[ bird caws ] im jamie colby, and today im in southwest oregon, on the breathtaking Pacific Coast highway. If youve ever made this drive, you may have visited this strange inheritance and even met the heir trying to save it from extinction. My name is kiki mcgrath. My grandfather was really into dinosaurs. I inherited his version of Jurassic Park from a bygone era. Hi. Im jamie. Hi, jamie. Im kiki. Great to meet you, kiki, and i like your friend. It was pretty clear i was in the right place. This is my grandfathers creation. Lets go take a look. That creation is prehistoric gardens, which sits in a lush stretch of oldgrowth forest, with ocean mist filtering sunlight through its towering trees. I would camp out here, and i dont camp. But be careful giant monsters lurk. Triceratops, wow. The grounds are teeming with dinosaurs. Feast your eyes on em. Theres the platecovered stegosaurus. A towering trex. A soaring pteranodon and many more. Each imposing creature a lifesize replica of an ancient past, including this 46foothigh, 86footlong brachiosaurus. Four years from start to finish. Amazing . To build this one. I just really cant believe the scale. The story of these creatures begins in 1907, in gordonsville, minnesota, where ernie nelson is born. Young ernie cant stop drawing on his sketch pad, especially the prehistoric creatures he sees in national geographic. Definitely a creative character, according to his daughter bennii. Was he always an artist . He always drew. He came out of the womb carrying a pen. A few decades later, in the 1930s, ernie gets married and has two kids. He settles down on the west coast and opts for a stable career path. He owned a Gravel Company when he was very young, and he was a public accountant in eugene, oregon. An accountant ever on the lookout for a more creative living. His dream job . A cartoonist at walt disney studios. He gets the offer, then talks himself out of taking it. He had two children, and it was during the depression, so he decided he just couldnt pick up and leave. So, ernie keeps counting beans for another two decades, knowing deep inside hes missing his true calling. Then, when ernies 47 years old, he makes an announcement during christmas dinner that stuns his family. He goes out to the car, and he gets this cement dinosaur. It was a tyrannosaurus rex, and he brings it in, and he sets it down, and then he said, this is what im going to do. We thought, what . He said, im going to build dinosaurs. Did you all think maybe he had had too much to drink . No one said a word. They felt that he had gone off the deep end. No, really, ernie explains. He intends to open a roadside attraction filled with dinosaurs he reveals hes been fascinated by the creatures his entire life. I said to mom, why would he do Something Like that . She said, ill go any place he wants to go. Was that true love . Yeah, that was true love. And it turns out his timing couldnt be better. Ernie knew what he was doing when he started his attraction in the early 1950s. Doug kirby is the author of two books on Roadside Attractions. The golden age was after world war ii. Gis came home. They had families. They were starting to have money to buy better cars and take summer vacations. The u. S. Highway system was built out across the whole country. Attractions could find an audience. Then all of these things started to crop up. These entertaining, and sometimes bizarre, Roadside Attractions become an american phenomenon. Ernie the accountant figures a Dinosaur Park is a sure thing. What made your dad think that this was gonna be a winner . When you have an absolute passion for something, you think that other people feel the same way you do. Before he can bring forth his creation, ernie must find his eden. He comes across 70 acres of lush forest in southern oregon, right off the famed 101, Pacific Coast highway. Its listed for 17 grand. Did he have the money to buy that property . Were you rich . No, no, ultrapoor. They had practically no money when they came down here. But ernie works his accounting magic, selling his home and business. And presto he has the cash. Now hes ready to flesh out some dinosaurs. He researches the creatures exhaustively, drawing up sketches and blueprints. I mean, he was almost an engineer when it came to dinosaurs. Yes, the steel frame went on and then, after that they put metal lath, and they molded it, and then on top of that they put cement. Then comes the fine artistry. Ernie adds details and handpaints precise features eyes, scales, teeth. Look at the skin texture even. Yes. But ernie does take some artistic license, adding splashes of bright paint and vibrant patterns. Grandpa didnt know the exact color scheme, but he said it was the man behind the paintbrush that chose the colors. And the man behind the paintbrush chooses colors that draw