow makers' mark "Success to the United States of America". We bought them at Christie's in Gklasgow for twenty quid or so (call it $30). What are they worth? Dunno. if/when we get poor enough to need to sell 'em, we will. 'Til then... they ain't gonna go down in value.
Cheers,
R.
Last edited:
jsrockit
Moderator
Boris Stupak
Well-known
A wide-eyed tale by a gullible naif.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
A friend of mine found some sketches by Picasso in amongst her mother's belongings a while ago! (seriously)
froyd
Veteran
Wonderful story...I'd like to think I would have done the same. And beautiful picture too!
rwintle
Scientist by day
Nice. Then there was the time my grandmother bought a piece of Chinese pottery in a market in St. Alban's (UK) for a few pounds... later auctioned for $5,000 IIRC.
CK Dexter Haven
Well-known
Cool story. I suggested they get a scan of it, print some high quality repros for themselves, and lend the photo to a museum for a while, keeping ownership. You can do that, right?
If they can afford 'not having to sell it,' why not let others enjoy it for a few years.
If they can afford 'not having to sell it,' why not let others enjoy it for a few years.
Roger Hicks
Veteran
Or... um... why not enjoy it themselves? Why put up with an inferior copy? I mean, why not give away today's dinner and eat a McDo instead?
Cheers,
R.
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