Because they don’t have enough space in their homes, many people use storage facilities to hold their garbage and treasures. They might eventually neglect to make the payment or realize they don’t need the products. They frequently leave things for someone else to take care of instead of clearing out the container. A few people will submit bids for the storage containers. They get whatever is inside if they win with the highest winning bid. This might go wrong because some only contain garbage. But if you’re fortunate, it’s possible to “hit the jackpot,” and that’s what this man desired!
A Wish Fulfilled
With his final bid, the man obtained the storage container. The contents, however, can be worthwhile or simply junk. He was thrilled when he found a locked safe within. Yet he never anticipated that it would prompt the cops to show up at his door only a few hours later.
A Wish Fulfilled
It Was Like Gambling
While placing bids on the storage containers up for auction, the man was becoming more at ease. You don’t know what was inside, so spending money like this was a major bet. He hoped for the best, nevertheless, because he had heard tales of classic vehicles and wealth.
It Was Like Gambling
Smooth Sailing
He had been fortunate up to that point because he frequently sold the containers’ contents for a little bit more than he had spent for the entire lot. But, sorting through other people’s trash required a lot of time and effort. He was organizing everything, cleaning it, and locating purchasers.
Smooth Sailing
Finished For The Day
Even though he was growing exhausted, the excitement of the unexpected kept him going. He made the decision to call it a day if he didn’t uncover anything significant in the following auctioned container. Would he have a happy ending?
Finished For The Day
Wanting To See
Joe and about 20 other people gathered outside this container. Everyone was interested in seeing inside this 5 by 15 apartment. They could hold the belongings of any one-bedroom apartment, therefore they were too huge to actually see anything!
Wanting To See
Bidding Carefully
The auctions didn’t take place amid shouting, drama, and screaming like you see on television. Even so, it was entertaining, particularly when Joe engaged in a bidding conflict with a potential bidder. He liked to win, but he had to be careful because he had a budget to follow.
Bidding Carefully
A Good Sign
Joe was now powerless to stop. There was plenty of furnishings in this container, which was often a positive indicator. If it was old, he might charge a premium amount for it. In addition, there were some further things he wished to view. Yet one woman kept raising the prices.
A Good Sign
Spending Tons Of Cash
Only $100 was the starting point, which was excessively exorbitant. He soon discovered, though, that the jar was almost full. He thus matched the wager, but the woman increased it slightly more. As it went on, he was left wondering how much he ought to spend.
Spending Tons Of Cash
Snapping Back To Reality
He was determined and was now offering $350. He was unable to part with that container, but the price kept rising until $500 was offered as the winning bid. When Joe realized he may have spent too much, he understood he had won and began to shake.
Snapping Back To Reality
What Was Inside?
After they lost the bid, the majority of the spectators left the area. A few people, though, urged Joe to enter and begin going through the items. He wished he hadn’t been the one who had to deal with it after he saw what was inside.
What Was Inside?
Looking At Everything
Joe entered the room slowly, excited and nervous about what he may discover. Old furniture filled the container, which let him feel a little better. He could move around and see everything because there was a tiny space between everything.
Looking At Everything
Something For Profit
Joe now noticed that the furniture wouldn’t cover the cost he had to pay for this unit, and he began to perspire. Despite the fact that they were great pieces, he needed better to break even. He immediately began looking in vain.
Something For Profit
He Found Something
Joe looked around the space before settling on the drab gray container next to the floor-level chest of drawers. He went straight to it and tried to open it. It was, however, locked. He requested a drill from a friend and hoped for the best.
He Found Something
Finally Opening It
Joe carefully lifted the lid after carefully prying the lock out with a deep drill. To go more, he uncovered a group of VHS tapes and pulled them out. He noticed a message underneath the cassettes, which sent chills through his body.
Finally Opening It
Eerily Mysterious
Overall, the handwriting was sloppy, and Joe checked over the videotapes separately. The sole word on the note was “Don’t.” There was no more information on the labels provided, although some had dates on them.
Eerily Mysterious
He Felt Eyes On Him
Have you ever had the sense that someone is watching you? Joe experienced it as a gradual crawl. He even thought someone was staring at him. He turned to look behind him, but there was nothing there. It was just Joe.
He Felt Eyes On Him
The Police Were Involved
It wasn’t going to be simple for Joe and his incredible discovery. He heard a knock on his door about two hours after the finding. The container was surrounded by policemen. What was he currently engaged in, and what did he discover?
The Police Were Involved
There Was Money
Joe opened a bundle of sticky paper that was stored in the safe to discover $50 bills. He noticed increasing amounts of money as he continued. Who was the rightful owner and how did it get there? Why did the authorities care about this?
There Was Money
It Alerted The Police
Joe finally understood what he had done. He texted pictures of the safe to his girlfriend because he was so eager to see it. Then he posted the safe’s contents to his social media accounts. The police arrived for that reason.