customers. Part of the formula with the roadside attraction is people want to be able to take pictures that they can share when they get home. Ernie had an eye for what would make a great photo. Painting things in bright, garish colors was a way to make those dinosaurs pop out. After a year of construction, ernies ready to open his prehistoric gardens. So, what was the reaction initially . They loved it. And not just the tourists. Do you have some recollections as a kid of playing in that park . Oh, my gosh, do i . Like, i just got chills, yeah. Ernies greatgranddaughter tells us why. Thats next. But first, our strange inheritance quiz question. The film Jurassic Park made an infamous villain out of the velociraptor. How big was the dinosaur in real life . The size of a. The answer after the break. Alerts wouldnt you like one from the market when it might be time to buy or sell . With fidelitys realtime analytics, youll get clear, actionable alerts about potential Investment Opportunities in real time. Fidelity. Open an account today. So, how big were velociraptors in real life . The speedy dinosaurs were only the size of a turkey. Its 1955. Accountant ernie nelson has quit his office job, uprooted his family, and depleted his life savings to create a roadside dinosaur attraction in southwest oregon, along the Pacific Coast highway. Thats a big jump from being an accountant. He just had a real drive. He wanted to create something and share it with everybody. On new years day, ernies prehistoric gardens is finally ready. Signs point the way from the highway. Admissions 50 cents for adults, a quarter for kids. To the familys relief, tourists flock to it, just as ernie predicted. So, what was the reaction initially . They loved it. We would walk with them through the gardens. We would point and tell them what the name of the dinosaur was. The family enlists every visitor to spread the word. We used to put on bumper stickers. It said prehistoric gardens on it. It showed a picture of a tyrannosaurus rex. Bennii spends almost all her time at the gardens during the parks first few years. And her daughter, kiki, born in 1957, does, too. In fact, when bennii divorces in 1959, she moves away, leaving kiki to be raised by her grandparents in the family home, right on the property. Kiki watches her grandfather expand his shangrila year after year. I remember rvs and trailers parked everywhere. Was it magical to watch him create this . Magical, yes. He would get, like, a just big, you know, grin on his face when he would see kids coming in, and theyd be squealing with the parents. I think it was really important for him to see people be happy. After high school, kiki ventures beyond the dino park but within a year returns. What brought you back . I really like being around my grandparents, and i didnt want to do anything different. It was a life kiki would also want for her daughter, rain, whos born in 1982 and spends her childhood playing amongst the massive dinosaurs. Do you have some recollections as a kid of playing in that park . Oh, my gosh, do i . Like, i just got chills, yeah. My whole childhood was that park. My friends and i, wed kind of climb up the stegosaurus or wed climb up the elasmosaurus and slide down his back. We would even hide in the bushes sometimes and make noises and stuff when the guests came by. [ laughs ] but the world has changed in the four decades since the 47yearold accountant chucked everything to open his prehistoric gardens. The Jurassic Park generation doesnt see these guys so much as prehistoric creatures but corny 1950s kitsch. Fewer visitors turn in to the aging park thats increasingly difficult for its octogenarian founder to maintain. The 80s and the 90s were really, really tough, and my greatgrandmother had a stroke. So, that set the family back. There was some tough times, definitely. Did dad ever consider selling or closing . Oh, no, oh, no, unhunh. That was his baby. He loved the prehistoric gardens. Loved them till the day he dies, in 1999, a dinosaur himself at age 91. His funeral is held right in the park near his favorite creature that 46foothigh brachiosaurus. And it rained, and it hailed, and it snowed, and there was sunshine. It was very, very magical, very magical. A few months later, ernies wife, kari, passes away. The will does not say who should inherit the business. Did your grandfather sit down at some point and say, heres what i want to happen with the park . No, i think he was hoping that someone would carry it on, but i dont think he thought about who was going to do it. Ernies daughter, granddaughter, and greatgranddaughter now must choose. Keep his dream alive or cash out . Its near the coast, if not right on it. You know what that property is worth. Mmhmm. Mmhmm. Did you ever think about selling or closing the park . Thats