[ door creaks ] [ wind howls ] [ thunder rumbles ] [ bird caws ] [ midtempo music plays ] im jamie colby, and today im heading to the annual blueberry festival in plymouth, indiana. Its not exactly the kind of place youd expect to see a massive california redwood, but this tree rocks because it rolls. My name is jamie allen, and, in 1985, when i was 23, my father passed away, and he left me something that his father left him, and its kept me on the road all my life. Jamie . Jamie . [ chuckles ] how are you . Its really great to meet you. And how funny we have the same name. Lets get started, then. All right, here we go. This is one serious tree trunk. [ midtempo folk music plays ] and the root of the story, according to jamie, is in the late 1930s. When her grandfather, james allen, is a lumberjack in northern california. James, a widower with a son in the army, sees redwood trees so massive that several men can easily fit inside the hollowed trunks. One day, during a sudden rain squall, he seeks shelter in the trunk of a giant redwood. Thats when it occurs to james that he could actually make a home out of one. It was the tail end of the depression. He couldnt afford to buy a regular house. My grandma had already passed away. So james allen combs the forest for a suitable tree. He finally discovers the perfect one on the property of the georgiapacific lumber company, near eureka, california. He traded the lumber company for that section of log for work. And then it took him four months to burrow out all the wood and a year and a half to complete the house. It was all done by hand. Today, most of those lumber mills are gone. What was once called the redwood empire is now a state park. Welcome to humboldt redwoods state park. Oh, my gosh. These trees are so beautiful. And theyre the tallest trees on the planet. Lets go. Emily burns, a tree scientist with the save the redwoods league, says there is a reason this part of the country grows such towering trees. The fog rolls in to the Coast Redwood forest from the pacific ocean, and these trees collect it, and they take in that water directly into their leaves, and they also rain it down to the forest floor, helping all the other plants and animals. Come check out this tree over here. What youre looking at is a history of fire, really. This burnedout cave is called a goose pen. Oh, my gosh. Go inside . Go inside, yeah. And it could survive this . Actually, this tree is fine. Its still growing well. And its created an amazing habitat for species like bats. Do you like bats . Not really. Are they in here . They might be. They might be right up above you. Oh, well, it was nice to see it. [ laughs ] [ soft music plays ] chopping down a tree so old is hard to fathom now, but, beginning with the 1849 gold rush, these behemoths supply a lot of lumber needed to settle northern california. As the miners were looking for gold, the redwoods started to be cut down to build cities like San Francisco. Even into the 1930s and 40s, redwood trees were still cut down by hand axes and whipsaws. It could take days for a 2man team to fell a 12footdiameter tree. A log could easily weigh 50 tons. Weve lost 95 of ancient forests like this one to harvest. This is one forest you wont find any other place on the planet. So, if this is it and i am here, can i hug a tree . I hope you will. The tree is ready. Youre calling out to me. Give me a squeeze ah its not hard to grasp why americans love their redwoods a muststop on many a family car trip since before the interstate. Maybe even you have gassed up at this filling station built entirely out of three redwood tree trunks or driven through this famous arch. Used to cost a quarter. Today, its five bucks. But remember, back in 1939, jamies grandfather isnt looking to create a roadside attraction. He simply wanted a place to hang his hat. [ midtempo march plays ] that tree he picked out was 1,900 years old. Think about that. When it was just a seed, the roman empire was at its height. As it grew, rome fell. Islam rose. Columbus sailed. The colonies rebelled. Napoleon won and lost. And the Wright Brothers flew. He built the log and lived in it for seven years. Right there in the forest until word gets out of the old fella living in a log. People would come and knock on the door and say, whats in there . So he used to take the log to schools. Just load it on a trailer. Presto a mobile home. In the late 1950s, james sr. Passes away, leaving his only son, world war ii vet and traveling salesman james elwin allen, his unusual home. So the son of a lumberjack decides to take it crosscountry, maybe make a buck while sharing his strange inheritance with the world. He sets off for parts unknown. His travels eventually lead him to canada and a rodeo show called the calgary stampede. There he meets 18yearold iris keiver. Theyre both smitten and soon get married. What do you think your mother thought about her husband driving around the country with a log house . I think it mustve been very intriguing because my mother married my father, and that was a very unusual lifestyle. When baby jamie is born in 1961, james allen jr. Packs up his young wife and daughter and heads right back out on the circuit, traveling the u. S. To fairs, carnivals, and exhibitions. I grew up in a family atmosphere of traveling people, and we just happened to have a log. Step right up, put a nickel in the donation box, and see james allens incredible cabin made from a genuine california redwood. Your dad was able to support the family off of change donations . We had the log, a fudge business, and he sold a lot of different types of products. So he was really a pro at this traveling business. He had his hands in so many pies it wasnt even funny. And its not every day you get to walk through a tree. Now that i heard your story, ive got to go inside. Please go right in and see how beautiful it really is. Thats next. What . But first our strange inheritance quiz question. The answer when we return. This time of year, what do you give . When its your extra concert, game or special event tickets to vet tix, youre giving our Nations Service members and veterans an amazing experience