🖊️ 8—Camera & Photo Legends

TREASURES

News | Tools | [ List ] | Map | [ Info ]

✩ Money Makers ✩

█ A-Z // Fortunes Found 🔗 - [ i ]

Cameras & Photos — 8 Finds, $14 Million+

Hidden Treasures in Everyday Places

This list serves as a compact archive of modern storage-unit treasure history — a quick reference for journalists, researchers, and enthusiasts. It highlights how high-value items continue to surface in ordinary places.

A few legendary examples from the list include:

$170,000 for a sports photo found in a trunk
$620,000 for a rare camera discovery
$2 Million for a historic photo found online

Overlooked for years, these discoveries prove that valuable treasures can surface anywhere—even in the most ordinary places. Explore the full list below the ad ☟

Vintage treasure-hunt advertising in retro cityscape.

8—Legendary Finds

1. Billy the Kid Bonanza—$5 Million for $2 Photo Found in Thrift Store

📽️ 📅 2015 Report: In California, USA, a man discovered a thrift store treasure—a photograph of Billy the Kid purchased for just $2, later estimated to be worth $5 million. This remarkable find, only the second confirmed image of the notorious outlaw, was hidden in an old photo box. Full story in a one-minute video.

█ Video: 🔗 Inside Edition / YouTube

▌Related: Tools • Lists • Thrifting

2. Flea Market Fortune—$5 Million for Second Billy the Kid Photo Found in U.S.

📰 📅 2017 Report: In North Carolina, USA, a defense attorney bought a 19th-century tintype at a flea market for $10, later identified as an image of Billy the Kid with lawman Pat Garrett. Experts confirmed its authenticity, and comparisons suggest its value may exceed $5 million. The photo's origins remain a mystery.

█ Story and image: 🔗 Smithsonian Magazine

▌Related: Tools • Lists • Flea Market

3. Outlaw Portrait—$2 Million for Historic Find from $10 eBay Purchase

📰 📽️ 📅 2018 Report: A 19th-century tintype photo purchased for just $10 on eBay was identified as a rare portrait of outlaw Jesse James, with a potential worth exceeding $2 million. Acquired in the UK, the photo was verified by U.S. forensic experts as a genuine artifact, possibly handled by James himself. This discovery highlights the hidden treasures that can emerge from unexpected sources like online marketplaces.

█ Story, video, and images: 🔗 PetaPixel

▌Related: Tools • Lists • Online

4. Moon Walk Tapes—$1.8 Million for $217 Auction Lot with Historic Film Footage

📰 📽️ 📅 2019 Report: In the US, original NASA Apollo 11 moonwalk tapes were discovered in a surplus auction lot, purchased for $217. These tapes, later sold for $1.8 million, hold unmatched rarity and historical value, having been unintentionally preserved.

█ Story, video, and images: 🔗 UPI

▌Related: Tools • Lists • Auction

5. Leica Luxe—$620,000 (£380K, €460K) for Rare 1932 Camera Found in UK

📰 📅 2013 Report: A rare gold-plated Leica Luxus II camera from 1932—one of only four ever made—was auctioned in Hong Kong for $620,000 (£380K, €460K), falling short of a record. The camera's rarity was unexpectedly uncovered during an appraisal on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow in 2001, where it was initially valued at £5,000 ($8,100, €6,000).

█ Story, images, auction links: 🔗 BBC

▌Related: Tools • Lists • Random

6. Iconic Sports Image—$179,000 for Trunk Find

📰 📅 2015 Report: In the USA, a priceless "Shoeless Joe" Jackson signed photo was found in a trunk in a Cleveland home, part of the Frank W. Smith Collection. The rarity, from 1911, fetched $179,250 at auction.

█ Story, images, auction links: 🔗 Heritage Auctions

▌Related: Tools • Lists • Box & Trunk

7. Pioneer Portrait—$131,971 for 19th-Century Baseball Photo Found in Album

📰 📅 2023 Report: Rare 1870s photo of baseball pioneer Lipman Pike, discovered in a 19th-century album, fetches $131,971 in the US. Immense historical and cultural significance.

█ Story and images: 🔗 Sports Collectors Daily

▌Related: Tools • Lists • Random

8. Deep-Sea Daguerreotype—$73,200 for 1857 Portrait Pulled from S.S. Central America Shipwreck

📰 📅 2023 Report: In the USA, the 'Mona Lisa of the Deep,' an early form of photograph known as a daguerreotype from the 1857 S.S. Central America shipwreck, was sold at auction for $73,200. Recovered from the sea, it is one of 421 rare treasures unearthed.

█ Story and images: 🔗 artnet

▌Related: Tools • Lists • Shipwreck

These inspiring discoveries reveal the untapped potential of everyday spaces as hidden treasure troves. Explore the top 40 finds below the ad ☟

Item added to your cart