next. Heres another quiz question for you. The answer when we return. Its easy to think that all Money Managers are pretty much the same. But while some push High Commission investment products, Fisher Investments avoids them. Some advisers have hidden and layered fees. Fisher investments never does. And while some advisers are happy to earn commissions from you whether you do well or not, Fisher Investments fees are structured so we do better when you do better. Maybe thats why most of our clients come from other Money Managers. Fisher investments. Clearly better money management. And lasts for up to 12 hours, with zicam extreme Congestion Relief and zicam intense sinus relief. For colds and allergies, get your better back with zicam nasal sprays. The snorkasaurus is the family pet of fred and wilma flintstone. In 1999, ernie nelson leaves behind 70 acres of oregon coastland, evenly dividing the property among his two children and granddaughter, kiki. The inheritance includes his prehistoric gardens, a roadside attraction, featuring 23 lifesize dinosaur replicas that ernie created himself. He loved dinosaurs. Like, he absolutely loved them. When everybody else told him he was crazy, he just said, no, im gonna build dinosaurs. To think of how much strength and tenacity he had. But now that hes gone, the fate of the 44yearold dino park is unclear. Ernies daughter bennii, now in her mid60s, has no interest in taking over the reins. I dont have a sense of business. I dont have the drive. So, she and her brother opt to put the dino park, family home, and surrounding forest up for sale. Originally purchased for 17,000, it could be a dinomite windfall. Benniis daughter, kiki, agrees initially, then has second thoughts. I didnt want the gardens to go with the whole lump sum because i didnt want it to go to someone that didnt have the passion. Thats because prehistoric gardens isnt just a park to kiki. Its the only home shes really known, and shes never wanted to leave. You love it that much . I kind of feel a little bit of my grandfather in me. He had to be there every day, and i feel that. You couldnt live without that. No, i dont think so. So, the three heirs carve out 44 acres of ernies land along the ocean. Bennii and her brother get that. Its valued in the millions. The remaining 26 acres, including all the dinosaurs and the roadsideattraction business, go to kiki, now a single mom in her early 40s, and raising her teenage daughter, rain. Did people say, what, are you nuts . Yeah, they thought she was crazy, you know, like shes sitting on a gold mine, and shes keeping it. Running the dino park proves more difficult than either mother or daughter imagines. I resented the gardens when i was younger, just because it took my mom away from me all the time. Fifteen years later, the jobs no easier. She works there every single day 12, 14hour days. Shes the janitor. She is the ticket taker. She has to clean the dinosaurs. She does it all. Planning any vacations . Not right now. Ever consider a sick day . Not really, no. Nowadays, about 200 guests visit the park daily during peak tourist season. At 12 bucks for an adult and 8 for a kid, the park brings in around 150,000 a year. But theres not much money left over after taxes, landscaping, and costly dinosaur repairs. He looks like he may have had an injury. Pteranodon did have an injury. A tree came down on his cute, little wing and broke it. So, it was just dangling for quite some time, but, as you can see, it needs a little bit more work again. Are you living on the edge, kiki, to make this all happen . A little bit. Its kind of a one day at a time. Shes constantly putting the park before herself. Sometimes she had to put it before her family. Do you get it . I get it, but i dont get it. I get it because its her legacy, and its what she knows. But it zaps her energy, and it takes away her life. A life, rain says, that could be so much easier for her mom. When things are tough, ive been, well, mom, you know, you could sell it and retire and live on the beach, but i dont think shell sell it. So, youre never gonna let it go . No. And yet, with all her determination to continue her grandfathers legacy, has kiki made any plans for the dino park to outlast her . Has your mom ever sat you down and said, we need to talk about the future of the park . Never. Its a running theme in our family that nobody talks about it. Doug kirby has seen this scenario many times before. A lot of attractions that were the vision of a Single Person you can feel their enthusiasm around everything. By the third generation, its tough to say whether thats gonna be a generation thats gonna carry it on. Ive seen great parks that, all of a sudden theyre gone, demolished. Kikis best hope for a successor is her daughter, rain. Oh, and did we mention that she got married and ran