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A WOMAN’S $25 trunk that she bought at a garage sale ended up being worth a whopping $20,000.
The old Hermes steamer trunk, built between 1902 and 1919, was purchased at an estate sale in California for $25.
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This trunk was used by travelers as a type of special suitcase.
People would travel on transatlantic cruises and bring these trunks, which would open into larger closet-like spaces.
Fit with hangers, extra space, storage for shoes, drawers for clothing, and more – this trunk was everything a traveler in the early 1900s needed to pack their things comfortably.
Katy Kane, the owner and president of Vintage & Couture, told Antiques Roadshow PBS that the chest could be worth over $20,000 if cleaned right.
Kane saw the trunk at an antique event in Palm Springs, California, about 100 miles away from Los Angeles.
After seeing the chest, Kane stopped and informed the owner that the rare chest is a collectible item.
“This is the first Hermes trunk I’ve ever seen,” Kane told the owner.
“So it is quite rare,” she continued.
“I think in this condition, a good retail price for this trunk would be between $15,000 to $20,000,” Kane explained.
“And if you cleaned it up, it could probably go closer to $25,000,” she said.
Kane even offered a few recommendations on how to clean up the trunk a bit.
Cleaning the trunk, Kane explained, would increase the value of it slightly.
“I think it could be cleaned even more,” she said.
“All of these chrome pieces, these will shine up really well,” she explained.
She also recommends polishing the brass hardware.
The trunk is made of various metals & alloys, brass, chrome, and wood.
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Trunks, such as the one by Hermes, are hot items for collectors of antiques that many want to get their hands on.
A quick Google search will reveal these trunks can go from just over $1,000 to quickly costing nearly $30,000 depending on a number of factors.
One trunk, a Louis Vuitton one made in 1913, is currently going for $38,000 on 1st Dibs, an online marketplace that connects buyers with sellers of vintage, antique, and contemporary home decor, furniture, art, jewelry, watches, and fashion.
