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Mom Astonished After Recognizing Face on $35 Bust Bought at Goodwill.
In silence, Melissa Williams sat across the appraiser’s table from him. There was a thirty-five-dollar bust between her and the lady who kept catching her eye.
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0:00
In silence, Melissa [music] Williams sat
0:02
across the appraiser's table from him.
0:04
There was a $35 bust between her and the
0:06
lady that kept catching her eye. No
0:07
matter how the bust would be appraised,
0:09
she would keep a level head. The
0:11
appraiser's words caused her to lose her
0:12
composure. She's never been blindsided
0:15
before. So, how did this happen? In
0:17
[music] silence, Melissa Williams sat
0:19
across the appraiser's table from it.
0:21
There was a $35 bus between her and the
0:23
lady that kept catching [music] her eye.
0:25
No matter how the bus would be
0:26
appraised, she would keep a level head.
0:28
The appraiser's words caused her to lose
0:30
her composure. She's never been
0:31
blindsided before. So, how did this
0:33
happen? But before we start, smash the
0:35
like button and make sure to subscribe
0:36
if you haven't, and hit that
0:38
notification bell so that you won't miss
0:39
any new stories. In the midst of the
0:41
appraiser's revelations, her [music]
0:43
breath caught. The excitement and shock
0:45
welling up inside were becoming
0:46
increasingly difficult to conceal.
0:48
[music] Even so, she tried to maintain
0:50
her composure. After hearing the bust's
0:52
estimate, her heart began pounding. It
0:54
was clear that her life would never be
0:55
the same again. [music] For anyone
0:57
looking to appraise their bits and
0:58
pieces, the Austin Galleries have always
1:00
kept the appraisal process simple.
1:01
Established since 1964, [music]
1:04
they have witnessed almost everything
1:05
history has to offer. In Austin, Texas,
1:07
[music] they held a small event every
1:09
year to help locals appreciate the value
1:10
of the items they owned. Melissa had
1:13
other plans for them, however, that they
1:14
could never have anticipated. Melissa
1:16
Williams, a 45-year-old mother from
1:18
Lakeway, Texas, just wanted to know what
1:20
the bust was worth. [music] Even if $35
1:22
were worth something, it couldn't be
1:24
that much. Sitting in line, she quietly
1:26
waited for her turn to [music] appraise
1:28
the 52-lb bus she held in her lap. What
1:30
a treasure she held in her hands if she
1:32
only knew what she had. Among her other
1:34
lucky finds, she had bought the bus at a
1:36
Goodwill near her home and put it up in
1:38
her living room. However, everyone who
1:40
saw it claimed that it was authentic.
1:41
Her initial assumption was that it was a
1:43
fake made from locally sourced cheap
1:45
material. In time, however, things began
1:48
[music] to take a different turn the
1:49
longer she kept it at home. It was the
1:51
weight of the bust that first [music]
1:52
alerted Melissa that this was not just a
1:54
random find. Although its material felt
1:56
like genuine marble, which is the
1:58
material used to [music] make the most
1:59
expensive busts, she could not deny its
2:02
authenticity. However, she kept telling
2:04
herself it was just a cheap imitation,
2:06
albeit a pretty good one. No one had
2:08
ever thought that what she [music] had
2:09
could be a window into lost
2:10
civilizations. The bus had been propped
2:12
in Melissa's living room for a month
2:14
before it was finally moved. It
2:15
captivated her from afar and [music] up
2:17
close after she bought it. Even though
2:19
most visitors weren't as enthralled by
2:20
it as she was, they could agree [music]
2:22
it had something special. Then one day,
2:24
she noticed something was terribly
2:25
wrong. Upon inspecting the bust, [music]
2:27
Melissa noticed a stain on its nose.
2:30
Having seen it back at the store while
2:31
making her purchase, she had brushed it
2:33
aside, thinking it [music] would be easy
2:34
to remove. One month in, she had not
2:36
succeeded in removing the stain. Her
2:38
wits had run out, and she decided to
2:40
seek assistance from a professional.
2:41
[music] Her little sister, Joan, the
2:43
expert, ran an extensive cleaning
2:45
business throughout the city. any stain
2:47
could be removed from any surface pipe.
2:49
Melissa was confident that she could
2:50
assist her sister [music] with a bust,
2:52
considering it to be a non-issue. Their
2:54
world would be turned upside down by
2:55
[music] what they discover. However,
2:57
Melissa and Joan set to work cleaning
2:58
the bust. Despite spending [music] hours
3:00
trying to remove the stain, nothing
3:02
worked. Previously, Melissa didn't
3:04
[music] have a problem with the stain.
3:05
Now that they realized she couldn't
3:07
remove it, the 45-year-old mom couldn't
3:09
resist grinding her teeth against the
3:10
stubborn [music] stain. Yet, she did not
3:12
realize that it was the key to
3:14
uncovering the truth. As her sister
3:16
tried to remove the stain, Melissa
3:17
recalled the trip that [music] blessed
3:18
her with a bust. It had been a warm
3:20
evening, and she was driving home after
3:22
seeing a few [music] friends. She hadn't
3:24
meant to enter the Goodwill store, but a
3:25
feeling kept telling her to go in.