off to europe . Do you think theres more than a 50 chance theyll step up, like you did . Probably 75. Not 100. Not 100. Could you ever see, rain, going back to oregon . Whats your strange inheritance story . Wed love to tell it. Send me an email, or go to our website, strangeinheritance. Com. Achoo snap achoo snap achoo achoo snap snap achoo achoo feel a cold coming on . Zicam cold remedy nasal swabs shorten colds with a snap, and reduce symptom severity by 45 . Shorten your cold with a snap, with zicam. The things we do rising before dawn. Sweating it out. Tough to do it all. But we can always find time to listen to great thinkers and explorers whose stories take us places our hamstrings cant. All we have to do is listen. Download audible to start listening. Now back to strange inheritance. Kiki mcgrath inherited prehistoric gardens, a Dinosaur Park which her grandfather, ernie nelson, first opened in 1955. Shes dedicated her life to keeping the roadside attraction in the family and in business. What about when you cant do it anymore . Well, hopefully someone in my family will want to continue on. That puts the pressure on kikis 34yearold daughter, rain. Shes married and living 5,000 miles away, in london. Im really happy right now. This is where i want to be, and it would take a lot to go back and work at the gardens. But in the back of your mind, could you ever see, rain, going back to oregon with your husband . Not fulltime. Its a part of me, but i dont want to be defined by it. That may not be so easy for rain. So, theres just a lot of guilt that i feel, being this far away from home and, you know, not being there to help her. But sorry, guys. Meantime, back in southern oregon, prehistoric gardens still has the power to delight travelers who pull over, stretch their legs, and check out ernie nelsons dinosaurs, not yet extinct. Ive heard of this place since i was a kid. This place is kind of legendary. I think its a mustsee because a couple people just built this by themselves. Its just a great thing to see. Dont you ever come out here and say, i cant do this anymore . Mmhmm. Yeah, i do think that, but when i come out to the registry room and look at these different remarks that people have made, it brings back a feeling of resurgence. Oh, my goodness havent been here in fifty years . Mmhmm. A boyhood fascination never outgrown compels a frustrated accountant to build a dinosaur playground. The future of the prehistoric gardens may be uncertain, but for now, this strange inheritance remains a testament to the will of benniis father, kikis grandfather, and rains greatgrandfather to seize his dream and share it with the world. Its more than just a park now, because its so ingrained in the history of the place. Its not just our park. Its everybodys now. A lot of people tell me that, that go through the gardens. They tell me its magical. I hear that all the time. Theres a magical something out there. But whatever happened to the other part of ernies land that kiki did not inherit, here along the Pacific Coast highway . Her mother and uncle sold it for 1. 6 million bucks and split the profits. The new owners have kept the land undeveloped and say they plan to one day either donate it to the state of oregon or place it in a trust in order to protect its magnificent rain forest forever. Im jamie colby. Thanks so much for watching strange inheritance. And remember you cant take it with you. A wild west pioneer. Theres a saying, the cowards didnt come. So you had to be brave. He truly was the john wayne of the 19th century. He leaves behind a trunk of relics. And a classic, woven into the fabric of america itself. There was a pair of old blue jeans in here. Whatd they look like . They said that they were the oldest unworn pair they had ever seen. Thats unbelievable. So are the lengths to which folks go for vintage old denim. Finding any levis pre1900 is a massive rarity. Thats the holy grail. What do you think theyre worth . [ door creaks ] [ wind howls ] [ thunder rumbles ] [ bird caws ] im jamie colby in tucson, arizona. Wagon trains used to pass right through here on their way to california during the gold rush, and one of the roughandready pioneers who helped settle this area left behind a very strange inheritance. Im here to get the skinny on it. My names jock taylor. In 2009, i inherited a wooden trunk full of family heirlooms going back more than a century. Now im told i could pocket a small fortune. I meet jock, a 60yearold electrical engineer, at his home here in tucson. Hi, im jamie. Im jock. I heard you have something very unusual from your greatgreat grandfather. I certainly do. Come on in. Jock shows me that inheritance an old trunk thats been passed down through the family for more than a century. The trunk contained the family bible, a very ornate saddle blanket, a pair