It Alerted The Police
There Were Others Interested
Even though he hadn’t counted every penny, he was confident he could get by with it. He had $1 million available. He eventually went to talk to a policeman, but he quickly discovered that the police weren’t the only ones curious about what was in the safe!
There Were Others Interested
It Was Trouble
Safes totaling roughly $7.5 million might be found scattered throughout the storage container. The problem, though, was that after learning of the discovery, the owner attempted to recover his riches by employing attorneys. Joseph was aware of his predicament.
It Was Trouble
Lots Of Questions
Joe was terrified when he started receiving threats after discovering the money. He was filled with questions as it turned into a nightmare. Why hadn’t they gathered the money and who had hidden it there? He was also concerned about the VHS cassettes!
Lots Of Questions
A Finder’s Fee
The moment the police arrived, things picked up speed. Joe got a call from the lawyers for the original owner not long after that was resolved. They claimed he had to repay the entire sum of money, with the exception of the $600,000 finder’s fee.
A Finder’s Fee
What To Do Next
Even though he felt better at the thought of getting paid for his trouble, he understood that the attorneys were only intimidating him. He had to consider what he ought to do next. But he didn’t want to deal with the original owner of the safe!
What To Do Next
Curiosity Got The Best Of Him
Joe was instructed not to open the container until the case was resolved. He had to figure out what was on the VHS cassettes, though. He thus unzipped one of the bags, inserted it into the VCR, and hit the play button.
Curiosity Got The Best Of Him
Curiosity Kills The Cat
He claimed to have seen something terrible, and after watching the tapes, he was unable to forget what he had seen. He even experienced nightmares! He made an effort to convince himself that they were phony, but he wasn’t certain.
Curiosity Kills The Cat
In A Dilemma
Joe was facing a difficult situation. He might be pursued if the safe’s owner learns that he watched the tapes. Although it was a chance, it might not happen. Perhaps he ought to keep quiet about it.
In A Dilemma
Paranoid
Perhaps the vault’s original owner was aware that he had watched the VHS recordings. He had occasionally felt as though someone was watching him. The restless evenings made the images repeat over and over in his head. What could possibly be on them?
Paranoid
What He Found
Joe resisted sharing what he had seen on the videos, despite the fact that his curiosity had overcome him. All that is currently known about him is his fear for his life. Was dealing with these folks worth the money? Did they realize that the safe contained the tapes?
What He Found
The Law Backed Him Up
He found out via acquaintances that after a storage container was sold, the contents were no longer the tenant’s property. As a result, he was entitled to keep everything inside because he bought it legitimately. The attorneys, though, stood their ground.
The Law Backed Him Up
Raising The Finder’s Fee
The lawyers increased the finder’s fee to over $1 million in the belief that they were aiding Joe. The entire time, these men were aggressive. They could do just about anything, in fact. How would he react?
Raising The Finder’s Fee
Weighing Things Out
Joe began to wonder how someone could have overlooked leaving $7.5 million in a storage facility. On something like that, you don’t become delinquent. Even though it was obvious that the owner wasn’t a good person, he was concerned that his situation would only become worse.
Weighing Things Out
Considering His Options
Did he receive $1.2 million? It’s a sizable sum of money, but it’s not the sizeable sum he’d been holding while unpacking. And he didn’t enjoy being used as a punching bag. His mind was disorganized, and he was unsure of what to do.
Considering His Options
Splitting It In Half
Following numerous threats of death and second thoughts, Joe decided to divide the funds equally. The storage container’s former owners hadn’t used or paid for it in a year. The auction was held for this reason.
Splitting It In Half
A Self-Storage System
The self-storage business is comparable to real estate. You pay a person or business to keep your belongings in storage until you need them again. You can go almost whenever you want, but there are costs involved. Some demand payments on a daily, weekly, annual, or monthly basis.
A Self Storage System
The Way It Works
You must make the monthly payments for the storage unit on schedule, just like you would if you were renting an apartment from a landlord. The storage facility has some privileges if you don’t. In most situations, they defer the cleanup to others while allowing auctions to recover part of the money they lost.
The Way It Works
It’s Just Business
The landlord will deal with the storage facility tenant if they don’t pay by evicting them or selling the belongings at auction to recoup some of the loss. While some may find this unfair, storage facilities operate on very thin margins.
It’s Just Business
Prioritizing Tenants
One storage facility owner asserts that he struggles to pay his bills and doesn’t generate any money from auctions. It frequently ends in defeat. Unpaid units typically don’t generate any revenue. However, it’s crucial to get the delinquent tenant out for a paying tenant to come in.
