[ thunder rumbles ] [ bird caws ] im jamie colby in tucson, arizona. Wagon trains used to pass right through here on their way to california during the gold rush, and one of the roughandready pioneers who helped settle this area left behind a very strange inheritance. Im here to get the skinny on it. My names jock taylor. In 2009, i inherited a wooden trunk full of family heirlooms going back more than a century. Now im told i could pocket a small fortune. I meet jock, a 60yearold electrical engineer, at his home here in tucson. Hi, im jamie. Im jock. I heard you have something very unusual from your greatgreat grandfather. I certainly do. Come on in. Jock shows me that inheritance an old trunk thats been passed down through the family for more than a century. The trunk contained the family bible, a very ornate saddle blanket, a pair of old jeans jeans . Who keeps jeans . Theyve been in the trunk for so long, i dont think that my mother really knew what else to do with them. According to family lore, all the items in the trunk, including the jeans, once belonged to this man, jocks greatgreat grandfather, Solomon Warner, one of tucsons original pioneers. Very distinguished. Old solomons story, and the story of those dungarees, begins far from tucson in upstate new york, where hes born in 1811. As a young man, he heads west, in search of adventure and wealth. A lot of farm boys or smalltown boys in new york couldnt wait to get away from home. Jim turner has written several books on the history of arizona and its important pioneers like Solomon Warner. He worked on steamboats in the 1830s, and then he went to the gold rush. After that, he went to south america, looking for gold there. But the gold thing doesnt pan out. Solomon returns to america in 1853, still searching for a way to strike it rich. The following year, the United States completes the Gadsden Purchase from mexico, adding nearly 30,000 square miles, including tucson, along our southern border. Solomon sees a new frontier to be conquered. What makes pioneer status . The willing to risk. Theres a saying, the cowards didnt come, and so you had to be brave to come out to the frontier. A big, powerful man, 61 2 tall, solomon hauls 13 mules loaded with merchandise into the New Territory and opens a general store in tucson, then just a small town of less than 1,000 people. He was the first to sell American Goods in tucson. Who were his customers . The butterfield stage came through tucson, and whatever you wanted, you had to buy it from Solomon Warner. As the town grows, so do warners riches, but his business interests are interrupted when civil war breaks out in 1861. Tucson was under the confederacy and captain Sherod Hunter asked all of the citizens to swear an oath to the confederacy. What about Solomon Warner . Was he game . He wouldnt do it, and when he wouldnt do it, they confiscated all of his goods. Solomon retreats to mexico, then returns to tucson after the war to reclaim his store. But another kind of bloodshed breaks out along his trade routes. This is, after all, the wild, wild west. Was that an easy thing to do in those days, getting goods back and forth . It was dangerous. Several times, he had been shot by arrows from indians when he was bringing dry goods back and forth. Sounds like a hollywood character in the making. It was amazing that not only did he survive apache attacks, he lived to be 89. When solomon dies in 1899, tucsons in mourning. There was a great ceremony because he was a revered citizen at that time. After solomons death, his son, john, packs up some of his fathers belongings into a trunk that bears the family name, and over the years, the cedar chest gets handed down through the generations. John Solomon Warner, when he passed away, it went to his only daughter, josefina, and then everything that she had went to my mother, elva. Why has the family held on to it . Its an heirloom. My mother always used it for storing ancient family relics. She was very proud of it. The trunk stays in elvas living room until she passes away in 2009. Then her son jock, one of four heirs, moves the crate to his home and takes an inventory of its contents, including those old blue jeans. Whatd they look like . They were very weird jeans. They didnt have belt loops, and they only had one pocket on the back. They looked like a pair of old blue jeans that had been washed once and then folded and put away. Werent they worn out . They are in likenew condition. Like brandnew . Like brandnew. And on the back of those spotless jeans, a famous marking. They had the leather patch on the back that said levis on them. Thats right levis, the most iconic blue jeans of all time. Did you just take the jeans out of the trunk and try them on . Actually, theyre way too big for me. They come up almost to my chest. Jock assumes jeans that big probably belonged to old solomon. But he cant