There are tons of reasons why people visit thrift shops. Some of them go there to look for items they can buy at a really cheap price. Others hunt for unique pieces.
When a woman saw a map at a Goodwill store, she bought it for just one reason.
The map looked pretty and that was enough to make her pay around $20 for it. It was a price she didnโt regret paying.
As she was looking at her new purchase, she thought she saw a crease.
Sheโd been watching PBSโ Antiques Roadshow for quite some time. And from watching the show, she learned that a crease on a map is usually an indication that itโs an authentic map.
When the show came to her town, she didnโt think twice about bringing her map to Christopher Lane, a well-known antique appraiser.
Christopher was quite intrigued by the map.
First, it was a beautiful map. It was also well-preserved.
To determine if it was an authentic map, he had to take a closer look.
He noticed the plate mark. Its presence is a good indication that the map could be an authentic one. Plus, itโs close to the image. Fake plate marks are typically farther away.
Although that was a good sign, Christopher didnโt think it was enough to conclude the authenticity of the map.
He took it out of the frame. Thatโs when he realized that the lack of crease was because of how it was preserved; the map had been glued to cardboard which made it look flat.
As his final attempt, Christopher ran his fingers very carefully over the center of the map.
And by doing so, he felt a bump in the area. Thatโs when he determined that it was really an original Willem Blaeu World Map from 1640.
He shared a couple of facts about it.
The map was hand-colored. Compared with other artists who made maps, Willem Blaeu didnโt just settle with printed maps. He actually hand-colored them. His world map is considered one of the most popular and reproduced maps.
Christopher finally revealed the price of the precious piece.
Amazingly, it was $10,000! The woman who bought it couldnโt believe what she heard. For under $20, she was able to get herself a really valuable map.
She asked if there was a way to remove it from the cardboard. Although Christopher knew one, he didnโt recommend taking it out. The process would cost her $1,500 to $2,000.
With the cardboard, the map could cost around $12,000 to $14,000. After you do the math, youโd probably agree with Christopher.
The mapโs value shocked people on the internet.
One YouTube user said:
โWow. She bought it for $20 at Goodwill. Now that is a Fantastic Op Shop buy.โ
There was also this person who commented:
โ1640? and in that great condition? I wouldnโt sell it if I had a choice. You get to hold a piece of history very few times in your life if thatโs not your job.โ
Watch the video below to see the womanโs stunned reaction to the mapโs value. It kind of makes you want to run to the thrift store!
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