theyll cherish forever. This holiday season, dont just give. Vet tix. Give something to those who gave. For more information on how you can make a difference right now, go to vettix. Org. piano music jessica we need to leave. Right now i need to get something. boy dance recitals are so boring. Theres a me no one knows waiting to be set free so, whats the empty suitcase for . The grand prize trophy duh i was born to be somebody so, what is americas most visited National Park . Its a, the Great Smoky Mountains in tennessee gets about 10 million visitors a year. Its not often you get the chance to walk through a 1,900yearold redwood tree. Ill be out of the other side, i assume. Ill meet you at the other end. [ upbeat music plays ] welcome inside jamie allens strange inheritance. What . [ chuckling ] oh, my god. Look at this kitchen the kitchen boasts a vintage hotplate and a sanitary brand refrigerator from the 1940s. I did not expect this full kitchen, original kitchen, allwood cabinets . In fact, every builtin facet of the logs interior is made entirely of redwood, handsanded, varnished, and polished to a glossy finish. To keep it that way, jamie tells me she polishes the entire interior from floor to ceiling every night. Huh. Look at that. Thats how it was made. The pictures hanging in this gallery are jamies only remaining photos of her grandpa. They chronicle his amazing endeavor the cutting of a tree 1,900 years old, the stump cut 14 feet in diameter. Amazing. Im imagining the four months it took for her grandpa to hollow out this log and then 18 months to painstakingly handbuild this Redwood Interior just tall enough to accommodate his 6foot frame and Everything Else he needed. Its a whole home couch, living room, dining room. Bedroom . Unbelievable. Oh. This is beautiful wow, jamie. Its like an elegant home inside. Its beautiful, isnt it . [ upbeat music plays ] and its been home to jamie allen her whole life. I cant ever remember not living with a log. When i was a baby, my mother put me in a Cardboard Box because they didnt have a big crib to take with them. You cant carry a big crib in a log. [ country western music plays ] but when jamie turns five, her parents divorce. Five years old . They just couldnt live together, you know . In the wintertime, my dad would come to town where i was going to school. He would come and stay at the apartment we lived in. And every summer, she joins her father on the road. My dad always had me in the log. Hed give me 15 minutes at lunch, a half an hour at dinner, and 15 minutes at around 9 00. My father always knew where i was when i was a teenager. And it sounds like you loved it and you loved him. Oh, a lot. When jamie turns 16, she goes full time on the fairandfestival circuit, traveling with her dad. Its bigtime bonding for father and daughter, but does he really want this life for his girl . Coming up. I looked at my father like, what, are you out of your mind . But first. Heres another quiz question for you. The answer when we return. [ dramatic music ] this holiday. Ahhhhh ahhhhh a distant friend returns. Elliott. You came back and while lots of things have changed. Wooooah woah its called the internet. Some things havent. Get ready for a reunion 3 million light years in the making. Woohoo yeah some people say thats ridiculous. I dress how i feel. Yesterday i felt bold with boundless energy. This morning i woke up calm and unbreakable. Tomorrow . Who knows. Age is just an illusion. How you show up for the world, thats whats real. Whats your idea . I put it out there with a godaddy website. Make the world you want. So, what city lays claim to the oldest state fair . Its a. The new York State Fair began in syracuse in 1841 and remains one of the largest in the u. S. Happy blueberry festival to you. Im at the indiana blueberry festival with jamie allen and her strange inheritance a cabin her grandfather carved out of a 1,900yearold redwood. How many people do you think you meet a year as a result of traveling with a log . Millions. [ chuckles ] literally, millions of people. Shes been at it since she was a kid. For years, she crisscrossed the country with her dad. Whats here . This is my friend mike mcneil, and he was a good friend of my fathers, as well, so i thought he was somebody you might like to meet. Oh, you mean you didnt just bring me over here to have something with sprinkles . [ laughs ] mike mcneil has run a traveling concession stand like this one for 40 years. He and jamies father crossed paths many times. Jamies dad was a good businessman, and he had a good heart, too, which is what you want people to say about you. Okay. What i want is to see if mikes cheesecake is any good. Wait a minute. Ooh they have everything inside. There you go. Uhhuh. Is this new york cheesecake . No, its better. This is philadelphia. Nothing is better oh, philadelphia . You havent tried this. Okay, so, whats the first step . Dip it in the chocolate and pull it out. Nice pull it way up. Okay, i would like sprinkles. Sprinkles . Right there. May i . Go ahead. Please do. I think i have to. Youre gonna like that. Mmm. There you go. Give me a minute. Give me a minute. Wow i told you that you would like that. [ laughs ] the thing is, cheesecake on a stick is heavenly on that one weekend a year the fair comes to town. Not so much when every weekends the fair and every weekdays spent creeping down the highway to the next venue. But this was the life of james allen and the life he saw his daughter backing in to. I was the only child, so i knew i was always gonna get the log. All parents hope their kids have options, and, in 1978, when jamie is 17 years old, a stranger stops by the cabin and offers one. My dad approached me, and he said, a mans very interested in buying the log. Would you be interested in selling . But i looked at my father like, what, are you out of your mind . No, i dont want the money. I want the log. Was not continuing what he did with the log ever an option for you . Oh, no. When i was little and they asked me, what are you gonna be when you grow up . Id say, just like my dad. [ folk music plays ] seven years later, in 1985, her dad dies of cancer. Jamie, only 