say for sure what went into and came out of that chest in the 110 years since his greatgreat grandpas death. Any proof of purchase . Not that i know of. A picture of him wearing them . No. You sure its not just family lore . I dont know. What could they be worth . A bundle, says this prospector, who actually mines for ancient blue jeans. True vintage denim can be worth thousands of dollars. For a reason you might not expect. All the earlier jeans that they had went up in smoke. Thats next. But first, our strange inheritance quiz question. The answer after the break. Listen up, heart disease. You too, unnecessary er visits. And hey, unmanaged depression, dont get too comfortable. Were talking to you, cost inefficiencies, and data without insights. And fragmented care, stop getting in the way of patient recovery and pay attention. Every single one of you is on our list. At optum, were partnering across the Health System to tackle its biggest challenges. At optum, were partnering across the Health System hes told that joke a million times. And you always laugh like youre hearing it for the first time. At lincoln financial, we get there are some responsibilities of love you gotta do on your own. And some you shouldnt have to shoulder alone. Like ensuring hes well taken care of. Even as you build your own plans for retirement. See how lincoln can help protect your savings from the impact of longterm care expenses at lincolnfinancial. Com. [ wind howls ] so, whats the bestselling bluejean brand after levis . Its a, wrangler. The original cowboy brand has been outfitting rodeo stars and stars on rodeo drive since 1904. In 2009, jock taylor inherits a wooden trunk thats been in the family for over a century. It was purchased by his greatgreat grandfather, Solomon Warner, who founded the First American store here in tucson back in 1853. He had that pioneer spirit. He saw the opportunity here, and he could see that the city had potential to grow. Inside that trunk is a pair of vintage levis blue jeans. So, they were pretty ratty . No, they actually were very wellpreserved. Its cedar, and it protected the jeans very well. If theyre indeed solomons from way back when, the jeans are also a remarkably wellpreserved relic of a completely different pioneer success story. Mike harris, author of jeans of the old west, knows all about that. How did this whole levi boom start . Well, in 1870, jacob davis, who was a tailor in reno, nevada, he was approached by a woman who was married to a woodcutter. Turns out that her woodcutter husband constantly rips through his pants pocket. Its a common problem. Whether concealing a pistol or hauling heavy gold nuggets, the weak pockets just cant handle the stress. So jacob davis gets the idea. He saw the rivets on his workbench, and he decided to put those in the pocket corners. Adding rivets to pockets its one of those seatofthepants innovations that make america great. The result . Stronger dungarees that can stand up to the tough work thrown at them by the miners and laborers of the day. And after about a year, he was getting so many orders, he couldnt fill them. Davis, who needs capital and manpower, goes into business with wealthy San Francisco merchant levi strauss. On may 20, 1873, american blue jeans are born. A pair costs about a buck. Levis markets their denim overalls as the uniform of the working class. Who bought them at the time . Miners in the west, farmers, mechanics anybody that did hard labor would have bought levis back then. Thats because workers love how tough and durable the pants are, as this pair from 1890 proves. From the 1800s . I mean, they feel like they could be right now. They really could withstand a lot. Absolutely. So it was all about strength . It was all about strength. Now, heres something really important to remember in this strange inheritance tale. In 1906, the epic San Francisco earthquake devastates the levis headquarters. Their building, it was completely leveled. Along with all of levis records and inventory. The first 30 years of the companys history gone. Of course, for the next century and more, the company thrives. Indeed, the pants it manufactures become an american icon. Think about it. Is there anything the world loves more about america than blue jeans . Theyre right up there with blockbuster movies, fastfood burgers, and rock n roll. So you probably arent surprised theres a demand for vintage jeans. But i bet you would be surprised how far some people will go to meet that demand. True vintage denim can be worth thousands of dollars, and finding any levis pre1900 is a massive rarity. Thats the holy grail. Thats what were all looking for. Brit eaton is a modernday prospector who scours old west barns, ghost towns, and mining sites not for precious metals, but antique overalls. My gold is what the gold miners were wearing while they were seeking their gold. In order