Anyone who does not believe in the saying that “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” has never been to a thrift shop or antique shop. Shopping in one is like a treasure hunt where you have to sort through a lot of junk before you find something of value.

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Whether you are on a mission to find something specific or just looking for a rare find that you can get for an unbelievably good price, you are certainly bound to find something that you’d like. Any store can have some of the rarest diamonds in the rough – you just need to have the eye to identify them among the junk.

Meet Randy

Randy Guijarro has been collecting historical items and other interesting things that would catch his eye whenever he drops by a secondhand store, a pawnshop, a thrift store, or an antique shop. Every time he sees one, he could not walk past it without stopping in for a look.

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He was not just interested in finding something that would give life to his living room. He actually enjoys collecting items from the past or collecting things that he connected with. Randy was a history buff and considered thrift hunting as a treasure hunt.

Dropping by an antique store

In 2010, he found himself in an old antique shop in Fresno, California. He was looking for an interesting find that he could take back home with him. And he never expected that this trip would end up to be one of the most memorable finds of his life.

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As an avid collector of historical items, Randy knew it takes a good eye and a lot of patience to sift through what every shop has to offer. He took his sweet time wandering through the sections and aisles of the shop but Randy could not find anything that he connected with.

Old photos

While looking around, Randy bumped into some cardboard boxes. He gave the contents a look until he found a series of photographs capturing a group of people. One look at the picture and Randy had that feeling that he knew these people.

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Randy could not tell why the people in the picture felt familiar. Could they be famous people? Or could it be that these people were related to him? Maybe he has seen these photos before? He felt the connection but he could not find the reason why.

A gut feeling

Randy looked at the series of photos in his hand. The first one was a vintage photo and there were another two that followed that seemed to be a part of it. These particular three pictures did not really shout out something special to him. But something in him did not want to put the pictures down.

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Randy knew he only got a couple of bucks in his pocket that time. But somehow, even if the pictures were not in their best shape, he could not just ignore the way looking at them made him feel. Despite his hesitations, he had a gut feeling that he should buy these photographs.

Investigating the people in the photo

So, filled with eagerness, Randy bought the series of three photos for two dollars. Somehow, the feeling that he is going to go home with a good find increased once he paid for the purchase.

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Randy could not wait to go back home and show his latest find to his wife, Linda. Linda was a history lover too so this could be a treat for her. Maybe Linda would find the photos special too and explain to him why.

Investigating the people in the photo

When Randy arrived home, he immediately showed Linda his purchase. When Linda saw the vintage pictures Randy bought, she could not really see what was so special about them.

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But hearing how the picture called out to Randy, she was game in helping her husband figure out the puzzle. They figured out that if they knew who were the people in the photographs, then maybe Randy would figure out why these photos felt special.

A 19th-century find

Randy knew a thing or two about vintage photos. he was sure that the photograph must have been taken from the 19th century since it came in the oldest tintype. In the series of photographs, there were a group of people all dressed up, playing a game of croquet.

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The way the people were dressed up and the type of tint on the photographs, puts the timeline of the photo somewhere around the late 1800s. Working with a specific timeline could help narrow down their search.

A famous person

Randy felt like he knows the answer all along as if it was just at the very tip of his tongue. He looked at each of the faces individually under a magnifying glass. Then something in his brain just clicked. But could it be? Has he finally solved who was in the vintage photos?

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From Randy’s guess, he thinks that there is an influential person in American history captured in the photo. That is why it felt familiar. In fact, his guess is one of the most notorious men in America’s history – a famous figure from the wild wild west.

Randy’s guess

Let’s try if you can figure out who Randy’s guess is. This man was born in 1859. His first brush with the law was when he stole food at the age of 16. He was known to be a notorious outlaw who killed eight men before he was shot and killed at the young age of 21.

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But legend says that his death was staged and that he was never killed. In fact, there were a few men who tried to step up and claim that they were these men. More than five movies were actually made about his life story. Can you guess who this famous wild west man is?

Billy the Kid

The history-loving couple Randy and Linda thinks they have a rare photograph of none other than Henry McCarty – more know as William Booney aka Billy the Kid! Once they put two and two together, they were immediately overwhelmed by what this could mean.

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Any American history buff will know why Billy the Kid was an important figure. Although he had a short life, it was filled with action and adventure. Billy the Kid may sound like he is a mischievous teenager but he was also a folk hero. Once considered one of the most wanted men in America, he is now treasured by a lot of cowboy enthusiasts all over the world.

A notorious teen

Billy the Kid was orphaned in his early teens and found himself living the con life to survive on his own. While he started out by stealing food to survive, he eventually went down a dangerous path when he learned how to use a gun.

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Billy the Kid’s crimes were so obscene that it made him difficult to track. He is not only famous for committing multiple crimes – but he also got to escape his own death sentence! Talk about getting away with murder!

A man with his own style

Billy the Kid was not only known for being a notorious outlaw at such a young age. He had a certain fashion style that made him stand out from other crazy cowboys of his time. It was a unique quirk that a lot of people associated him with.

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Billy the Kid is probably the only cowboy who loves to wear sweaters. He also was fond of wearing a funny little hat. Not to mention that he has a very particular stance and posture. And he also has that frowny teenage kid face. It was a very distinct face that you could spot in a crowd.

A rare, valuable find

It is always fascinating to discover pictures of famous people in history doing random things but why was this one special? You have to know that some people questioned if he really existed.