23, receives her strange inheritance, and, for the next 30 years, shes indeed just like her dad. Any regrets that your dad didnt take that offer . No, its a labor of love for me. You have any children . Nope, just three dogs and a cat. And a boyfriend, buddy, who travels with her on the circuit. How much time do you spend with this log of yours . Oh, i spend a lot of time with my log 14, 16 hours a day when were showing, probably 4 to 6 months a year. And you make a living doing this . I try. Its not as lucrative as it used to be. Its taking its toll on me and the log. The roads are rough on it. We only get to go 56 miles an hour because you cant move it very quickly. I get four miles to the gallon. Bungees, buddy. Are you losing money on this proposition . I think im breaking even. You know, im just floating along. How much money did you make off this venture last year . I think we took in maybe about 20,000. Do you think about what will happen when you cant drive a rig anymore . Well, the shows got to go on. We dont have a choice. Or does she . [ upbeat music plays ] shes got a big decision to make. She sure does, jamie. Thats next. Whats your strange inheritance story . Wed love to tell it. Send me an email or go to our website, strangeinheritance. Com. now back to strange inheritance. For 30 years, jamie allen has been the Sole Proprietor of allens original redwood log house. What was once a home for her lumberjack grandpa is now a traveling tourist attraction her strange inheritance. Do people look at you on the road like, wait what . That ladys driving a tree. You can see the passenger tell the driver, look, theres a girl driving that thing. Her policy of admission by donation, plus the revenue from souvenirs, once provided a decent living, but its tougher with each passing year. Its hard to be the log lady and have a life and be the bookkeeper and the truck driver and the repair person and do it all. Those worries are building in the fall of 2014, when jamie is exhibiting the log house at the pittsburgh home garden show. A few exhibits away is an antiques appraiser named lori verderame. Jamie invites her to check out her cabin. What was your First Impression when you saw this log cabin . Oh, i thought it was very unusual. I didnt realize that it was a house inside until i went inside. The women begin brainstorming. Is there anything jamie can do to make her business more lucrative, her future more secure . Is her strange inheritance a sell or a hold . So we invited dr. Lori to join us here at the blueberry festival to hear her advice. I have to look at it and evaluate it as a public attraction for its history. I have to look at it as a redwood log, a piece of a natural historical object. Who buys a log . The people who say, im a museum, im a conservation park, and i want to use it as an attraction to bring more awareness of my business. So the log really can stir an awful lot of interest. The other thing which impacts its value the log also generates money. Well, jamies told me shes just about breaking even. Shes getting four miles to the gallon. Well, shes moving it. That doesnt mean that, if it were staying still, that she couldnt generate more money. Its a lot to take in. I dont really want the log to just stay in one place. Did you choose this life on the road, or did it choose you . I think that its a little bit of both. Youre doing this since youre 23 years old. Do you start to think, maybe i ought to sell . A lot of people ask me do i want to sell, and i tell them, well, you never sell your family tree. [ upbeat music plays ] a family tree for sure. At the end of the great depression, an old lumberjack fells the 1,900yearold redwood and makes a cabin from a section of the trunk. It starts out as his home, turns into a roadside attraction, and becomes a living for his son and then his granddaughter. And what happens when its time for the log to be inherited from you . You dont have children. No, but i have several godchildren that are very interested in the log. So well see who shows the most potential of making sure that it keeps traveling. Words of a woman who knows shes approaching a crossroads but is not there yet. Ive been doing what ive been doing for a long time, and i want my log to keep doing what its doing. So your lifes gonna be on the road for awhile. Well, im pretty sure it probably will be. Its what you do. Its who i am. No doubt jamie allens redwood cabin is a strange inheritance from a different era. Consider this. The tree now believed to be the tallest in the world was discovered in this state park in 2006. Far from turning it into an attraction, officials have kept its location secret. Why . Because if its location were known, they say, so many people would race off to see it that the trees life would be in danger. Im jamie colby for strange inheritance. Thanks so much for watching, 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. Door] [ 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. Beyond the routine checkups. Beyond the notsoroutine cases. Comcast business is helping doctors provide care in whole new ways. All working with a new generation of technologies powered by our gigspeed network. Because beyond technology. There is human ingenuity. Every day, comcast business is helping businesses go beyond the expected. To do the extraordinary. Take your business beyond. [ 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. Liberty mutual customizes your car insurance, so you only pay for what you need. I wish i could shake your hand. Granted. Only pay for what you need. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. 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. Cheryl it is 5 00 a a. M. Here are your top stories at this hour. Christmas is in the rear view mirror but post Holiday Shopping and sales still to come. What can we expect. Tracee clashes on christmas, hong kong protesters facing tear gas as they return to the street. Cheryl if youre looking to escape after a stressful holiday season, weve got the travel tricks you need to navigate this busy season. It is thursday, the day after christmas, december 26th and fbn a. M. Starts right now