A Man Down On His Luck Sells His Grandmother’s Old Blanket For A Fortune
Loren was down on his luck, having been in a car accident, living in a tiny home, and with little money to his name. Then, his grandmother passed away, and all that was left to him was one of her old blankets.
Oddly enough, that blanket was about to change Loren's entire life.
A Carpenter Down On His Luck
Sadly, Loren was unemployed. He was a carpenter for many years until one fateful day; he lost his leg in an accident. It wasn't easy. Loren was a proud man and didn't want to ask for handouts.
Even so, he found himself standing in front of the unemployment building in town.
He Got His Money And Left
Loren had to take a deep breath before walking into the unemployment office. He didn't want to have to explain what had happened and why he was no longer working.
But he needed the money. So, he went inside, and after answering their questions and showing his prosthetic leg, Loren walked out with money.
Zero Family Support
While many people would reach out to loved ones during a difficult time, that wasn't an option for Loren. His family did nothing more than stress him out, especially his sister. Even though he was in a dark place, he wasn't about to call them for help or support.
The only family member he would think about reaching out to was his grandmother.
They Shared A Love Of Reading
Loren's grandmother was a lovely woman who wanted nothing more than for her grandson to be happy. She even told him that when she passed away, Loren would get all of her books.
They shared a love of reading, but Loren did not want to think about losing his grandmother.
He Started His Own Business
In high school, Loren was an athlete. He was six feet tall and played on the football team. Once upon a time, he even thought about taking the sport all the way and making it a career.
However, his creative, woodworking side took over, and he wound up starting his own freelance carpentry business.
Business Was Doing Very Well
Starting a business is no easy task, but Loren made it work. He built a reputation around town as a man with a good work ethic. The business was going great for a few years, as modest as his tiny company was compared to other big-name companies.
Even so, he was happy.
Fighting With His Sister Never Ended
Growing up, Loren didn't know what living in a calm, nurturing home with a loving family was like. All he did was fight with his sister, something that never seemed to end even as they got older.
Weirdly enough, Loren never learned why his only sibling disliked him so much.
Loren Never Wanted To Go Home
Loren learned what a loving family was by going to his friends' homes, somewhere he really never wanted to leave. Going home was nothing more than a chore that resulted in bad fights.
His sister never seemed to grow out of that young sibling rivalry, and Loren had no idea why.
His Sister Cut All Ties
Eventually, Loren's sister left home. But in doing so, she cut all ties with her younger brother. Loren had no idea what he did to make her hate him so much. Was it jealousy? She was the one who was well-off with a husband and kids.
Even though they did not talk, Loren knew he would be there if a serious emergency were to happen.
Loren's Life Was Turning Around
Loren had been in business for about two years when he asked his girlfriend and her children to move in with him. Finally, he had a loving family, something he'd always wanted.
Things were going so well, even if they were living a modest life and didn't have much money.
One Day, The Happiness Came To A Halt
Loren soon realized that his happiness was about to come to a screeching halt. One evening, he was driving his truck in the rain. He was going down a country road, and the conditions were horrible.
While he wasn't speeding, Loren's senses got the better of him, and, in an instant, everything changed.
The Crash That Changed Everything
Driving around a corner, Loren head screeching tires and a horn honking. A car was coming straight for him. Trying to avoid a head-on collision, Loren jerked his steering wheel.
While he avoided the other car, Loren still found himself in trouble. His truck flipped over and landed in a ditch.
His Foot Wasn't In Good Shape
Lying in the car, all Loren could feel was a lot of pain shooting through his ankle. Eventually, he saw lights and heard voices. Somehow, he got into an ambulance and made his way to the hospital.
His foot was in very bad shape, having been completely crushed in the crash.
They Were Going To Have To Amputate His Leg
Holding his girlfriend's hand and listening to the doctor, Loren felt like his life was ending. He was in recovery for a year, and even that wasn't doing the trick. His foot was still giving him issues.
That's when the doctor let him know they were going to have to amputate his leg.
It Was A Difficult Time
The nerve damage was too great and left an infection the doctors couldn't get rid of. So, Loren went into surgery. He woke up to a phantom limb and didn't know what his life would look like from that point forward.
Little did he know, his luck was about to turn around, thanks to an old blanket that wound up being worth $1.5 million.
The Kids Were Sent Away
Between the accident, rehabilitation, and the numerous hospital stays, Loren's business was gone. He had no money and the hospital bills kept piling up. Eventually, he and his girlfriend decided to send the kids to live with their grandmother in another state.
