Girl Sells Old Doorstop Unaware Of Its Sealed Compartment
She initially thought it was a typical doorway. She thought it was cute, but she had seen it several times around her grandma’s home and had never given it much attention.
This door seemed to be one of many objects from the old house that wouldn’t be very useful now that her grandma had passed away. However, she would later regret thinking of it so blindly.
Heartbroken
Alice is the main character of our story, a young girl from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Her grandma had passed away recently, and the loss had left her deeply devastated. She had had a close and special relationship with her grandma since she was a young girl.
Alice was heartbroken by losing someone so close to her. She had looked up to her grandmother for nearly everything in life. She had comforted her and supported her whenever she needed it. The kind and honest woman was irreplaceable, but Alice had no idea what was coming.
The New Heir
Alice’s grandmother had left her old house to her, but it left a sour taste in Alice’s mouth. She had many memories from inside that house with the great moments she had spent there.
It felt strange knowing that it was hers now. She decided to visit the house so that she could clean it up and make a list of her grandma’s old belongings so that she could decide what to do with them. The memories came flowing back to her in a rush.
Diving Into The Past
She was surprised at how many things were left behind but welcomed all the memories she had associated with them. They were pieces left behind that reminded her of her grandmother.
She sifted through her grandmother’s old furniture and other belongings, taking her time with each item when a memory came up. She saw herself as a child with her grandmother, and her memories slowly took her on a journey into her teenage years. But then she saw something that snapped her to the present.
A Bronze Greek Goddess
Her grandmother had used the ancient bronze statue as a doorstep for years. Alice marveled at its beauty and realized that it was Thetis, the Greek goddess born a daughter to Nereus, god of the sea.
Alice had grown up with her grandmother telling her stories about the old gods and heroes she had spent her life interested in. She had a love for ancient history and mythology and she shared much of what she learned with her granddaughter.
Her Passion
Alice had grown to take after her and follow in her interests. She had been studying for her Bachelor’s degree in Classics but, having recently graduated, Alice realized that her degree didn’t guarantee her a job.
She felt that it had been worth it to study something she was passionate about, but she questioned her decision whenever she saw her bank balance. She often thought that she should have studied something else but she didn’t know what fate had in store for her.
Moving On
Alice felt sentimental about most of the items but she saw no use in holding onto them and decided it was better for her to redecorate the house. It was her new home and she intended to make it feel like it.
Alice didn’t want to turn her new home into a museum or have her grandmother’s old belongings constantly reminding her of her. She had to move on and she knew the best way forward was to sell most of the old items. She took photos of everything she wanted to sell, including the bronze doorstep and made ads to post online. Her phone beeped with a notification after a few days.
Interested In Her Ad
The messenge was from someone from the opposite side of the country who had messaged about the doorstep after Alice had posted an ad. She had listed it as $15 a few minutes ago.
Alice told him to transfer the money into her bank account before she arranged for it to be sent to him. But then she started wondering why it had raised his interest so soon. Was it more valuable than she thought? That’s when she decided she needs a professional to take a look at it.
Taking It To An Appraiser
There was an antique shop nearby that Alice went to. As she handed the doorstep to the appraiser, she told him the history she knew behind it. She watched as he inspected it, turning it this way and that.
A few minutes later, the appraiser found something that Alice had overlooked. He called her over, brought out the blacklight lantern, and told her to look carefully.
Hidden Compartment
There was a hidden compartment at the bottom of the doorstep! Alice had never seen it before. For all she knew, that was just a doorstep, and she didn’t know that her grandmother might have used it to store something in there.
The appraiser asked for her permission to open it and Alice agreed. Her heart was racing. What could there be inside that old Thetis statue?
Two Letters
It was no hidden treasure that Alice and the appraiser found inside the doorstep; it was two rolled pieces of paper. Both of them seemed pretty aged, but one more significantly so than the other.
One’s tone was yellowish, probably from the times when Alice’s grandma was young, while the other one had a brownish tone. It seemed a lot older. The appraiser took them out and handed them over to Alice.
A Message For Her Grandma
Alice unrolled the yellowish piece of paper first. Nothing in the world could have prepared her for what she read on it. It was a letter for her grandma from many years ago.
It was signed by a woman whose name Alice had never heard of before. And from the contents of the letter, it seemed like she was a woman with whom her grandma used to be romantically involved with before she married her husband, Alice’s grandfather!
The Second Note
This totally blew Alice’s mind. She could have never guessed about that side of her grandma! This changed her image of her in a major way. But that wasn’t all. She still had to check the brownish note.