to be a great denim hunter, you have to be ruthless, relentless, and rugged. Ive rappelled into pits, ive killed rattlesnakes to get by. There are so many potential dangers. Exploring abandoned mineshafts can be treacherous, but often worth the risk. Finding things in mines is the equivalent of biggame hunting. You find a time capsule just sitting there in the middle of nowhere. The feeling of seeking something is a true american sort of pioneer feeling. Youre literally filling a gap in in history. And thats a good way to pose the question facing our heir, jock taylor. Does his strange inheritance fill a gap in history, or are they closer to the jeans that fill the gap at the mall . They were in such great shape that i thought, why are they showing me new jeans . Stay tuned for p. S. I. Pants seam investigation next. Heres another quiz question for you. The answer when we return. This is what its all about, jamie helping small businesses. Damage your vehicle . We got you covered. [ glass shatters ] Property Damage . Thats what general liabilitys for. What . injured employee . Ow. Workers comp helps you pay for a replacement. Whats happening . This is carla. Hows it going . And if anything comes up, our experts are standing by. Boo hi, im the internet you know whats dtj get a job ting. Hi, guys. Im back. Time to slay heals, heals, heals yes youuuu no, i have a long time girlfriend. Mom i need my macaroni you know whats easy . Building your website with godaddy. Pick a domain name. Choose a design. You can build a website in under an hour. Yeah whoo yes get your domain today and get a free trial of gocentral. Build a better website in under an hour. Human family in their natural habitat, known to their species as, the backyard. Oh dear someone is about to burn a pile of debris thats too tall, which can start a wildfire. Wait. Could it be . Blimey, it is. Its smokey bear. What a legend. Watch as he astutely ensures that theres no wind, and how he removes some of the debris to create a smaller, safer burning pile. Take note of our fearless furry friend here, humans. Hes watching you. Smokeys done it again. Smokey, voiceover only you can prevent wildfires. [ wind howls ] so, who said, i had holes in my jeans well before it was fashionable . Its b, kenny rogers, who knew when to fold them. A cedar box inherited by jock taylor of tucson, arizona, contains a cache of old family heirlooms that he assumes have been sitting in the trunk since his greatgreat grandfather Solomon Warner passed away in 1899. Including this curious item a pair of seemingly neverworn levis jeans. How many years do you think those jeans may have been in that trunk . In excess of 110 years. So jock and his wife, pat, take the levis to a traveling appraisal show here in town with high expectations. They walk up to the table of daniel buck soules, owner of daniel buck auctions. They had a pillowcase, and i had no idea what they had. And when they pulled out these jeans, they were in such great shape that i thought, why are they showing me new jeans . So, you were suspicious at first . Oh, absolutely. But it wasnt until i really started looking at them that i went, okay, these are a little bit better than i think they are. Just how much better . Daniels detective work begins with the obvious these belong in the bigandtall department waist, 44, length, 37. He had to be 66, 68. He was a mountain of a man. Next, he examines the leather tag. Does this identify the jean in some way . It does. They started adding this around 1886, but they still use that. Even to today, its still there. That sets the base. The jeans are no older than 1886, but they could have been made any time after that. So daniel turns his attention to those famous pocket rivets. One of the problems they actually had was the placement of the rivets. If you were a cowboy and on a saddle, the outside rivets would wear on saddles. What you find is they had to cover these with cloth at one point. Those covered rivets first appear in 1937, but jocks are exposed, meaning the overalls are at least older than world war ii. Daniel searches the waistline for more clues. Theres no belt loops. Theres no belt loops because of the fact at this time, they only had suspenders, and it wasnt until 1922 that they actually added the belt loops. Were back to the roaring twenties, and the pockets reveal one more thread to the story. When levis first started manufacturing jeans, you had the two front pockets and the single back pocket, and this other pocket, which is for change or a pocket watch. And it wasnt until around 1901 they added the fifth pocket in the back. Which is missing on jocks jeans. So now weve narrowed it down to that 15year window between 86 and 01. Finally, daniel spots a stamp on the inside of the pocket that helps age the overalls all the way to 1893. Jeans historian mike harris is amazed. How unique is this pair . To find an 1893 pair of levi very scarce. This could be one of two examples known, so its very rare. If one shows up, then its quite valuable. And to find an 1893 pair inperfectcondition . Unheard of. So how much cash could jock expect for his strange inheritance . Size really does matter when it comes to vintage levis. Find out next. Whats your strange inheritance story . Wed love to tell it. Send me an email or go to our website, strangeinheritance. Com. Now back to strange inheritance. Jock taylor is one of four heirs to inherit this pair of antique levis jeans, authenticated by Daniel Soules to be from 1893. So, what are they worth . 