“This boy had no idea what would happen when he brought an old book he had inherited from his grandmother to a local pawn shop. The book would surprise everyone as an expert turned pale after looking at it, indicating there was more to it than met the eye.
Noah had just finished his new Lego set but had already set his eyes on a new one that came out recently. Unfortunately, Christmas was a long time away, and his birthday had just been, so he had to find another way to make money to buy a new set. A yard sale! During the week, he collected all kinds of things he could sell. He even went up into the attic. He found a box labeled ‘Noah’ that looked like it had been sitting there for a long time. He took a quick look, as he had never seen this box before. Not knowing the contents would change his life.
Curious about the box, Noah decided to take it downstairs. When his father came to help him, they went through the items together. Once the contents were on the table, it turned out that Noah inherited this box from his grandmother. The box was filled with paintings, different kinds of records, CDs, and old magazines. They discussed which things he could use for his yard sale and which he should keep.
Eventually, they thought they had finished, but Noah saw something hidden under a pile of records. It was a book. It looked old and valuable. Noah knew immediately he didn’t want to sell it at his yard sale.
‘Why wouldn’t you sell it?’ his father asked, confused. Noah shook his head. He got excited because the book looked like something that would appear in his favorite show. He liked to watch TV shows about pawn shops where people would sell all kinds of valuable or invaluable items. This book was his chance to sell something himself.
‘I want to try and sell it at a pawn shop,’ he told his dad, who was surprised by this idea and didn’t know how to react.
‘I found this book today and would like to sell it,’ he said. The owner showed a kind smile and looked at the book, after which the smile faded, and his facial expression became more severe.
‘You found it today? Where did you find it? Why do you want to sell it?’ Noah was surprised by the sudden change and hesitated, but eventually explained how he found it and why he wanted to sell it. The owner seemed satisfied with the answer and picked the book up to take a closer look.
‘Interesting,’ he said, which caused all kinds of questions to pop up in Noah’s head. The owner returned the book to the counter and looked at Noah and then his father. He told them he was interested in buying the book but wanted an expert to look at it before he gave them a price.
Noah agreed without hesitation, not knowing where it would lead. The owner gave them a slight smile before excusing himself to call an expert. Noah was hopeful; this was all he had ever dreamed of. His father, however, kept a close eye on the shop owner and the phone call.
Moments later, the owner returned and told them the expert was coming. It seemed to take ages, but eventually, they heard the door open. A man entered the shop. He greeted the shop owner happily and introduced himself to Noah and his father.
‘So, where’s this book at?’ he said with a big smile. Noah and his father kept a close eye on the expert while he was examining the book, both with different intentions. The expert suddenly paused. He completely stopped for a moment before quickly continuing his examination. He tried to act casual, as if nothing had happened, without any explanation or going into detail.
The expert suddenly focused his attention on Noah. ‘Listen here, boy. I will give you $1,000 for this book right here, right now.’ Everyone in the room was stunned, and nobody spoke for a moment. There appeared a big smile on Noah’s face. $1,000! He couldn’t believe it. He had never had so much money before. His mind went over everything he could buy with all that money.
His father didn’t have a smile on his face. Noah still hadn’t reacted to the expert, which appeared to bother him. Even though Noah was excited about the offer, he thought it was a little weird that the expert wanted to buy the book rather than the shop owner. Wasn’t he here to advise the shop owner?
The shop owner and expert looked at Noah and then at each other. Unsure how to react, the owner cleared his throat and said the boy was right and that he had expressed his interest in buying the book before the expert came over. The shop owner took the lead for the first time since the expert came in and offered Noah $11,000 for the book. Again, no context or explanation was given.
It had been the last straw. No, his father couldn’t hold back anymore and felt that he had to intervene. The father stepped toward the counter and asked for an explanation. The shop owner, however, had already processed this information. Now that the truth was out, he made a last-ditch effort to persuade the boy and his father to sell him the book.
‘I will give you $5,000,’ a satisfied grin appeared on his face, thinking he had convinced them to sell the book. Noah’s father noticed how his son reacted when he heard the offer. He understood why Noah would want to accept the offer but felt he had to intervene and talk with him.
They took a few steps back. The father adapted his voice and softly spoke to Noah. He explained it didn’t feel right to sell the book to this place, not after they lied to them and wanted to buy it for far less than it was worth. Noah was disappointed, but that feeling disappeared after his father told him his plan.
At first, Noah had $5,000 reasons to sell the book, but after he listened to his father, he knew it wasn’t the right decision to sell it at this pawn shop.
When they were done talking, Noah and his father approached the counter. He told the owner and the expert he didn’t want to sell the book to them anymore and thanked them for their service.
They got in the car, and his father finally explained what he had in mind. ‘I believe this book could be worth a lot of money,’ his father said. ‘There has to be someone who would value this book.’
Then Noah’s father got an idea. What if they looked for an auction, preferably an auction where they sold old and historic items? It would be the perfect place.
Then the time had come. Their book made a grand entrance onto the platform and had a huge announcement. It was welcomed by a big gasp from the audience, followed by a big applause.
‘Let the bidding begin at $10,000,’ the auctioneer’s voice echoed through the room. It was a good thing Noah and his father had already taken a seat because they would have fallen over otherwise.
Every time someone put their sign up in the air, the smile on Noah’s face grew more prominent. The price went higher and higher, becoming more than Noah and his father had ever dreamed of. Once the price went beyond $200,000, the bidding slowed down.
Eventually, the old man in the back held up his sign and waited. ‘Going once, going twice,’ the auctioneer echoed through the room. ‘Sold for $260,000!’
There was a big applause. Noah and his father were stunned. Was this real? It took some time for them to realize what had happened. They had just made $260,000. They embraced each other. Noah felt his father’s body shaking. He was crying.
People around them started congratulating them for the incredible sale. It was undoubtedly one of the best moments in Noah’s life. They couldn’t wait to head home and tell the family, so they drove home as fast as possible.
This money ensured not only Noah’s future but the whole family’s. Noah and his sister could go to school and university without their parents worrying. The finding of the book changed their entire lives for the better.”