She unrolled it and tried to read it, but she couldn’t understand what it said. She handed it to the appraiser so he could help her. As he read it, she waited with hopeful anticipation.
There Was Something To It
As Alice watched, the appraiser’s expressions remained unreadable. However, something about the way he took his time, reading and re-reading it and going over every inch with a magnifier seemed odd.
Alice watched with bated breath. She couldn’t kick the feeling that he was onto something. Other paranoid thoughts soon crept in too.
Trust
Since the appraiser was a professional, Alice was at his mercy. For a moment, some troubling thoughts went through her mind.
She hoped that if there was any intrinsic value to the doorstep, the appraiser would be upfront about it. If he wasn’t, that would be problematic.
Uncertainty
Alice’s biggest worry was being unsure of how to proceed. If he said it wasn’t worth much but offered to buy it, would she really ever know if he was being honest or not?
On the other hand, if he was upfront and it was worth something, how should she proceed then? Alice wasn’t sure. This was all becoming a little stressful.
Hearing Stories
Alice had heard many stories of people that struck it lucky with antique items that turned out to be real treasures. On the other hand, she’d heard just as many stories about people being swindled.
Aside from the possibly priceless nature of the statue, Alice worried that it might be valuable in other ways. Her next conundrum was an even trickier one to navigate.
Sentimental Value
Since her grandma had chosen to hide the intimate notes inside the statue, she wondered if it might have meant a lot more to her.
If her grandma did indeed mean for it to be kept as a family heirloom, Alice worried about letting it go too easily.
Other Considerations
On the other hand, Alice’s inheritance had been a big help so far. However, she still did need extra income in order to be comfortable.
Her degree hadn’t quite paid off as she had hoped it to be and the prospect of finding a valuable piece certainly was an exciting prospect. There was only one way to find out.
The Appraisal
The appraiser had taken so much time examining the object. After studying the note, he went back and forth between it and examining the doorstep itself.
Alice was becoming a little impatient with expectations. All his scrutiny surely had to mean something. Or was she just being foolish like so many treasure hunters before her?
He Was Ready
At one point, the appraiser even began consulting some notes he kept in a bag. The way his expression gradually grew intense and deep in thought made Alice more anxious.
After what felt like an eternity, the appraiser finally put everything down and turned to Alice. “Okay, so here’s what you have,” he said.
A Statue
It turns out that the “doorstep” was really a little statue. More importantly, according to the appraiser, it was crafted by one of the most famous French sculptors of the 19th century!
Alice was already excited by this news alone. She loved old works of art and was fascinated by historical artwork. However, the appraiser wasn’t done.
A Real Heirloom
The appraiser had become a lot more animated now. Far from the stuffy, severe man he had initially been when she first walked in, now he spoke with a twinkle in his eye and a broad grin.
It was clear to Alice that he loved this kind of work and probably reveled in finding items like these. His excitement made Alice’s own expectations grow that much more.
The Sculptor
As the appraiser went on, Alice became more intrigued and excited by the statue with every word. Not only had he been able to identify the piece and its time period, but the sculptor too.
As Alice listened to everything, she was intrigued. She began feeling sentimental like she was already forming a bond with it. She wondered if it was just her that felt this way.
Did Grandma Know?
Now that Alice knew the true story behind the sculpture, she wondered if her grandma knew too. Her instincts told her she probably didn’t.
After all, she had been using it mostly as a doorstep. She realized now that it was probably just another trinket she’d picked up over the years and had no idea of its value. So what made it so valuable?
Who Was He?
According to the appraiser, the note helped reveal the truth. It said that the piece had been awarded the first prize in one of France’s most prominent sculpture contests in 1857.
That meant the statue was well over 100 years old. Alice listened intently as the appraiser went on. The best news was yet to come.
The Value
Even by the appraiser’s rudimentary first evaluation, he reckoned the piece was worth a lot. Alice was stunned when she heard just how much.
It had been locked up here for years and years. To think that her grandma had a piece of history in her home all along was really surprising. The appraiser’s evaluation confirmed that it was worth around $30,000!
An Honest Man
Alice was stunned and ecstatic about this fact. She breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that she had almost sold it for $15. Alice thanked the appraiser as she was relieved at his honesty.
It was clear that he was a lover of antiques and not just someone who was out to enrich himself from the ignorance of others. Now, the question remained, what to do next?
A New Beginning
Alice asked the appraiser for his opinion. He advised her that he could put her in touch with the right people and arrange a sale that would be to her benefit.
Thanking him again, she took the doorstep home, along with the two letters, and began dreaming of the possibilities. Aside from all the fond memories, her grandma had also given her the chance at a new beginning in life too.