CLOVIS, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – What started as a regular day for a Clovis historian antique shopping turned into so much more.
An undiscovered treasure bought at a Clovis antique store for $20, may actually be worth thousands.
We met Ron Sundquist Friday afternoon in Old Town Clovis, excited with a glistening object which looked like it was once used to serve tea, called a dallah.
He had it checked out at a local jewelry shop and by fellow historians, and it may have turned out to be the buy of a lifetime.
Sundquist is no stranger to history, he started the Big Dry Creek Museum back in 1982.
“Since then, I’ve been into all kinds of objects. Collecting, selling, because what do we have here in Clovis? Antique stores”, said Sundquist.
Believe it or not, he is also an artist, and you may have seen some of his murals and artwork around the Clovis area.
The combination of his expertise is what made this piece catch his eye.
“Get some knowledge of things you don’t look for. And you’ll find things like these. I wasn’t looking for this,” he said.
We were lucky enough to find Ron at a different local antique shop from where he purchased this dallah.
He just stopped in, proud of what he believed to be a rare find. We were even able to watch as the authenticity of the find was confirmed by a fellow historian.
The dallah is over 459 grams of sterling silver from what is believed to be from the Civil War era, and it is clear it was made with exquisite craftsmanship.
All for only $20 dollars at an Old Town Clovis antique shop.
“I knew right away that I had made a good purchase, I thought maybe it might be worth $40 dollars. Double my investment? Well, here we are,” said Sundquist.
And you would think this is a once-in-a-lifetime type of find, right?
Well, it’s not his first in the Old Town.
He once found 21 original photos of Charles Lindbergh, and he told us those were worth possibly tens of thousands of dollars.
It’s all a part of the magic of Old Town Clovis.
“We’re still researching this, but this is what we’ve learned so far, the weight, the markings… and the treasures you’re going to find in Clovis, I’ll guarantee you,” he said.
We asked him what he plans to do with his find. He said, as an artist, he actually plans to replicate it in a painting.
Then? He plans to hang on to it for at least a little while, both to appreciate the piece, and possibly to let it appreciate in value.