3:27
"Okay," she whispered and hurried into
3:29
the store, unaware she was about to make
3:31
a [music] remarkable discovery. The bust
3:33
had caught her interest the moment she
3:34
walked through the door. She walked to
3:36
[music] it, admiring the expert
3:37
craftsmanship. Usually, such pieces
3:39
would cost $100, if not more. So, you
3:43
can imagine Melissa's surprise and joy
3:44
when she saw the $35 price [music] tag.
3:47
She knew she would be taking the statue
3:49
home with her. It looked and felt like
3:50
the real thing, the mom shared while
3:52
speaking to [music] local news
3:53
reporters. It was ornate and beautiful,
3:56
timeless. I knew it would fit well in my
3:58
living room, but now [music] she
3:59
couldn't get the stain off its nose. She
4:01
grimaced as her sister threw in the
4:02
towel, claiming the stain wouldn't come
4:04
off, but what was supposed to be bad
4:06
news [music] would open a door that
4:07
would change their lives forever. The
4:09
stain was stuck in Melissa's mind as
4:10
much as the bust. Working as an HR rep
4:12
at a local paper company, she couldn't
4:14
focus on her work. She spent the entire
4:16
day googling different [music] ways to
4:18
get the stain off. But she soon
4:19
discovered that Joan had already tried
4:21
each of those methods. But her search
4:22
would lead her to another [music]
4:24
discovery. Melissa learned that although
4:25
you could clean most stains from a
4:27
marble surface, the process became
4:29
trickier when the marble was old. How
4:31
old, you might wonder. Well, Melissa's
4:33
research estimated about a century. Her
4:35
heartbeat paused when she read it, and
4:37
she couldn't help but wonder what the
4:38
bust in her living room was really made
4:40
of, and how old it was. Sitting in line
4:42
at the Austinine Gallery's appraisal
4:44
event, she wondered if she was reaching
4:46
for smoke here. What if she was wasting
4:48
time? And the bust was just another
4:49
piece of cheap junk meant to beautify a
4:51
room. But if that were so, why couldn't
4:53
the stain come off? Melissa thumbmed the
4:55
bus's nose, [music] staring at it with
4:57
furrowed brows. What was going on? The
4:59
line moved slowly, but eventually it was
5:01
her turn. She walked into the appraisal
5:03
room quietly, holding the bust firmly.
5:05
The appraiser greeted her warmly and
5:07
invited her to sit, asking what she had
5:09
brought in. Melissa placed the bust on
5:11
the table, joking that it had come from
5:13
Goodwill. The appraiser, [music] who
5:15
introduced herself as Kimberly Crawford
5:16
from Austin Galleries, examined it with
5:18
interest. [music] She slipped on gloves,
5:20
adjusted her glasses, and began studying
5:22
the piece carefully while Melissa
5:24
[music] waited in silence. After nearly
5:26
an hour, Kimberly finally removed her
5:28
gloves and [music] glasses. She
5:29
described the bust as remarkable and
5:31
took several photographs for
5:32
documentation. She then asked Melissa
5:34
what had prompted the appraisal. Melissa
5:36
explained that the stain on the nose
5:38
refused to come off despite every
5:39
attempt [music] and that she had read
5:40
similar stains could appear on old
5:42
marble. She admitted she wasn't even
5:44
sure the bust was marble at all.
5:45
Kimberly [music] confirmed that it was
5:46
marble, but explained that the material
5:48
itself was not the most puzzling aspect.
5:50
She pointed out the bust structure and
5:52
features, [music]
5:52
explaining that ancient Greek and Roman
5:54
sculptors favored idealized youthful
5:56
faces with calm expressions and defined
5:58
muscles. The bust shared those
6:00
characteristics [music]
6:01
which made it stylistically confusing.
6:03
She went on to explain that some
6:04
Renaissance [music] works mirrored
6:05
classical ideals and that modern
6:07
artisans could replicate ancient
6:08
techniques with remarkable precision.
6:10
Because of this, the bus could belong to
6:12
several different periods [music] or
6:13
even be a masterful reproduction.
6:15
Regardless of its origin, Kimberly
6:17
emphasized that the craftsmanship was
6:18
exceptional. She admitted that she
6:20
didn't yet have concrete answers, but
6:22
felt strongly that there [music] was
6:23
something important to uncover. After
6:25
exchanging contact information, Melissa
6:27
gathered the [music] bust and left the
6:28
office feeling relieved and optimistic.
