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A tintype of Jesse James bought for $10 could be worth $2M


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A mysterious 19th-century photograph bought on eBay for just $10 could be worth $2 million after experts identified it as an extremely rare portrait of infamous outlaw Jesse James.

 

Jesse James jackpot: Outlaw photo bought on eBay for $10 could be worth $2 million

 

Search traffic for 'vintage tintype' on eBay is probably going to go through the roof. :-)

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Too bad we'll never find out

Doesn't mean we can't make educated guesses. So, based on the fact that history shows we've found plenty of lost photos over the years, years after they were taken, there's no reason not to predict (unless the world as we know it ends) that we will find gems hidden on someone's drive or in the cloud or great digital prints of someone who had them put away.

 

The more things change (technology), the more they also stay the same (human nature and behavior).

 

:)

We didn't need dialogue. We had faces!
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If the photo sells for that amount, I believe the seller owes the original seller something, morally at least. 100K sounds about right.

 

Why? It was willingly sold. The seller had every opportunity to conduct due diligence on what he was selling.

 

Growing up around 'treasure hunters' interesting situations and stories of sudden windfall's were the order (and inspiration) of the day. I have known several people that have bought real estate--and found something remarkable in the structure or buried about the property. Amazing how many show up with a 'claim'. Authorities ruled on behalf of the buyer.

 

As it should be.

 "I See Things..."

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Tintypes are the direct image exposed on the plate. They are very sharp with no grain. To copy an image from a book would show the dots of the offset print. If one has larceny in his heart, one could take a tintype camera to a modern Civil war reenactment site and take several photos of men in authentic uniforms with weapons. Tintypes of Civil war soldiers with weapons sell for hundreds of dollars. Modern tintype plates are made on aluminum not iron which would be a give away.
James G. Dainis
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