of old jeans jeans . Who keeps jeans . Theyve been in the trunk for so long, i dont think that my mother really knew what else to do with them. According to family lore, all the items in the trunk, including the jeans, once belonged to this man, jocks greatgreat grandfather, Solomon Warner, one of tucsons original pioneers. Very distinguished. Old solomons story, and the story of those dungarees, begins far from tucson in upstate new york, where hes born in 1811. As a young man, he heads west, in search of adventure and wealth. A lot of farm boys or smalltown boys in new york couldnt wait to get away from home. Jim turner has written several books on the history of arizona and its important pioneers like Solomon Warner. He worked on steamboats in the 1830s, and then he went to the gold rush. After that, he went to south america, looking for gold there. But the gold thing doesnt pan out. Solomon returns to america in 1853, still searching for a way to strike it rich. The following year, the United States completes the Gadsden Purchase from mexico, adding nearly 30,000 square miles, including tucson, along our southern border. Solomon sees a new frontier to be conquered. What makes pioneer status . The willing to risk. Theres a saying, the cowards didnt come, and so you had to be brave to come out to the frontier. A big, powerful man, 61 2 tall, solomon hauls 13 mules loaded with merchandise into the New Territory and opens a general store in tucson, then just a small town of less than 1,000 people. He was the first to sell American Goods in tucson. Who were his customers . The butterfield stage came through tucson, and whatever you wanted, you had to buy it from Solomon Warner. As the town grows, so do warners riches, but his business interests are interrupted when civil war breaks out in 1861. Tucson was under the confederacy and captain Sherod Hunter asked all of the citizens to swear an oath to the confederacy. What about Solomon Warner . Was he game . He wouldnt do it, and when he wouldnt do it, they confiscated all of his goods. Solomon retreats to mexico, then returns to tucson after the war to reclaim his store. But another kind of bloodshed breaks out along his trade routes. This is, after all, the wild, wild west. Was that an easy thing to do in those days, getting goods back and forth . It was dangerous. Several times, he had been shot by arrows from indians when he was bringing dry goods back and forth. Sounds like a hollywood character in the making. It was amazing that not only did he survive apache attacks, he lived to be 89. When solomon dies in 1899, tucsons in mourning. There was a great ceremony because he was a revered citizen at that time. After solomons death, his son, john, packs up some of his fathers belongings into a trunk that bears the family name, and over the years, the cedar chest gets handed down through the generations. John Solomon Warner, when he passed away, it went to his only daughter, josefina, and then everything that she had went to my mother, elva. Why has the family held on to it . Its an heirloom. My mother always used it for storing ancient family relics. She was very proud of it. The trunk stays in elvas living room until she passes away in 2009. Then her son jock, one of four heirs, moves the crate to his home and takes an inventory of its contents, including those old blue jeans. Whatd they look like . They were very weird jeans. They didnt have belt loops, and they only had one pocket on the back. They looked like a pair of old blue jeans that had been washed once and then folded and put away. Werent they worn out . They are in likenew condition. Like brandnew . Like brandnew. And on the back of those spotless jeans, a famous marking. They had the leather patch on the back that said levis on them. Thats right levis, the most iconic blue jeans of all time. Did you just take the jeans out of the trunk and try them on . Actually, theyre way too big for me. They come up almost to my chest. Jock assumes jeans that big probably belonged to old solomon. But he cant say for sure what went into and came out of that chest in the 110 years since his greatgreat grandpas death. Any proof of purchase . Not that i know of. A picture of him wearing them . No. You sure its not just family lore . I dont know. What could they be worth . A bundle, says this prospector, who actually mines for ancient blue jeans. True vintage denim can be worth thousands of dollars. For a reason you might not expect. All the earlier jeans that they had went up in smoke. Thats next. But first, our strange inheritance quiz question. The answer after the break. Today, the new new york is ready for takeoff. Were invested in creating the worlds first stateoftheart drone testing facility in Central New York and the mohawk valley, which marks the start of our nations first 50mile