6:30
That night, she slept peacefully for the
6:32
first time in days. She hoped Kimberly
6:34
would help her uncover the truth. A few
6:36
days later, the bus sat back in its
6:38
familiar [music] place in the living
6:39
room. Melissa found herself strangely
6:41
fond of the stained nose. Now, what had
6:43
once annoyed her had led to unexpected
6:44
[music] insight, and she appreciated the
6:46
peace more than ever, unaware that her
6:48
life was on the verge of changing. One
6:50
afternoon, while outside with her
6:51
husband and children, [music] Melissa
6:53
learned her phone had been ringing
6:54
repeatedly. She answered immediately,
6:56
happy to hear Kimberly's voice until she
6:58
sensed something was wrong. Kimberly
6:59
[music] explained that she had shared
7:01
the photographs with experts in New
7:02
York, who spent significant time
7:04
analyzing the bust. Their findings left
7:06
her stunned. [music] She asked Melissa
7:08
to meet her for coffee as soon as
7:09
possible so they could speak open. They
7:11
arranged to meet at a Starbucks in town.
7:13
When Melissa arrived, she saw Kimberly
7:15
seated at an outdoor table accompanied
7:17
by a heavily built man with tattoos, a
7:19
thick beard, [music] and rugged
7:20
clothing. His presence made Melissa
7:22
uneasy, though she reminded herself not
7:24
to judge. Still, curiosity outweighed
7:27
her apprehension. She greeted them
7:29
politely and sat down, her focus fixed
7:31
on Kimberly. She needed to know what had
7:33
been discovered. "This is Mr. Rogers,"
7:36
began Kimberly, introducing [music] her
7:38
associate. He flew all the way from
7:40
London to meet you. Mr. Rogers greeted
7:43
[music] Melissa politely, explaining
7:44
that although much about the bust
7:46
remained uncertain, a discovery
7:47
significant [music] enough had been made
7:49
to justify his trip. Kimberly added that
7:51
the stubborn stain on the marble was no
7:52
coincidence and asked Melissa to guess
7:54
how old the material might be. Melissa
7:56
hesitated before guessing a 100red,
7:58
maybe 200 years. The two experts
8:00
exchanged [music] looks before revealing
8:02
the truth. The marble was nearly 2,000
8:04
years old. The realization left Melissa
8:06
stunned. They explained that while
8:08
research was still ongoing, they were
8:10
confident the bust was an original piece
8:11
from the classical era. Kimberly added
8:13
that an object of this [music] nature
8:14
could be extremely valuable if sold
8:16
properly, and asked whether Melissa
8:18
would consider selling it. When Melissa
8:19
asked how much it could fetch, Kimberly
8:21
cautiously estimated between 100 and
8:23
150. Melissa misunderstood at [music]
8:25
first, assuming they meant dollars, but
8:28
Mr. Rogers clarified that the estimate
8:29
was in thousands. The number overwhelmed
8:31
her. Kimberly explained that the
8:33
valuation was based on [music] selling
8:34
the bust immediately. If they continued
8:36
researching the sculpture, the exact
8:38
period, [music] and the identity of the
8:40
figure depicted, the value could
8:41
increase dramatically. Bus from that era
8:43
often portrayed influential [music]
8:45
figures, and confirming such details
8:47
could raise the price into the million.
8:49
Melissa [music] leaned back, struggling
8:50
to process what she was hearing.
8:52
$100,000 alone was life-changing. But
8:55
the possibility of one or two million
8:57
[music] felt unreal. She had never
8:58
imagined herself in such a position, and
9:00
sat silently, weighing her options.
9:02
[music] Kimberly and Mr. Rogers made it
9:04
clear that the decision was hers. Mister
9:06
Rogers was prepared to transfer the full
9:08
amount immediately if she chose to
9:09
[music] sell, but Kimberly encouraged
9:11
her to take time, discuss it with her
9:13
family, and decide without pressure.
9:15
After they left, Melissa remained
9:16
seated, overwhelmed. The immediate offer
9:19
tempted her, but something about the
9:21
urgency felt unsettling. She called her
9:23
husband, Mark, who came to pick her up.
9:25
On the drive home, she explained
9:26
everything from the appraisal [music]
9:27
event to the astonishing valuation. She
9:30
told him about the offer and the
9:31
possibility of an even higher return if
9:33
they waited. [music] Mark listened
9:34
carefully and pointed out that the
9:36
eagerness to buy the bus so quickly
9:37
raised questions. If the piece were
9:39
[music] insignificant, why would someone
9:41
travel across the ocean to acquire it,
9:43
he suggested waiting for the full
9:44
research, though he emphasized the
9:46
choice was hers. [music] His words
9:47
stayed with her. Melissa began to
9:49
suspect there was more she didn't yet
9:51
understand. Waiting no longer felt
9:53
risky. [music] She wasn't driven by
9:54
money, and patience seemed reasonable if
9:56
it meant uncovering the full truth. The
9:58
next morning, Melissa called Kimberly
10:00
and [music] told her she had decided to
10:01
take the long route. She wanted to learn
10:03
everything about the bus before selling
10:05
it. Kimberly welcomed the decision,
10:07
agreeing that knowledge was worth more
10:08
than a quick profit, and suggested they
10:10
meet soon to discuss the next step.
#Offbeat