The Photograph That Hid a Legend and a Fortune

A man buys an old flea-market photo for two dollars only to discover it worth millions

The original tintype photograph discovered by Randy Guijarro in a California antique store. The image is believed to depict Billy the Kid and members of his gang playing croquet in 1878. (Photo by Kagin’s)

In a California antique store, Randy Guijarro was rummaging through a cardboard box when, right at the bottom, he stumbled across three old photographs. He bought them for a bargain price without thinking much about it. But when he got home and examined them more closely, he realized that one of them seemed to feature a very familiar face.

The Discovery

Randy had always enjoyed collecting. Coins, comic books, and sports cards were among his favorite memorabilia. When he met his wife Linda, it felt like a perfect match: she loved old photographs, and the two enjoyed sharing their hobbies with each other. However, in the summer of 2010, Randy’s hobby would take a turn that would change his life forever.

One day, while passing by Fulton’s Folly Antiques Collective in the Tower District of Fresno, California, Randy noticed an empty parking space in front of the store. On a whim, he decided to go inside. There he met two men who had recently purchased a storage unit at an auction and were trying to clear out what they believed to be junk. Among the items was a cardboard box. Curious, Randy took a look inside and discovered three old…