unmanned flight corridor. And allows us to attract the worlds top drone talent. All across new york state, were building the new new york. To grow your business with us in new york state, visit esd. Ny. Gov. [ wind howls ] so, whats the bestselling bluejean brand after levis . Its a, wrangler. The original cowboy brand has been outfitting rodeo stars and stars on rodeo drive since 1904. In 2009, jock taylor inherits a wooden trunk thats been in the family for over a century. It was purchased by his greatgreat grandfather, Solomon Warner, who founded the First American store here in tucson back in 1853. He had that pioneer spirit. He saw the opportunity here, and he could see that the city had potential to grow. Inside that trunk is a pair of vintage levis blue jeans. So, they were pretty ratty . No, they actually were very wellpreserved. Its cedar, and it protected the jeans very well. If theyre indeed solomons from way back when, the jeans are also a remarkably wellpreserved relic of a completely different pioneer success story. Mike harris, author of jeans of the old west, knows all about that. How did this whole levi boom start . Well, in 1870, jacob davis, who was a tailor in reno, nevada, he was approached by a woman who was married to a woodcutter. Turns out that her woodcutter husband constantly rips through his pants pocket. Its a common problem. Whether concealing a pistol or hauling heavy gold nuggets, the weak pockets just cant handle the stress. So jacob davis gets the idea. He saw the rivets on his workbench, and he decided to put those in the pocket corners. Adding rivets to pockets its one of those seatofthepants innovations that make america great. The result . Stronger dungarees that can stand up to the tough work thrown at them by the miners and laborers of the day. And after about a year, he was getting so many orders, he couldnt fill them. Davis, who needs capital and manpower, goes into business with wealthy San Francisco merchant levi strauss. On may 20, 1873, american blue jeans are born. A pair costs about a buck. Levis markets their denim overalls as the uniform of the working class. Who bought them at the time . Miners in the west, farmers, mechanics anybody that did hard labor would have bought levis back then. Thats because workers love how tough and durable the pants are, as this pair from 1890 proves. From the 1800s . I mean, they feel like they could be right now. They really could withstand a lot. Absolutely. So it was all about strength . It was all about strength. Now, heres something really important to remember in this strange inheritance tale. In 1906, the epic San Francisco earthquake devastates the levis headquarters. Their building, it was completely leveled. Along with all of levis records and inventory. The first 30 years of the companys history gone. Of course, for the next century and more, the company thrives. Indeed, the pants it manufactures become an american icon. Think about it. Is there anything the world loves more about america than blue jeans . Theyre right up there with blockbuster movies, fastfood burgers, and rock n roll. So you probably arent surprised theres a demand for vintage jeans. But i bet you would be surprised how far some people will go to meet that demand. True vintage denim can be worth thousands of dollars, and finding any levis pre1900 is a massive rarity. Thats the holy grail. Thats what were all looking for. Brit eaton is a modernday prospector who scours old west barns, ghost towns, and mining sites not for precious metals, but antique overalls. My gold is what the gold miners were wearing while they were seeking their gold. In order to be a great denim hunter, you have to be ruthless, relentless, and rugged. Ive rappelled into pits, ive killed rattlesnakes to get by. There are so many potential dangers. Exploring abandoned mineshafts can be treacherous, but often worth the risk. Finding things in mines is the equivalent of biggame hunting. You find a time capsule just sitting there in the middle of nowhere. The feeling of seeking something is a true american sort of pioneer feeling. Youre literally filling a gap in in history. And thats a good way to pose the question facing our heir, jock taylor. Does his strange inheritance fill a gap in history, or are they closer to the jeans that fill the gap at the mall . They were in such great shape that i thought, why are they showing me new jeans . Stay tuned for p. S. I. Pants seam investigation next. Heres another quiz question for you. The answer when we return. Today were out here to test peoples knowledge about type 2 diabetes. So you have type 2 diabetes . Yes i do. True or false. Type 2 diabetes more than doubles your chance of dying from a cardiovascular event, like a heart attack or a stroke. That cant be true, can it . Actually, it is true. And with Heart Disease, your risk is even higher. In fact, cardiovascular disease is the 1 cause of death for adults with type 2 diabetes and Heart Disease. But there is good news. Jardiance is the only type 2 diabetes pill with a lifesaving cardiovascular benefit. Jardiance is proven to both significantly reduce the chance of dying from a cardiovascular event in adults who have type 2 diabetes and Heart Disease and lower your a1c. Thats good to know. Jardiance can cause serious side effects including dehydration. This may cause you to feel dizzy, faint, or lightheaded, or weak upon standing. Ketoacidosis is a serious side effect that may be fatal. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, tiredness, and trouble breathing. Stop taking jardiance and call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of ketoacidosis or an allergic reaction. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include rash, swelling, and difficulty breathing or swallowing. Do not take jardiance if you are on dialysis or have severe kidney problems. Other side effects are sudden kidney problems, genital yeast infections, increased bad cholesterol, and urinary tract infections, which may be serious. Taking jardiance with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take and if you have any medical conditions. Isnt it time to talk to your doctor about jardiance . Absolutely. Ask your doctor about jardiance. And get to the heart of what matters. [ wind howls ] so, who said, i had holes in my jeans well before it was fashionable . Its b, kenny rogers, who knew when to fold them. A cedar box inherited by jock taylor of tucson, arizona, contains a cache of old family heirlooms that he assumes have been sitting in the trunk since his greatgreat grandfather Solomon Warner passed away in 1899. Including this curious item a pair of seemingly neverworn levis jeans. How many years do you think those jeans may have been in that trunk . In excess of 110 years. So jock and his wife, pat, take the levis to a traveling appraisal show here in town with high expectations. They walk up to the table of daniel buck soules, owner of daniel buck auctions. They had a pillowcase, and i had no idea what they had. And when they pulled out these jeans, they were in such great shape that i thought, why are they showing me new jeans . So, you were suspicious at first . Oh, absolutely. But it wasnt until i really started looking at them that i went, okay, these are a little bit better than i think they are. Just how much better . Daniels detective work begins with the obvious these belong in the bigandtall department waist, 44, length, 37. He had to be 66, 68. He was a mountain of a man. Next, he examines the leather tag. Does this identify the jean in some way . It does. They started adding this around 1886, but they still use that. Even to today, its still there. That sets the base. The jeans are no older than 1886, but they could have been made any time after that. So daniel turns his attention to those famous pocket rivets. One of the problems they actually had was the placement of the rivets. If you were a cowboy and on a saddle, the outside rivets would wear on saddles. What you find is they had to cover these with cloth at one point. Those covered rivets first appear in 1937, but jocks are exposed, meaning the overalls are at least older than world war ii. Daniel searches the waistline for more clues. Theres no belt loops. Theres no belt loops because of the fact at this time, they only had suspenders, and it wasnt until 1922 that they actually added the belt loops. Were back to the roaring twenties, and the pockets reveal one more thread to the story. When levis first started manufacturing jeans, you had the two front pockets and the single back pocket, and this other pocket, which is for change or a pocket watch. And it wasnt until around 1901 they added the fifth pocket in the back. Which is missing on jocks jeans. So now weve narrowed it down to that 15year window between 86 and 01. Finally, daniel spots a stamp on the inside of the pocket that helps age the overalls all the way to 1893. Jeans historian mike harris is amazed. How unique is this pair . To find an 1893 pair of levi very scarce. This could be one of two examples known, so its very rare. If one shows up, then its quite valuable. And to find an 1893 pair inperfectcondition . Unheard of. So how much cash could jock expect for his strange inheritance . Size really does matter when it comes to vintage levis. Find out next. Whats your strange inheritance story . Wed love to tell it. Send me an email or go to our website, strangeinheritance. Com. No, please, please, oh shrieks in terror heavy breathing and snorting no, no. The running of the bulldogs . Surprising. Whats not surprising . How much money aleia saved by switching to geico. Fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more. No one burns on heartburn. My watch try alka seltzer ultra strength heartburn relief chews. With more acidfighting power than tums chewy bites. Mmmmm. Amazing. I have heartburn. Ultra strength from alka seltzer. Enjoy the relief. On thousands of hotels, cars and things to do. Like the occidental at the xcaret destination for 32 off. Everything you need to go. Expedia. On the only bed that adjusts on both sides to your ideal comfort, your sleep number setting. Does your bed do that . 