During an interview, he said, "I mean, what do you do? I had kids to take care of, no money, you know? Nothing saved up or anything like that."
Life Threw Them A Bone
Not knowing that he was about to come into a lot of money, thanks to one of his grandmother's old blankets, Loren really thought he and his girlfriend were going to be homeless.
That's when life threw them a bone. One of his friends had a place the two of them could stay for a while.
No Word From His Family
While his friend helped put a roof over their heads, Loren still couldn't shake the feeling that his own family didn't seem to care; his entire life changed. His mother had visited a few times, but his older sister didn't even give him a phone call.
It was difficult not having a supportive family, especially when he needed them most.
Loren's Grandmother Passed Away
Even though his life wasn't going the way he planned, nothing prepared Loren for the phone call from his grandmother's lawyer. She had passed away and didn't leave a will.
Loren was advised to go to her home and gather any belongings he would like to keep. All he wanted were the books.
There Was Nothing Left
Making his way to his grandmother's home, Loren was excited to collect the books that brought him so many fond memories of her. Sadly, when he walked inside, it looked like someone had robbed the place.
There was nothing left. Even the books were gone. After frantically calling some people, Loren learned that his mother and sister had already cleared the place out.
Something Was On The Floor
All Loren wanted were his grandmother's books. But his sister, who didn't even like reading, decided to take them for herself, knowing their grandmother was leaving them to Loren.
He couldn't believe she would do something so petty. He was about to leave the house when he spotted something on the floor.
Inside Was An Old Blanket
Lying in the corner was an old gym bag. Loren didn't think much of it but decided to open the bag anyway. Maybe there was something he could bring home. Inside was nothing more than an old blanket with an unusual striped design.
Dusty and smelly, Loren would have bet the blanket hadn't seen the light of day in years.
The Blanket Stayed In A Closet For The Next Seven Years
Loren's girlfriend wasn't too happy having a smelly old blanket in the house. So, she cleaned it and put it in the closet where it would stay for the next seven years!
But one day, everything changed. All it took was Loren watching a specific episode of the show Antiques Road Show.
The Show Was Quoting A Familiar-Looking Blanket
While watching Antiques Road Show, one particular item caught Loren's eye -- a blanket that looked oddly familiar. After hearing the price the expert quoted the man, Loren couldn't sit still.
He rushed to the closet where the blanket had been sitting to see if it was the same one. It was a perfect match.
It Could Be Worth Some Money
Loren grabbed the phone and called his girlfriend right away, telling her that the old blanket might be worth some money. Unsurprisingly, she was a bit skeptical. But Loren wanted to get a quote; they might be sitting on a goldmine!
Before anything, though, he wanted to get more information about the blanket.
He Went To Speak With His Mom
Loren wanted to know more about the old blanket. So, he went to talk to his mom, who happened to be living in his grandmother's old house. Like his girlfriend, she didn't think the blanket was worth much.
Loren wasn't so sure, though. He wanted more information. To get it, he asked his mother for the box where she had a bunch of old family pictures stashed away.
He Found An Old Photo
Sifting through the pictures, Loren came across exactly what he was looking for. One of the photos was from 150 years ago and showed his great-great-grandfather working at a North Dakota trading post.
The blanket might have been from there, and if it was, then it was definitely worth more than his mother's ten-dollar guesstimate.
First Offer: $50
Next, Loren brought the blanket to the local pawn shop, hoping they would be able to give him an accurate quote on how much it was worth. The shop was busy, and the guy working behind the counter wasn't entirely interested in what Loren was offering.
To him, the blanket was only worth $50. Loren walked out of the store for another opinion.
Loren Wanted To Find A Specialist
Loren thought the blanket was worth much more than $50, so he decided it was time to bring it to a specialist. Only they would know the true value of the blanket. Doing some research online, Loren came across a family-run auction business.
He was sure someone there would be able to help him.
At The Auction, Loren Met Jeff
Making his way to the auction, Loren knew right away he was in the right place. Each shelf was full of quirky and interesting antiques, with the tiniest trinket being worth a nice about of money.
Walking into then back, Loren met Jeff, the man who would hopefully have all of the answers.
Loren Was Used To Dissapointment
Jeff ran the family business and pretty much knew everything about antiquities. He had reference books lining his office shelves and was excited to see what Loren brought in for him to appraise.
Even so, Loren was used to disappointment and didn't want to get his hopes up. But when he unfolded the blanket and put it on Jeff's table, the auction owner's eyes went wide.
