One Canadian collector has discovered that the phrase “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” is truer than he ever imagined. After paying $10,000 for the unsorted contents of a deceased woman’s home, he discovered more than $400,000 of hidden treasures, including silver bars, diamond rings and lots of cash.
Alex Archbold grew up with very little money. As a child, he learned to cherish the small things, and often found little treasures — to him, at least — among what others might consider trash. As an adult, Achbold has turned that childhood passion into an antiques store and a Youtube channel with hundreds of thousands of followers.
But one recent purchase turned out to be bigger than he could have imagined.
Archbold documented his latest find after purchasing the contents of a home owned by a recently passed piano teacher, Madame Rac, who was also something of a hoarder. He’d actually met her years before, when he bought her vintage Cadillac.
“She was a bright flower, dressed very colorfully with a big smile. I was told she didn’t have much money, so at the time, I was hopeful that the money from the sale of her car may help her out a bit. She was a patient and fun piano teacher, I’m told. And a very well-traveled lady. Going to Hawaii every year for vacation,” he recalled.
Archbold was a “bit shocked at the state of the home as she was a very nicely dressed lady.” He said the house was “an extreme case of hoarding” and thought it would make good content for his YouTube channel. But once he started exploring the house, he discovered a treasure trove of valuables, including rare coins, jewelry, a 100-ounce bar of silver, designer clothes and lots of cash.
“We invested $10,000 in buying the house contents as is, and we will have sold $400,000 after all is said and done after three auctions of the contents and treasures. This was the best investment I have made to date!” Archbold said.
One item he won’t be selling is Rac’s piano. Archbold is opening a small cafe next door to his antique shop and thought it would make a perfect addition to the space.
