A yellowed, rolled-up document bought for $2.48 at a Music City Thrift Store in Nashville sold for $477,650 at auction after it was confirmed as a very rare 1823 official copy of the United States Declaration of Independence. The document was bought in March 2006 by Michael Sparks, a music equipment technician, as reported by the Associated Press through WIS-TV. It turned out to be one of only 200 official copies commissioned by John Quincy Adams in the 1820s. Bidding at Raynors’ Historical Collectible Auctions started at $125,000 before rising to the final sale price of $477,650.
he noticed the rolled-up manuscript While looking around the store for household items. The print was auctioned in Burlington, North Carolina, and sold for far more than expected.
Store manager Kay Boner said that $2.48 was simply the standard price for an item like this at the time. Nashville resident Stan Caffy had kept the document on his garage wall for ten years after buying it at a yard sale for $10. Auctioneers confirmed that the winning bid came from an anonymous buyer who took part by telephone.
Sparks was making his usual weekly visit to the Music City Thrift Store when he picked up a candelabra, a set of salt and pepper shakers, and the rolled document, according to a report by the Deseret News. Caffy later said he was happy for Sparks, even though he had missed out on the money. He said he was glad the document had ended up with someone who recognized its true historical importance. Speaking to the Associated Press after the auction, Sparks said: “You think it is a huge fortune, but by the time you figure it up and put some off for the taxes it is not.
Behind the valuable sale was a remarkable coincidence involving another local resident. Just two days before Sparks bought the document, the print had been hanging in a garage only a short drive away. When Caffy’s wife asked him to clean out the garage and get rid of unwanted items, Caffy reluctantly donated the document to the Music City Thrift Store along with other household clutter. After the auction, Sparks reflected on his sudden windfall. he kept a realistic view of the final amount after taxes and commission Although the sale greatly changed his financial situation. It is not a huge fortune, but more like a small fortune. The sale became one of the most valuable thrift store discoveries recorded in American history.