[ bird caws ] im jamie colby, thrilled to be on my latest adventure, here in San Francisco. The woman at the heart of this story also loved to travel and took home the smallest of souvenirs from every place she visited. Those tiny keepsakes could add up to abigpayday for her heirs. My name is lise mousel. For over half a century, my glamorous aunt naomi traveled the world in style. She always had a surprise for us, but the biggest one came after she passed away. [ knock on door ] i want to know more about those surprises, so i meet lise and her mother, carol, at the condo where aunt naomi lived for more than 30 years. Lise now calls the place home. Oh, i love the way its decorated minimalist. It wasnt always true, when naomi was here. Really . Yes, there was stuff everywhere. There was furniture and there were antiquities, and then there were the beads. Beads everywhere. Beads . Beads. Naomi lindstroms story begins in a tiny logging town in british columbia, canada, where shes born in 1924. Sister carol comes along nine years later. Were you rich or poor . We were poor. Naomi used to love to tell the story that if we needed a grouse for dinner, shed take the shotgun and go and get it. But the backwoods life is too small for naomis big dreams. By 18, shes a premed College Student in seattle. She had one quarter left, but it was summer, and she saw a sign from United Airlines saying were hiring. She thought, ill do it for the summer. What do you think it was about that sign asking for people to sign up to be stewardesses that attracted her . It was the travel. She always was an adventurer. Naomi instantly falls in love with the globetrotting lifestyle. She was hooked. She was hooked, and she never regretted it. In 1952, she jumps ship to Panamerican Airways not just the most prestigious of carriers, but a cultural icon. Pan am was founded in 1927 as americas First International airline. An innovator in the use of jet aircraft, pan am becomes legendary for its luxury, panache, and above all, its classy, gorgeous stewardesses. Pan am flight attendants were iconic. Did she fit the bill, lise . Oh, good lord, i think she createdthe bill, actually. Howd she look in her uniform . Oh, she looked gorgeous. She looked gorgeous until she retired. The stews life gives naomi the chance to see the world. During layovers, while her stewardess friends sit by the pool, naomi immerses herself in the local culture, which leads to a new hobby beads. Thats how she befriends jamey allen over their shared love of the small mementos. What do you think naomis fascination with beads was . She liked the fact that beads put you in touch with the culture that you admire or are interested in. In some cultures, theyre money. In others, magical charms. For naomi, they slide easily into a suitcase and through customs. They are mankinds oldest portable art form. Naomi soon identifies the perfect way to add to her bead count archaeological dig sites. And her 10 per diem from pan am comes in quite handy. At that particular point in time, the archeologists werent interested in beads, and for 10, she could get a lot of beads. What if she needed the money to eat . Oh, she knew that she could find somebody whod buy dinner for her. Naomis tiny keepsakes soon include glass beads from china, jasper from south america, stone beads from the middle east, and countless more from around the world. These red coral beads come from india. Naomi gets them in 1959 after striking up an acquaintance with a famous passenger. Filmmaker and broadcaster Lowell Thomas is on a mission trip to aid the dalai lama, and naomi tags along. Thedalai lama . Yes. Naomi was working in first class. She met Lowell Thomas. He was looking for somebody who could buy, inexpensively, all the supplies to build houses for the refugees. That is amazing. Over the decades, naomi stockpiles her beads in her San Francisco condo. I thought she was a smuggler, which made it even more exciting. What . she was this kind of biggerthanlife, independent woman who did exactly what she wanted, and i thought she was magic. She never married . No, she never did. She had many proposals. She had so many Diamond Rings that she took all the diamonds and made one band. From different guys . All from different guys. By the early 2000s, naomi is long retired from pan am, and her world travels have come to an end. But even into her 80s, shes still feisty as ever. She was probably about a year beyond needing fulltime care, but she kept sending her caregivers home. So mom and i decided that the best thing to do was to have a Family Member live with her, and i was portable at the time and eager because i loved her so much. Lise lives with her aunt naomi for the next year. Then, in march 2014, just weeks shy of her 90th birthday, naomi peacefully passes away. She names her sister carol her sole heir, who, in turn, makes lise trustee of the estate. Thats when they learn aunt naomis little trinkets are a lot more than that. Well, we were all astounded. We still were not prepared for what we found. I almost had a heart attack. Thats next. But first, our strange inheritance quiz question. Which of the following was not a requirement for pan am stewardesses during the golden age of flying . The answer when we return. vo the moth without hope, struggles in the spiders web. With every attempt to free itself, it only becomes more entangled. Unaware that an exhilarating escape is just within reach. Defy the laws of human nature. At the season of audi sales event. I am totally blind. And non24 can make me show up too early. Or too late. Or make me feel like im not really there. Talk to your doctor, and call 8442342424. Apps except work. Rywhere. Why is that . 