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Finds and Interests
Every collector will tell you that part of the thrill of being a collector is the hunt. Finding something unexpected is a thrill for collectors, and a recent sale handled by our Industry Partner Buy or Bid On It demonstrated that.
Estate sales, particularly those that encompass a whole house, often have items that might not jump out at a buyer, but careful collectors will find them. Nowhere is this more evident than when a lot of assorted ephemera, like photos, letters, and documents, comes up.
A Ty Cobb Signed Check Hiding in Plain Sight
The sale on April 21, 2026, featured a lot that included photos, documents, and some signatures. The lot was complex, including items from different time periods, but sitting in the middle of it was a canceled check. Not just any check. The account holder wrote it in green ink, and it bore the name of baseball great Ty Cobb. Fun fact: His full name was Tyrus R. Cobb, but of course, he went by the shorter version during his epic baseball career.
The lot sold for about $1,800, and whoever the winning bidder is, they likely got a great find. A recent sale of a check from the same bank, also signed by Ty Cobb and drawn on his account, sold for $1,900. Finds like this are why I love collecting ephemera. Someone could sift through hundreds of lots and not find anything too spectacular, but then one day, there it is. Cobb was known for using green ink, and the check in the recent lot was written in green. Both the check that sold as a single item and the one in this most recent lot came from the First National Bank of Nevada and were from the early 1950s, so the authenticity seems solid.
Why Smaller Sales and Mixed Lots Are Worth Your Time
While it can be time-consuming to sift through household items and other lower-value pieces, you never know what you might find, especially at smaller sales. Fewer items don’t always mean the sale isn’t worth your time to browse. While each collector has their own idea of what makes a great find, most agree that the thrill of discovering something unexpected is worth any bit of extra time and effort.
Did you find something surprising hiding in plain sight in an auction lot? Search the WorthPoint Price Guide — you may have a hidden treasure on your hands.