Post by gato on Mar 4, 2021 7:42:53 GMT -5
Estate sales, yard sales, garage sales; great opportunities to pick up hand powered egg beaters, ancient video games and jigsaw puzzles missing a dozen pieces. A sharp-eyed enthusiast sifting through the junk at a New Haven, CT garage sale, came away with a white-and-blue porcelain bowl for $35. He had debated between the bowl and an I Dream of Jeanie action figure, but in the end decided he didn't really need two Jeanies's.
The next day, he emailed some pictures of his purchase to Sotheby's auction house, complaining that the bowl had not done well in his microwave oven. "Made a crap load of sparks and left half my Orville Redenbacher's unpopped." He got back a response faster than you can say Ruby Tuesday.
Turns out his newly acquired bowl was from 15th century China, and worth at least $500,000. He grudgingly allowed Sotheby's to put up his bowl for auction, but sighed, "so even back then China was putting out junk that just didn't deliver. I'll bet their tire inflators were no better than they are today. I have one, by the way. Can you auction that off, too?
www.npr.org/2021/03/03/973274695/yard-sale-bowl-revealed-to-be-rare-chinese-artifact-worth-up-to-500-000
The next day, he emailed some pictures of his purchase to Sotheby's auction house, complaining that the bowl had not done well in his microwave oven. "Made a crap load of sparks and left half my Orville Redenbacher's unpopped." He got back a response faster than you can say Ruby Tuesday.
Turns out his newly acquired bowl was from 15th century China, and worth at least $500,000. He grudgingly allowed Sotheby's to put up his bowl for auction, but sighed, "so even back then China was putting out junk that just didn't deliver. I'll bet their tire inflators were no better than they are today. I have one, by the way. Can you auction that off, too?
www.npr.org/2021/03/03/973274695/yard-sale-bowl-revealed-to-be-rare-chinese-artifact-worth-up-to-500-000
