Ceramic Bowl: $2.2 Million
A New York family purchased this simple white bowl for $3 while attending a garage sale 2007. After owning the bowl for six years, the family had the item appraised. It turns out the family had purchased a significant piece of history. The bowl was created for China’s Northern Song Dynasty, and was worth $200,000 to $300,000. In March of 2013, the family put the bowl up for auction at Sotheby’s and it sold for an unexpected $2.2 million. Not everyone has an eye for this type of antique but the people who do can make a fortune from a very small investment.