Jeff Tried To Contain His Excitment
After seeing the striking color and the intricate weaving of the blanket, it took all of Jeff's willpower not to show Loren his excitement. The blanket might be a fake, after all. So, he asked Loren to tell the story of how he came to possess the artifact.
It had been in his family for generations, and his grandmother left it to him after she passed.
He Wanted A Second Opinion
Even after showing Jeff the photo of his great-great-grandfather at the trading post, Jeff wasn't sure if he was the right person to appraise the blanket. He'd read about these types of blankets before, but it still wasn't his area of expertise.
He wanted a second opinion before giving Loren a number.
They Sent The Blanket Out For Testing
Knowing someone who had worked with textiles such as this, Jeff asked Loren if it was okay if he sent the blanket to the local university to get tested. Loren agreed, and it became a waiting game.
Over the next few days, Loren waited in anticipation to hear back from the antique dealer.
Loren Just Wanted A Break
After his accident and his sister taking the books left to him by his grandmother, Loren wanted nothing more than a break. He wanted the blanket to be worth something, so he could provide for his family and stop living off unemployment checks.
He didn't think that was ever going to happen, though, until he got a phone call.
Jeff Asked To Meet
Jeff called Loren back about the blanket and asked if he was available to come in and speak. So, he and his girlfriend hopped in the car and went to meet with him, hoping for the best.
When they got there, Jeff went into the history of the type of blanket Loren brought to his store.
They Date back to The 17th Cenutry
Walking into Jeff's office, Loren couldn't help but notice the excitement on the other man's face. He didn't want to get his hopes up, though. Jeff explained that the blanket was so valuable because the Navajo made their own wool in the middle of the 17th century.
The intricate detail of the blankets became highly renowned, with other tribes and the Spanish purchasing them from the Navajo.
Loren's Blanket Was Rare
Known as "chief blankets," they were pricey, and only specific people could afford them. Back in 1803, experts say that the blanket would have cost around $150, almost as much as a $200 home at the time.
And the blanket in Loren's possession was especially rare, being called a "First Phase" blanket.
Loren Was Planning On Selling
Beautiful and intricate, there were only about 50 First Phase blankets are thought to have survived throughout the years. Jeff asked Loren if he was interested in selling. Thinking of his piling debt, the kids, and his living situation, Loren immediately said yes.
Even though it was from his grandmother, Loren believed she would want him to sell it and be happy.
Someone Offered Him $200,000
Jeff told Loren that they were having an auction in a few weeks and he should put the blanket in the lineup. He agreed. That is until Loren received a phone call from someone offering $200,000!
Thinking about it, Loren took the man's number down. But he still wanted to take the blanket to auction. Jeff even went as far as giving him $9,000 after hearing about the offer, ensuring Loren brought it to his business!
The Expert From Antiques Road Show Was There
Arriving at the auction with his girlfriend, Loren couldn't believe who he saw in the crowd. It was the man from Antiques Road Show! The one who appraised the Navajo blanket on TV.
Seeing Loren's blanket, the expert looked very impressed. Soon, their table was one of the more popular ones at the auction!
The Price Kept Climbing
when the auction began, the bidding for his blanket started at $150,000. Loren was worried no one would go higher but then someone put their card up for $200,000! Then, to Loren's astonishment, the price just kept climbing!
Eventually, the price reached $900,000, and the auctioneer asked if anyone wanted to go to one million.
Sold! $1.5 Million
Loren didn't think it would get that high, but then someone put their card up for one million, then one million and two, and then one million and three! Eventually, the blanket finally sold for a whopping $1.5 million!
Loren and his girlfriend sat there, unable to process what had just happened.
It Took Less Than Two Minutes
During an interview, Loren said, "They had to bring over water and stuff to me and wipe the sweat off my head. I started hyperventilating because I couldn't believe it."
The entire process took a solid 77 seconds. In less than two minutes, Loren's life had completely changed. He pretty much just won the lottery!
His Sister Was Going To Sue
His happiness was short-lived, though. The auction and his payout were all over the news, and when his mother called, it was to say his sister was not happy. She believed the money was hers and planned to take Loren to court.
After calling his grandmother's lawyer, though, Loren learned she had no legal ground to stand on. The money was his.
He Put The Money To Good Use
After financial difficulties, Loren could finally breathe. He used the money to give his girlfriend the wedding of her dreams.
He also used the money to invest in stocks, buy not two homes, take his family, including the kids, on a cruise to Mexico, and buy himself a Harley Davidson!