10,000 . Keep going. 20,000 . And more. The reasons not just that there are vintage bluejean collectors around the world. Its also because of the levistrauss company itself, whose headquarters were destroyed in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, along with the archives of their early denim. Are they trying to get these historic jeans back . They actually are. So when a good pair of jeans do come on the market, they are out there trying to purchase them. The last pair of blue jeans that sold from the 1880s, its my understanding that levis paid six figures for them. A hundred thou for an old pair of jeans . Jock reaches out to levis. They said that they were probably the oldest unworn pair of levis they had ever seen. And jock says they offer him 50,000 for them. Its a lot of dough, but the familys expecting more. They discuss it, then turn down the offer. If levi strauss is valuing a rippedup, torn pair thats maybe a year or two older at 100,000, i would think that a pair thats never been worn from the same era would be at least worth that much. So jock tells auctioneer Daniel Soules to set a date to sell greatgreat grandpas pants to the highest bidder. Its a risk, thats true, but when you consider that its the only unworn pair of blue jeans of that era, i think, yeah, its a oneofakind item. I think the most they could possibly get from a collector is 40,000. Denim hunter brit eaton believes jock and his family are thinking too big for their britches. The vintage denim market is incredibly volatile. I think if levi strauss is willing to pay 50,000 for them, take the money and run. Is he right . November 5, 2016 is the date were to find out. Then, just before the levis go up on the block, daniel postpones the sale due to technical glitches. A few days later, hes talking to a buyer from japan, but the jeans are not a good fit. At 44 waist and 37 length, the jeans were too big for them. They were planning on purchasing them to wear. So that deal fell through. It was very depressing. Size really does matter when it comes to vintage levis. If its either too little or too big, its going to be harder to establish a value, or just not as valuable. Levis would not comment on any negotiations with jock, but we do know he has at least one sizable offer very much on the table. Theres absolutely a market for jocks levis. I personally would be willing to pay 35,000 for them. Ill make that mark in blood right now if you want. What would ol Solomon Warner do . Jocks pretty sure his greatgreat granddaddy would tell him to sit tight. Hes positive the frontier merchant is somewhere off in the sunset, grinning. For him to know that his jeans that he left after his passing were worth 50,000, i think he would think the world has gone crazy. Now, thats some tailormade close from an heir not only left big shoes to fill, but a big pair of pants to boot. Everybody has a pair of their favorite supercomfortable, wornout jeans, right . These are mine. I cant believe im wearing them on a shoot, but i wonder what old levi strauss would think of Clothing Stores selling preripped denim, often at two or three times the cost of a pristine pair. Whats up with kids these days too lazy to wear out their own jeans . Im jamie colby. Thanks for watching strange inheritance. And remember you cant take it with you. Shes a jetsetter in the golden age of travel. Pan am flight attendants were iconic. Did she fit the bill . I think shecreatedthe bill. Bringing back these from around the globe. Indonesian, african, chinese they came from everywhere. I thought she was a smuggler, which made it even more exciting. What . are they just silly trinkets. Is there a big market for beads . Theres a big market for beads. This is the real deal . This is the real deal. Or historical treasures worth a mint . Thedalai lama . Yes. [ gavel bangs ] bidder 561 is for 11,000. [ door creaks ] [ wind howls ] [ thunder rumbles ] [ bird caws ] im jamie colby, thrilled to be on my latest adventure, here in San Francisco. The woman at the heart of this story also loved to travel and took home the smallest of souvenirs from every place she visited. Those tiny keepsakes could add up to abigpayday for her heirs. My name is lise mousel. For over