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Pan am stewardess Naomi Lindstrom circumnavigates the world, amassing a huge assortment of beads from everywhere she goes. After her death in 2014, her sister and niece are rummaging through her San Francisco condo, wondering whether their inheritance is filled with treasures or trash. I was desperate to get things cleared out. It was overwhelming because i didnt have a clue what i was looking at. Do you take a garbage bag and just get started . It was tempting. It was really tempting. There was drawer upon drawer upon drawer. And when you opened them, every drawer was just overflowing. She converted closets into bead drawers. These are beautiful. Its not just loose beads stashed everywhere, but hundreds of bead necklaces. We probably spent the better part of two days just taking the necklaces out and laying them across the beds. The handmade pieces range from glamorous to exotic to simply bizarre. This is a necklace that naomi wore. Its dogs teeth. Dog teeth thats a new one. Thousands upon thousands of beads. Its simply overwhelming for carol. When you looked at all the beads, what was your first reaction . Wow. What have we gotten into . But helps just a phone call away to naomis friend and fellow bead enthusiast jamey allen. Well, we were all astounded. We were not prepared for what we found. Jameys first step is to catalog the collection. Jamey and i spent months together, going through drawers, with me helping him sort and saying, jamey, whats this . Jamey, whats this . The beads may look alike to lise, but not to jameys discerning eye. Hes able to deduce a beads cultural origin by studying its material, shape, color, and markings. For instance, the distinctive reddish hue on this strand reveals its provenance. These beads were made in burma. How do you know . Whereas most amber is yellow, burmese amber is more often red. So, you can determine a lot of things visually by the color, by the clarity, by the uniformity of the color. Other hints help determine a beads age erosion signs, texture, and rarity. Another clue older beads typically have larger holes, due to the lack of sophisticated cutting tools. Beads were made by hand, and they were made by artisans, and they were made one at a time, and they had a lot of skill and time invested in them. Jameys analysis yields a stunning conclusion many of naomis beads are not only very old, but rare. Ancient items include 17th Century Glass trading beads from venice and these amber ones from the chinese qing dynasty. They probably were originally in a Mandarin Court necklace about 150 years ago. Other beads, he tells them, are even older. Theres west african quartz more than 1,000 years old, precolumbian ceramic from peru, and afghani beads from the 3rd millennium b. C. Are these museumworthy . Absolutely. There are many, many museumworthy pieces in the lindstrom collection. I had no idea. I mean, to me, its a bunch of beads. A bunch of beads that jamey says might be worth their weight in gold. A wellmade bead from 3,000 years ago is a very valuable thing. But justhowvaluable . Before i knew it, she was practically hyperventilating. I was just overtaken by the beauty of everything that she had. Thats next. Heres another quiz question for you. The answer after the break. You dont use this old thing, do you . No or how bout this dinosaur right here . Nope then why are you still using a laser printer . Its got expensive toner cartridges. But this. Is the Epson Ecotank color printer. No more expensive cartridges big ink tanks. Lots of ink. If you dont think this printers right for you, just pick up your phone. chuckling . And give me a call. The Epson Ecotank. Just fill and chill. Available at. 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. [ drathis 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 so, which of these beads is typically the most valuable . Its c. Imperial jade is a prized material symbolizing water and life. In 2014, a jade necklace sold in hong kong for more than 27 million. After the death of her glamorous aunt naomi, a retired pan am stewardess, lise mousel and her mother, carol, are astonished to learn the exotic details of naomis vast bead collection. It spans about 5,000 years of history and everything from indonesian, african, chinese, japanese, european. They came from everywhere. Naomi also created oneofakind necklaces from her tiny treasures beaded jewelry that now might be worth a small fortune. Did you have any idea how much they were all worth . No. I knew nothing about beads. She finds out when she invites rhonda harness of michaans auctions to naomis San Francisco condo. When i walked in the house, i was just overtaken by the beauty of everything that she had. You just dont see these items. The collection is phenomenal. Its immediately clear to rhonda that this is one of the top bead collections in america and deserves its own standalone auction which im previewing today, just hours before the big event. What are you wearing, to start . Im wearing an ancient tibetan necklace of coral. From what i understand, the piece youre wearing has an estimate of 30,000. That is correct. Coral is so popular right now, and you just dont see it the size, the color, the quality. Its almost impossible to find. Is there a big market for beads . Theres a big market for beads. Beads are the First Jewelry that was ever worn. Beads