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A lot of stories and myths were created about Billy the Kid and he was referred to as the “Phantom Cowboy.” In fact, all of this started because of the lack of pictures or documentation about his existence.

A huge claim

If this turns out to be a picture of Billy the Kid, then Randy and Linda had with them a very rare, never-before-seen photo of the phantom cowboy. The fact that the photo was a candid one of him doing random things prove that he does exist.

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But of course, they had to be sure before they started claiming things. After all, this was a huge deal. Randy was a fan of the Wild Wild West so he knows what clamor this photo can cause. So, Randy and Linda decided to consult a professional.

Getting verification

Randy and Linda spent days doing research and talking to different historians and authenticators to confirm their find. Authenticating a photo from the 1800s is not as easy as you think despite today’s technological advances.

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Today, we have face recognition and reverse Google image searching that gives us results in seconds. But to verify a vintage photo? It is a process that can take months and for some, years. Randy and Linda were very hopeful that they have with them a piece of American history.

Professionals were divided

A year of research and authenticating had passed and Randy and Lisa felt like historians from all the work they have done themselves. Yet, the photo still needed to be officially certified and verified. So far, there were debates about the authenticity of the picture.

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Some professors believe that it was just a man who looked like Billy the Kid. For those who believe they have a real claim, also pointed out that the picture was so much more than what they could ever imagine.

The authorization firm

Armed with feedback from different professionals, The eager couple set up a special meeting with Kagan’s Inc. – a local company in California that specialized in Western Americana and US gold coins.

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And finally, they received the authentication that the man in the photo was Billy the Kid himself through Kagin’s Inc. The numismatic authentication firm concluded that the image was authentic after their team of experts examined it.

Billy the Kid and the Regulators

According to Jeff Aiello, executive director of Billy the Kid – New Evidence, the picture is “the first photograph ever discovered of Billy the Kid with the Regulators. Period. And that’s significant in American history.”

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In the late 19th century, the Lincoln County Regulators, or the Regulators were an American Old West posse deputized to fight during the Lincoln County War in New Mexico. Billy the Kid became their best-known member and he joined the group to be one of the frontline gunfighters when he was 18 years old.

Candid and rare

The picture Randy found captures the only known photo of Billy the Kid and the Regulators together with their wives or female companions. The photo must have been taken as a candid during a special event – more likely a wedding of one of the Regulators.

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Randy and Linda were overwhelmed. It was incredibly rare to have a photo of Billy the Kid himself but to have him in a photo playing croquet with the Regulators? It was hitting two birds with one stone. There is no doubt that they had a piece of American history in their hands.

He almost missed the chance

When Randy was interviewed by KUTV Channel 2 News about the photos, he admitted that he almost did not buy them because it was in a bad condition. “[one had] a hole on the top, it’s really kind of beat up.”

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Despite the condition of the photo, Ray said “The faces in the picture were very clear and I thought that one of them sure looks like The Kid,” he shared in another interview with NBC News.

A viral story

Just to let you know what a great deal this is, before Randy’s discovery, there was only one authenticated official photo of Billy the Kid. This is exactly why people doubt if he was even real in the first place. And what were the chances that a piece of history would just be found in an antique shop?

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Once word got out that there was a new photograph of Billy the Kid, the story immediately went viral. National Geographic did a whole special on the photo where they documented Randy and Linda visiting experts who gave their piece on the photo.

An expert finds it obvious

Expert historian and photographer Will Dunniway pointed out how you could easily tell the man in the photo was Billy the Kid. The man had the Kid’s signature look – the sweater, the stance, and the face.

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As he said in the documentary, “[but] to me the sweater is just the ringer. Because I’ve probably looked at 10,000 photographs of western figures, and the only sweaters I can recall are on Billy the Kid.”

How much is the picture worth?

Given the historical value of this photograph, it definitely meant that it had a lot of financial value. According to Donald Kagin, owner of Kagin’s Inc., “The historical importance of a photograph of Billy the Kid alongside known members of his gang and prominent Lincoln County citizens is incalculable,” he shared in an interview with Fox News.

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So how much is this picture worth? First, we will let you know that the only authorized picture of Billy the Kid before this discovery was sold in 2011 for $2.3 million. Randy’s picture had the Regulators too. This would mean that it would be worth more than $2 million.

The picture’s value

Randy bought the series of pictures in 2010. So, he was very much aware when the only authorized picture of Billy the Kid sold for $2 million. He must have been excited to know how worth his photo had.

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Kagin’s Inc. did a very thorough and intense inspection as they tried to come up with an estimated price for the photograph’s financial worth. They considered the photograph to be “the most compelling piece of Western Americana” that they have ever laid their eyes on.

From trash to treasure

In 2015, a price was finally acknowledged for the picture. It was reported that Randy’s photo was worth $5 million. Imagine only paying $2 for this very important historical piece! Now, this may be the most amazing antique store find!

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Randy and Linda’s story did not just go viral because of finding their “gold” in an antique store. It was also about their teamwork and their passionate search for the truth. The couple spent years getting confirmation, research, and finally – authentication.

Go with your guts

It was a long journey that took several years. Some experts have claimed that the photo was fake or that the man in the photo was not really Billy the Kid. But this did not discourage them. They kept going until they finally reached the truth. Imagine if they easily gave up?

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Randy and Linda’s story is an inspiring one. It definitely made people see thrift stores and antique stores in a new light now. The story is a unique one that inspired others to follow their gut and never give up until they get a clear and thorough answer.