half a century, my glamorous aunt naomi traveled the world in style. She always had a surprise for us, but the biggest one came after she passed away. [ knock on door ] i want to know more about those surprises, so i meet lise and her mother, carol, at the condo where aunt naomi lived for more than 30 years. Lise now calls the place home. Oh, i love the way its decorated minimalist. It wasnt always true, when naomi was here. Really . Yes, there was stuff everywhere. There was furniture and there were antiquities, and then there were the beads. Beads everywhere. Beads . Beads. Naomi lindstroms story begins in a tiny logging town in british columbia, canada, where shes born in 1924. Sister carol comes along nine years later. Were you rich or poor . We were poor. Naomi used to love to tell the story that if we needed a grouse for dinner, shed take the shotgun and go and get it. But the backwoods life is too small for naomis big dreams. By 18, shes a premed College Student in seattle. She had one quarter left, but it was summer, and she saw a sign from United Airlines saying were hiring. She thought, ill do it for the summer. What do you think it was about that sign asking for people to sign up to be stewardesses that attracted her . It was the travel. She always was an adventurer. Naomi instantly falls in love with the globetrotting lifestyle. She was hooked. She was hooked, and she never regretted it. In 1952, she jumps ship to Panamerican Airways not just the most prestigious of carriers, but a cultural icon. Pan am was founded in 1927 as americas First International airline. An innovator in the use of jet aircraft, pan am becomes legendary for its luxury, panache, and above all, its classy, gorgeous stewardesses. Pan am flight attendants were iconic. Did she fit the bill, lise . Oh, good lord, i think she createdthe bill, actually. Howd she look in her uniform . Oh, she looked gorgeous. She looked gorgeous until she retired. The stews life gives naomi the chance to see the world. During layovers, while her stewardess friends sit by the pool, naomi immerses herself in the local culture, which leads to a new hobby beads. Thats how she befriends jamey allen over their shared love of the small mementos. What do you think naomis fascination with beads was . She liked the fact that beads put you in touch with the culture that you admire or are interested in. In some cultures, theyre money. In others, magical charms. For naomi, they slide easily into a suitcase and through customs. They are mankinds oldest portable art form. Naomi soon identifies the perfect way to add to her bead count archaeological dig sites. And her 10 per diem from pan am comes in quite handy. At that particular point in time, the archeologists werent interested in beads, and for 10, she could get a lot of beads. What if she needed the money to eat . Oh, she knew that she could find somebody whod buy dinner for her. Naomis tiny keepsakes soon include glass beads from china, jasper from south america, stone beads from the middle east, and countless more from around the world. These red coral beads come from india. Naomi gets them in 1959 after striking up an acquaintance with a famous passenger. Filmmaker and broadcaster Lowell Thomas is on a mission trip to aid the dalai lama, and naomi tags along. Thedalai lama . Yes. Naomi was working in first class. She met Lowell Thomas. He was looking for somebody who could buy, inexpensively, all the supplies to build houses for the refugees. That is amazing. Over the decades, naomi stockpiles her beads in her San Francisco condo. I thought she was a smuggler, which made it even more exciting. What . she was this kind of biggerthanlife, independent woman who did exactly what she wanted, and i thought she was magic. She never married . No, she never did. She had many proposals. She had so many Diamond Rings that she took all the diamonds and made one band. From different guys . All from different guys. By the early 2000s, naomi is long retired from pan am, and her world travels have come to an end. But even into her 80s, shes still feisty as ever. She was probably about a year beyond needing fulltime care, but she kept sending her caregivers home. So mom and i decided that the best thing to do was to have a Family Member live with her, and i was portable at the time and eager because i loved her so much. Lise lives with her aunt naomi for the next year. Then, in march 2014, just weeks shy of her 90th birthday, naomi peacefully passes away. She names her sister carol her sole heir, who, in turn, makes lise trustee of the estate. Thats when they learn aunt naomis little trinkets are a lot more than that. Well, we were all astounded. We still were not prepared for what we found. I almost had a heart attack. Thats next. But first, our strange inheritance quiz question. Which of the following was not a requirement for pan am stewardesses