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Maybe thats why most of our clients come from other Money Managers. Fisher investments. Clearly better money management. Now back to strange inheritance. Jock taylor is one of four heirs to inherit this pair of antique levis jeans, authenticated by Daniel Soules to be from 1893. So, what are they worth . 10,000 . Keep going. 20,000 . And more. The reasons not just that there are vintage bluejean collectors around the world. Its also because of the levistrauss company itself, whose headquarters were destroyed in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, along with the archives of their early denim. Are they trying to get these historic jeans back . They actually are. So when a good pair of jeans do come on the market, they are out there trying to purchase them. The last pair of blue jeans that sold from the 1880s, its my understanding that levis paid six figures for them. A hundred thou for an old pair of jeans . Jock reaches out to levis. They said that they were probably the oldest unworn pair of levis they had ever seen. And jock says they offer him 50,000 for them. Its a lot of dough, but the familys expecting more. They discuss it, then turn down the offer. If levi strauss is valuing a rippedup, torn pair thats maybe a year or two older at 100,000, i would think that a pair thats never been worn from the same era would be at least worth that much. So jock tells auctioneer Daniel Soules to set a date to sell greatgreat grandpas pants to the highest bidder. Its a risk, thats true, but when you consider that its the only unworn pair of blue jeans of that era, i think, yeah, its a oneofakind item. I think the most they could possibly get from a collector is 40,000. Denim hunter brit eaton believes jock and his family are thinking too big for their britches. The vintage denim market is incredibly volatile. I think if levi strauss is willing to pay 50,000 for them, take the money and run. Is he right . November 5, 2016 is the date were to find out. Then, just before the levis go up on the block, daniel postpones the sale due to technical glitches. A few days later, hes talking to a buyer from japan, but the jeans are not a good fit. At 44 waist and 37 length, the jeans were too big for them. They were planning on purchasing them to wear. So that deal fell through. It was very depressing. Size really does matter when it comes to vintage levis. If its either too little or too big, its going to be harder to establish a value, or just not as valuable. Levis would not comment on any negotiations with jock, but we do know he has at least one sizable offer very much on the table. Theres absolutely a market for jocks levis. I personally would be willing to pay 35,000 for them. Ill make that mark in blood right now if you want. What would ol Solomon Warner do . Jocks pretty sure his greatgreat granddaddy would tell him to sit tight. Hes positive the frontier merchant is somewhere off in the sunset, grinning. For him to know that his jeans that he left after his passing were worth 50,000, i think he would think the world has gone crazy. Now, thats some tailormade close from an heir not only left big shoes to fill, but a big pair of pants to boot. Everybody has a pair of their favorite supercomfortable, wornout jeans, right . These are mine. I cant believe im wearing them on a shoot, but i wonder what old levi strauss would think of Clothing Stores selling preripped denim, often at two or three times the cost of a pristine pair. Whats up with kids these days too lazy to wear out their own jeans . Im jamie colby. Thanks for watching strange inheritance. And remember you cant take it with you. A paid presentation from meaningful beauty by cindy crawford. female announcer with special appearances from some of your tv favorites sharing their number one skin saving secrets. male announcer plus, a stunning before and after story from todays special guest, lori loughlin. female announcer at age 52, the star of full house and much more says her skin seems to be looking not older but younger thanks to friend and supermodel cindy crawford. lori i really do feel like my skin has been restored and ive traveled back in time. male announcer could it be the fountain of youth weve been waiting for . Stay tuned to find out