I love shopping through yard sales and jumbles in the hopes of stumbling upon a long-lost treasure that will earn me fame and fortune.
Even though I know deep down that it’s very unlikely, I’ve watched enough episodes of Antiques Roadshow in my life to continue holding out hope.
Besides, every now and then, you stumble on a story — like this one about a family accidentally buying a million-dollar bowl — that fans the flame and keeps the optimism alive.
Now, fellow thrift-store trawlers may want to take note that there are still plenty of other treasures out there, just waiting to be found. Next time you stop by a yard sale or hit the flea market, just remember that people find items of untold value more often than you would think.
The latest example? A treasure so fabulous and fabled that it seems like something out of a fairy tale: the disappearance and discovery of the Third Imperial Fabergé Egg.
Check out the incredible story below to learn how it was found — and what it’s worth!
Imperial Fabergé Eggs are luxury items nearly synonymous with fabulous wealth, even today.
They were made by the design house of famed Russian craftsman Peter Carl Fabergé in the late 19th and early 20th centuries for rich merchants and, most notably, members of Russia's Imperial Romanov family.
These incredible eggs were made of precious metals and stones and contained even smaller delicate jewels inside.
For the libertine Romanovs, they made perfect Easter gifts to give out to closest family.
In total, Fabergé's workshop produced 65 of the spectacular jeweled creations that we know of, but the number has dwindled in the decades since the first eggs were made.
When the Romanovs were overthrown in Russia, much of their collection made its way west, with a number of the eggs landing in the famed London jewelry shop Morris Wartski, which you can see displayed above.
Of the 65 known eggs, several disappeared over the year; today, at least eight have been lost.
Of the eggs lost, one of the most storied was a beautiful creation known as the Third Imperial Egg.
It was one of Fabergé's earliest commissions for the Imperial family, made in 1887.
Inside of the egg was a Vacheron Constantin lady's watch, Fabergé's take on the "surprise" inside.
The exquisite egg was lost, and seems to have been last documented in 1922, shortly after the Russian Revolution.
Then, in 2013 or 2014, a man who has remained anonymous, uncovered a small golden object at a jumble sale in the Midwest.
He earned his sideline income by buying up broken precious metals and reselling them for their raw value.
He purchased the golden egg for $14,000, a huge sum of money for this man of average means, in the hopes that he would be able to have it melted down and turn it around for a profit.
To his disappointment, however, he initially thought he'd wasted his money on the pretty art object.
Initially testing led him to believe that the object was worth only about $500 in terms of its raw value.
As the story goes, desperate to recoup some of the value, he started searching the internet, and stumbled upon the scholarship of a man named Kieran McCarthy from the London Wartski store, describing the possible appearance of the Third Imperial Egg.
With a start, the man realized that his egg, nearly melted down for its scrap value, looked strikingly similar to the egg described.
He decided to fly out to London, to meet with McCarthy and see whether the egg might be the real deal.
The pictures he showed the antiques dealer gave McCarthy hope that the egg had finally been recovered after nearly a century, and McCarthy flew back with the man to assess the egg in person.
Remarkably, it quickly became clear that the innocent American bargain hunter had unwittingly struck gold.
McCarthy was able to confirm that he was, indeed, in the possession of the Third Imperial Fabergé Egg, one of the most sought-after antiques in the world.
His flea market find, which he had thought was worth just $500, was determined to be valued at a staggering $33 million.
In short order, McCarthy and Wartski helped arrange a sale to a private collector, and the lucky buyer will presumably be able to live off of his profits for many years to come.
If you're stunned by the shocking return on investment, make sure to SHARE for everyone who lives for the thrill of the treasure hunt!
