If you like to visit flea markets and yard sales, you may look forward to the day that you find something amazing, rare or valuable. While these finds are few and far between, every once in a while a shopper does manage to find something great. Recently, a London antique dealer sold a Faberge egg that he got from a man who found it at a flea market.

The man did not want his identity revealed. He only paid $14,000 for the egg and at the time had planned to scrap it for the gold value. The egg was purchased over 10 years ago but luckily had not been scrapped. The owner had tried to scrap it to several buyers, but none of them would take it because they did not believe the gold was worth the amount he was asking.

When the owner decided to research the egg online in 2012, he learned that it was one of the eight missing imperial Faberge eggs and was worth millions of dollars.

The owner called up Kieran McCarthy, a Russian artifacts expert and ask him to take a look at the egg. McCarthy flew to the U.S. to verify it and negotiated its sale to a collector.

“The second I saw it, my spine was shivering,” said McCarthy. McCarthy went on to say that the owner of the egg could not believe that it was the real deal and literally fell on the floor when McCarthy delivered the good news to him.

The egg was recently auctioned off but the buyer chose to remain anonymous and keep the price private. Faberge eggs are very valuable and do well at auctions. A non-imperial egg recently sold at an auction for $18.5 million. The imperial egg is believed to be valued at over $30 million.

What is the most valuable item you have ever found at a flea market or yard sale?

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