during the golden age of flying . The answer when we return. Did you know american homeowners, aged 62 and above, hold over 6 trillion in home equity . Yet, not enough seniors are taking advantage of this fully insured product to tap into their wealth. Its called a reverse mortgage. If you have at least 50 home equity, and youre 62 or older, you should be on the phone by the end of this commercial to find out how much you could get for your home. A government insured reverse mortgage swaps your mortgage payments for a steady, taxfree source of funds you can use for whatever you want. Its a smart way to eliminate mandatory mortgage payments, improve your home, make a large purchase, or just spoil your grandkids. The 2012 fha stabilization act completely reinvented reverse mortgages, turning them into smart and safe retirement solutions. Theyre fully insured by the Us Department of housing and urban development. In fact, before you can obtain one, youll get to meet with an unbiased hud counsellor to make sure its right for you. And thats why Financial Advisors love this product. Payment terms for reverse mortgages are extremely flexible. You can pay as much or as little of the reverse mortgage as you want each month. You can even pay nothing, and still remain in your house indefinitely. Reverse mortgages are very similar to a Home Equity Loan or line of credit. Too many Seniors Today are in real danger of outliving their savings. In fact, 80 of retirees wealth is tied up in their homes. An fha reverse mortgage helps you access that wealth. Over the last 20 years, millions of americans have trusted lendingtree to help them find the best deal on their mortgage. Now, let us help match you to fully fha regulated lenders for your reverse mortgage. Just go to lendingtree. Com, or call now to find out how much you could receive for retirement. Lendingtree. When banks compete, you win. Its b. Pan am did not require applicants to have traveled abroad. The three other answers really were requirements. Pan am stewardess Naomi Lindstrom circumnavigates the world, amassing a huge assortment of beads from everywhere she goes. After her death in 2014, her sister and niece are rummaging through her San Francisco condo, wondering whether their inheritance is filled with treasures or trash. I was desperate to get things cleared out. Looking at. Do you take a garbage bag and just get started . It was tempting. It was really tempting. There was drawer upon drawer upon drawer. And when you opened them, every drawer was just overflowing. She converted closets into bead drawers. These are beautiful. Its not just loose beads stashed everywhere, but hundreds of bead necklaces. We probably spent the better part of two days just taking the necklaces out and laying them across the beds. The handmade pieces range from glamorous to exotic to simply bizarre. This is a necklace that naomi wore. Its dogs teeth. Dog teeth thats a new one. Thousands upon thousands of beads. Its simply overwhelming for carol. When you looked at all the beads, what was your first reaction . Wow. What have we gotten into . But helps just a phone call away to naomis friend and fellow bead enthusiast jamey allen. Well, we were all astounded. We were not prepared for what we found. Jameys first step is to catalog the collection. Jamey and i spent months together, going through drawers, with me helping him sort and saying, jamey, whats this . Jamey, whats this . The beads may look alike to lise, but not to jameys discerning eye. Hes able to deduce a beads cultural origin by studying its material, shape, color, and markings. For instance, the distinctive reddish hue on this strand reveals its provenance. These beads were made in burma. How do you know . Whereas most amber is yellow, burmese amber is more often red. So, you can determine a lot of things visually by the color, by the clarity, by the uniformity of the color. Other hints help determine a beads age erosion signs, texture, and rarity. Another clue older beads typically have larger holes, due to the lack of sophisticated cutting tools. Beads were made by hand, and they were made by artisans, and they were made one at a time, and they had a lot of skill and time invested in them. Jameys analysis yields a stunning conclusion many of naomis beads are not only very old, but rare. Ancient items include 17th Century Glass trading beads from venice and these amber ones from the chinese qing dynasty. They probably were originally in a Mandarin Court necklace about 150 years ago. Other beads, he tells them, are even older. Theres west african quartz more than 1,000 years old, precolumbian ceramic from peru, and afghani beads from the 3rd millennium b. C. Are these museumworthy . Absolutely. There are many, many museumworthy pieces in the lindstrom collection. I had no idea. I mean, to me, its a bunch of beads. A bunch of beads that jamey says