Prioritizing Tenants
Like Winning The Lottery
Purchasing a storage unit without first seeing what is inside is frequently risky. You’re hoping for good fortune and to stumble into hidden cash in items of clothes or valuable antique or unique furnishings. Nevertheless, this isn’t always the case.
Like Winning The Lottery
Joe’s Experience
It was unnerving for Joe to arrive at a storage unit with cash safes inside. Although he will certainly be more cautious in the future when purchasing storage containers at auctions, he is still likely to appreciate the thrill and adrenaline that comes with it.
Joe’s Experience
What an amazing find! Even though he didn’t get everything for it, a win is still a win, don’t you think so? This brings us to our next story about a young collector who had a gut feeling about a painting he’d just purchased. He reasoned that the painting could fetch a higher price. When he brought the painting in for appraisal, however, he was surprised by the price. When the collector learned the portrait’s value, he was taken aback.
Special Interview
2013 January 1 marked the start of filming. A well-known appraiser named David Weiss was ready to start the most significant interview of his entire career. He was an expert when it came to the arts, which is why many people come to the event to have him appraise their goods.
Special Interview
A Knowledgeable Person
He was the expert on drawings and paintings on the American version of Antiques Roadshow, and he had a variety of experiences at auction houses. The young man who owned the painting sat across from the appraiser. He was rather composed inside the show. The specialist made a few preparations before starting his business.
A Knowledgeable Person
Antique Trader
The youngster who appeared as a guest on Antique Roadshow was an avid antique trader even at a young age. Yet he had no idea how priceless the painting he had found was. The owner of the portrait thought he was bringing a one-of-a-kind work of art to the exhibition. On the other hand, he did not anticipate that the canvas would sell for a considerable sum.
Antique Trader
Essential Part
Every appraiser was aware that one of their responsibilities, especially when working in front of the camera, was to get familiar with the history of each item they rated. Also, it must be able to evaluate the item equally and recognize all of its attributes.
Essential Part
Following The Standard Procedure
Every appraiser on Antique Roadshow was aware that they have to adhere to the accepted practices in the field. On the other hand, a lot of little appraiser shows that had been on television for a while had also covered the procedure. The presentation would appeal to viewers more because of the narrative they deciphered in the artwork.
Following The Standard Procedure
Two-Dollar Painting
The young man took a trip to Richmond, Virginia, to find out how much his two-dollar painting was worth. People who were unskilled with antiques would frequently seek an outside appraiser’s opinion before judging the object valuable so that they know just how much they may benefit from it.
Two Dollar Painting
Worth It Or Not?
The most valuable antiques would wind up in shady antique shops or thrift stores where most of the items weren’t priced fairly. On the other side, the young child from the show did the same thing when he visited Antiques Roadshow.
Worth It Or Not?
Traveling Appraiser Docu-Series
In 1979, the premiere of Antique Roadshow aired. The production of the show was inspired by the documentary series of a visiting appraiser and antique aficionado. The production gained popularity and had an impact on many nations, including the United States.
Traveling Appraiser Docu-Series
Antique Enthusiast
The owner of the artwork realized he had been given a unique opportunity to share his enthusiasm and passion for antiques when the little child participated in the show. It is a chance that not many individuals have!
Antique Enthusiast
European Art And History
David Weiss was regarded as an authority on European art due to his more than three decades of experience. His area of expertise was 19th- and 20th-century European paintings, sculptures, and works on paper. There is no question in my mind that he is an expert in his field.
European Art And History
Skilled Man
His interest was also sparked by oriental rugs. The small boy brought a portrait to the show, which the appraiser examined. He was a specialist in antiquities and knew how much the canvas was worth. He is obviously the best person to talk to about such subjects.
Skilled Man
SVP AT Auction House
Like the other appraisers on Antiques Roadshow, David Weiss participated in the program, which benefited his day job at Freeman Auction House. He held the position of Senior Vice President at the auction company. He deserved this position for all of his professional successes.
SVP AT Auction House
A Professor
While working in Washington, D.C., he held the same position and gained a lot of knowledge. The professional appraiser, on the other hand, was a professor at Drexel University who taught business-related courses in addition to being an art appraiser.
A Professor
Most Rewarding Experience
When David Weiss worked in auctions, he was thrilled to find a one-of-a-kind object. He discussed his experience in his biography on the Freeman’s Auction House website. As stated by the appraiser, “For me, the most rewarding experiences as an auction house appraiser are the happy, unexpected ‘discoveries’ that originate from private collectors and estates. The best and most memorable of these ‘finds’ have resulted in massively successful prices realized.” He would always have a thrilling day in the store at that moment.
Most Rewarding Experience
Evaluating The Item
Like he did with all the other guests who brought their stuff to be appraised by the top appraiser, David questioned the young guest on the show. He asked the youngster whether he knew anything about the picture. What does the boy know about the painting? Let’s find out.
Evaluating The Item