were worn before clothes were worn. They were also used as charms like this ancient tibetan dzi bead, said to bring good luck and ward off evil. I see people Walking Around new york city with evil eye bracelets. This is the real deal . This is the real deal. What would this little bead go for . Well, we have it very reasonably priced at 1,500 to 2,000. This is an incredible necklace right here. Theyre ancient beads from afghanistan, and theyre glass beads. Its presale estimate 3,000. This really caught my eye. Its precolumbian, and its beautiful beads of crystal carnelian. Very rare to find these. Can i put this on you . Please do. Why wait . It looks like it was made for you. And it could be mine for 6k. Rhonda tells me that memento from naomis time helping the dalai lama should also attract attention. I have had so much interest in it. I feel this is going to do very well. The presale estimate more than 10 grand. While this Central Asian necklace from 700 b. C. Is appraised at 18,000. Theres no telling what the entire cache will bring in. Ready to find out . Thats next. Are you nervous . Im terrified. With that, we will begin. I am hoping that ive done everything i could have done up to this point. 500 is bid. Online at 500. 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. 200 to start. Do i have any takers for 200 . 200 right there. 225 now. 225. Do we go 250 . In march 2016, the Naomi Lindstrom collection hits the Auction Block at michaans in alameda, california. The treasure trove includes ancient beads and necklaces spanning more than 5,000 years of history that the pan am stewardess acquired from around the globe and bequeathed to her sister carol. Like these ancient beads excavated in mali. These are at least 1,000 years old. Wow. Unfortunately, this day is gonna cost me some money. Id say collect it now, because youll never see it again. Naomi would be standing there with her chest out, her head back, and a big smile on her face, saying, yes, i did this. Shed be so proud. Shed be thrilled. Naomi felt all of these things were her babies. And today, were looking for a lot of good homes. 475. 475 now. 475s the bid. Go 500 . The auction gets going. Some of the presale estimates are right on the button. Lot number 4418 an ancient afghanistan glass bead necklace. Those afghani glass beads i tried on. 3,000. [ Cash Register dings ] 4359, tibetan coral bead, gilded silver needle case necklace. And well start the bidding off on this at 6,000. 6,500. That necklace from naomis time helping the dalai lama. Bidder 561 is for 11,000. Whoo way to go. [ laughs ] whew yeah. This is fun, isnt it . [ laughter ] its even more fun when items go way above their appraisals. Many do. Remember that tiny tibetan spiritual bead priced at 1,500 . And well start the bidding off on that at. This is the best one. 1,500 is bid. 1,500, 1,600, 1,700, 1,800. 1,900. 1,900, 2,000 2,250. 2,500. 2,500. Now go 2,750s online. 3,000 the bid. Were holding at 3,000. On the floor with 3,000. 2,250. Now go 2,500. 2,500. 3,500 is on the floor. 3,750s online. No advance. 4,000. 4,000 still bidding online. 4,250. Now go 4,500. 4,500. 4,500 is bid. Online at 4,500. [ gavel bangs ] sold online for 4,500. Thats triple its preauction estimate. More big sales follow. Chinese white jade necklace. And well start the bidding off on that at 1,000. Like this chinese white jade necklace. [ gavel bangs ] 4,250. [ Cash Register dings ]. And an ancient himalayan strand that earns 5,900. [ gavel bangs ] bidder 604 for 3,000. The auction goes on for more than five hours. Last call 3,750. Nearly 300 lots, thousands of beads on the block. [ gavel banging ] in total, the auction earns more than 300,000 bucks. When you first looked at this collection and think, ohhh theres a lot of beads, and then you walk away with hundreds of thousands of dollars. That was an incredible gift from your aunt. Oh, my gosh. It really was. And shed be happy that people thought her things were interesting enough to buy them. And that may be just the beginning. Many toptier items that didnt hit their reserve will be reoffered down the line, like that ancient tibetan coral strand, the Central Asian stone necklace, and these mongolian beads. The plan is to market the heck out of it. And then well just hope that the right buyers are there on that particular day, looking. Day of the auction, did it feel like naomi was there . Shewas. Excuse me . I had her ashes in my purse. She went to the auction. Absolutely. She wanted to be put in a lake in british columbia, and i called mom and said, would it be okay with you if we kept half of her ashes out and took them with us . And she said, sure. Why not . I think its the best Memorial Service we could have given her. A fitting tribute to the pan am stewardess and her precious keepsakes from a life adventurously lived. On 10 a day. 10 per diem. [ laughs ] so, if lise brought half of aunt naomis ashes to the auction, what happened to them afterward . Well, once they gave naomi one final day with her precious beads, they decided to scatter the rest in places dear to naomis heart. Some will go in the soil outside her condo, while others will be sprinkled from this balcony over the city San Francisco that she loved so much. Bon voyage, naomi. Thanks so much for watching strange inheritance. Im jamie colby. Remember you cant take it with you. A farmer with an unusual hobby hands down a humongous collection to his family. Anybody that collects 150 tractors doesnt that make you eccentric . He spent a lifetime, and a pretty penny, a