might be worth their weight in gold. A wellmade bead from 3,000 years ago is a very valuable thing. But justhowvaluable . Before i knew it, she was practically hyperventilating. I was just overtaken by the beauty of everything that she had. Thats next. Heres another quiz question for you. The answer after the break. I was playing golf days ago. Love golf. I used to love golf. Wait, what, what happened . I was having a good round, and then my friend, sheila, right as i was stepping into the tee box mentioned a tip a pro gave her. No. Yep. Did it help . It completely ruined my game. Well, the truth is, that advice was never meant for you. I like you. You want to show me your swing . Its too soon. Get advice thats right for you. Investment Management Services from td ameritrade. My business was going nowhere. So i built this kickin new website with godaddy. Building a website in under an hour is easy 68 of people. Who have built their website using gocentral, did it in. Under an hour, and you can too. Type in your business or idea. Pick your favourite design. Personalize it with beautiful images. And. Youre done and now business is booming. Harriet, its a double stitch not a cross stitch build a better website in under an hour. Free to try. No credit card required. Gocentral from godaddy. Whentertaining us,es getting us back on track,hing . And finding us dates. Phones really have changed. So why hasnt the way we pay for them . Introducing Xfinity Mobile. You only pay for data and can easily switch between pay per gig and unlimited. No one else lets you do that. See how much you can save. Choose by the gig or unlimited. Xfinity mobile. A new kind of network designed to save you money. Call, visit or go to xfinitymobile. Com. Or a little internet machine . It makes you wonder shouldnt we get our phones and internet from the same company . Thats why Xfinity Mobile comes with your internet. You get up to 5 lines of talk and text at no extra cost. So all you pay for is data. See how much you can save. Choose by the gig or unlimited. Xfinity mobile. A new kind of network designed to save you money. Call, visit, or go to xfinitymobile. Com. Sale on the only bed that adjusts on both sides to your ideal comfort, your sleep number setting. And snoring . Does your bed do that . Right now during our semiannual sale, our queen c4 mattress with adjustable comfort on both sides is only 1499. Save 300. Ends soon. Visit sleepnumber. Com for a store near you. So, which of these beads is typically the most valuable . Its c. Imperial jade is a prized material symbolizing water and life. In 2014, a jade necklace sold in hong kong for more than 27 million. After the death of her glamorous aunt naomi, a retired pan am stewardess, lise mousel and her mother, carol, are astonished to learn the exotic details of naomis vast bead collection. It spans about 5,000 years of history and everything from indonesian, african, chinese, japanese, european. They came from everywhere. Naomi also created oneofakind necklaces from her tiny treasures beaded jewelry that now might be worth a small fortune. Did you have any idea how much they were all worth . No. I knew nothing about beads. She finds out when she invites rhonda harness of michaans auctions to naomis San Francisco condo. When i walked in the house, i was just overtaken by the beauty of everything that she had. You just dont see these items. The collection is phenomenal. Its immediately clear to rhonda that this is one of the top bead collections in america and deserves its own standalone auction which im previewing today, just hours before the big event. What are you wearing, to start . Im wearing an ancient tibetan necklace of coral. From what i understand, the piece youre wearing has an estimate of 30,000. That is correct. Coral is so popular right now, and you just dont see it the size, the color, the quality. Its almost impossible to find. Is there a big market for beads . Theres a big market for beads. Beads are the First Jewelry that was ever worn. Beads were worn before clothes were worn. They were also used as charms like this ancient tibetan dzi bead, said to bring good luck and ward off evil. I see people Walking Around new york city with evil eye bracelets. This is the real deal . This is the real deal. What would this little bead go for . Well, we have it very reasonably priced at 1,500 to 2,000. This is an incredible necklace right here. Theyre ancient beads from afghanistan, and theyre glass beads. Its presale estimate 3,000. This really caught my eye. Its precolumbian, and its beautiful beads of crystal carnelian. Very rare to find these. Can i put this on you . Please do. Why wait . It looks like it was made for you. And it could be mine for 6k. Rhonda tells me that memento from naomis time helping the dalai lama should also attract attention. I have had so much interest in it. I feel this is going to do very well. The presale estimate more than 10 grand. While this Central Asian necklace from 700 b. C. Is appraised at 18,000. Theres no telling what the entire cache will bring in. Ready to find out . Thats next. Are you nervous . Im terrified. With that, we will begin. I am hoping that ive done everything i could have done up to this point. 