Capitol Hill Blue Forums Misc. Topics Ain't This America he had no idea what he was buying

Each weekend, Americans decamp en masse for garage sales and antique stores, searching for hidden gems. And they often find themselves indulging in the idle reverie that their quests might turn up an actual treasure — an item of great value that the seller isn't aware of. This is one of those stories.

Ten years ago Rick Norsigian, a painter in Fresno, Calif., was making the garage-sale circuit in Southern California when he ran across a box of glass negatives. The owner was asking $70 for the 65 negatives of nature photography, but Norsigian managed to get the price down to $45.

They're now believed to be the lost works of famed photographer Ansel Adams, and experts estimate that they're worth $200 million, CNN reports.