Grandpa Went to School With John Wayne

Local house estate sales can be a great way to find treasures without having to travel very far from home. I look for local sales conducted by reputable estate sale companies as they want to stay in business and value their reputation. These are easily found on line and by checking local newspapers on line as well.
However--I do keep my eyes open for the odd sale that is organized and priced by family members of the deceased. These can be gold mines for good things at attractive prices. Ebay and the Antiques Roadshow has created a more careful seller these days--the last thing you want to do is attend a sale put on by amateur heirs who think everything Grandpa touched is worth a million. Sentimental value and real value are two very different things. The best thing is to find a sale where the heirs have not done any homework--they just want to "unload the stuff" and get a move on.
One summer day, I happened upon a local sale--run by the family selling what appeared to be just junk. I did not arrive early--but after it had opened--and everything seemed to be picked over. I was glad I had not wasted time standing in line for an admittance number to this one. As I was leaving--I noticed a stack of old school yearbooks on the sofa. I never look at yearbooks--but because of the age and interesting cover I decided to pick one up. It was from California Someplace. Who cares? Well out pops a handwritten note in pencil "Grandpa went to high school with John Wayne"
Hmmmm.
Being an old movie buff I knew that John Wayne before he was John Wayne was Marion Morrison. Paging through the notebook--there he was--at a dance--his senior picture-in a football uniform. Gorgeous Young John. The book was priced high for an old yearbook at $30.00--but why not? I put that baby on ebay that afternoon and $1200 later--a California collector was happy and needless to say I was stunned. And happy.
Moral to the story--check yearbooks for famous people. Subsequent sales of MY college yearbooks--complete with Brian "Kato" Kaelin in all of his glory--reaped a great reward. But on that one--timing was everything!! (Thank you OJ!)