500 is bid. Online at 500. Whats your strange inheritance story . Wed love to tell it. Send me an email or go to our website, strangeinheritance. Com. Now back to strange inheritance. 200 to start. Do i have any takers for 200 . 200 right there. 225 now. 225. Do we go 250 . In march 2016, the Naomi Lindstrom collection hits the Auction Block at michaans in alameda, california. The treasure trove includes ancient beads and necklaces spanning more than 5,000 years of history that the pan am stewardess acquired from around the globe and bequeathed to her sister carol. Like these ancient beads excavated in mali. These are at least 1,000 years old. Wow. Unfortunately, this day is gonna cost me some money. Id say collect it now, because youll never see it again. Naomi would be standing there with her chest out, her head back, and a big smile on her face, saying, yes, i did this. Shed be so proud. Shed be thrilled. Naomi felt all of these things were her babies. And today, were looking for a lot of good homes. 475. 475 now. 475s the bid. Go 500 . The auction gets going. Some of the presale estimates are right on the button. Lot number 4418 an ancient afghanistan glass bead necklace. Those afghani glass beads i tried on. 3,000. [ Cash Register dings ] 4359, tibetan coral bead, gilded silver needle case necklace. And well start the bidding off on this at 6,000. 6,500. That necklace from naomis time helping the dalai lama. Bidder 561 is for 11,000. Whoo way to go. [ laughs ] whew yeah. This is fun, isnt it . [ laughter ] its even more fun when items go way above their appraisals. Many do. Remember that tiny tibetan spiritual bead priced at 1,500 . And well start the bidding off on that at. This is the best one. 1,500 is bid. 1,500, 1,600, 1,700, 1,800. 1,900. 1,900, 2,000 2,250. 2,500. 2,500. Now go 2,750s online. 3,000 the bid. Were holding at 3,000. On the floor with 3,000. 2,250. Now go 2,500. 2,500. 3,500 is on the floor. 3,750s online. No advance. 4,000. 4,000 still bidding online. 4,250. Now go 4,500. 4,500. 4,500 is bid. Online at 4,500. [ gavel bangs ] sold online for 4,500. Thats triple its preauction estimate. More big sales follow. Chinese white jade necklace. And well start the bidding off on that at 1,000. Like this chinese white jade necklace. [ gavel bangs ] 4,250. [ Cash Register dings ]. And an ancient himalayan strand that earns 5,900. [ gavel bangs ] bidder 604 for 3,000. The auction goes on for more than five hours. Last call 3,750. Nearly 300 lots, thousands of beads on the block. [ gavel banging ] in total, the auction earns more than 300,000 bucks. When you first looked at this collection and think, ohhh theres a lot of beads, and then you walk away with hundreds of thousands of dollars. That was an incredible gift from your aunt. Oh, my gosh. It really was. And shed be happy that people thought her things were interesting enough to buy them. And that may be just the beginning. Many toptier items that didnt hit their reserve will be reoffered down the line, like that ancient tibetan coral strand, the Central Asian stone necklace, and these mongolian beads. The plan is to market the heck out of it. And then well just hope that the right buyers are there on that particular day, looking. Day of the auction, did it feel like naomi was there . Shewas. Excuse me . I had her ashes in my purse. She went to the auction. Absolutely. She wanted to be put in a lake in british columbia, and i called mom and said, would it be okay with you if we kept half of her ashes out and took them with us . And she said, sure. Why not . I think its the best Memorial Service we could have given her. A fitting tribute to the pan am stewardess and her precious keepsakes from a life adventurously lived. On 10 a day. 10 per diem. [ laughs ] so, if lise brought half of aunt naomis ashes to the auction, what happened to them afterward . Well, once they gave naomi one final day with her precious beads, they decided to scatter the rest in places dear to naomis heart. Some will go in the soil outside her condo, while others will be sprinkled from this balcony over the city San Francisco that she loved so much. Bon voyage, naomi. Thanks so much for watching strange inheritance. Im jamie colby. Remember you cant take it with you. Tonight war stories investigates the disaster at dieppe. They were slaughtered killing a corporal. My good friend got cut in half with crossfire. 3,000 wounded are captured. Were they betrayed . Every piece of paper was shredded. Within 24 hours. Thats next on war stories investigates