Imagine being entrusted with a centuries-old family safe, its contents shrouded in mystery. Yet, there’s a caveat: you must devise a plan to extract the 1,000-pound behemoth from the basement of a soon-to-be-demolished house. This was Jacob’s dilemma, which he turned to Imgur to unravel. Amidst the frenzy to relocate the safe, Jacob nearly overlooked the potential treasures concealed within.
However, upon cracking open the safe, Jacob was astounded by its contents. Nestled in the basement of his great-uncle’s home, the safe’s ownership remained a mystery, given the property’s long tenure in the family. With time ticking away, Jacob and a friend embarked on a daring mission with nothing but a furniture dolly in tow.
We managed to load it onto the dolly smoothly enough, but our triumph was short-lived when we encountered the first step. It seemed the inanimate object had bested us… for the moment. Realizing that sheer manpower wouldn’t suffice, we swiftly devised a plan. With a tow strap secured to a chain, we enlisted the help of a skid loader to hoist it up the stairs and around the corner.
After several attempts, this finally proved to be the winning setup! It was a sight to behold as the safe saw daylight for the first time in ages. With minimal effort, we relocated it to my garage. After giving it a thorough cleaning, there she stood. I gleaned a wealth of information about the safe from conversations with my grandfather, which I’ll delve into later. Yet, the real surprise came when he handed me a piece of paper at the house.
Among the documents handed to me was a duplicate of the original manufacturer’s paperwork, including the combination! “It’s time to crack open this bad boy,” I thought excitedly. The lock’s mechanism was unlike any I’d encountered before, featuring four entries. Following the manufacturer’s instructions, I spun the dial to the first number clockwise, then three times counterclockwise to the second number, two times clockwise to the third number, and once counterclockwise to the final number.
Thankfully, my grandfather had preserved that document; otherwise, I would have been stumped. I breathed a sigh of relief when I found the key already placed inside the safe. Initially, upon opening it and encountering another door, I feared it was the end of the road. Ray, known for his frugality and tendency to hoard money, left me in suspense as I turned the key, unsure of what to expect.
Ray had a penchant for gold, land, and vintage currency, but his biggest earnings came from the stock market. Despite his occupation as a farmer in rural Illinois, it wasn’t generating substantial income, and he was well aware of it.
As I delved deeper into the documents, I was met with a plethora of paperwork. Another box opened with a key proved fruitless, prompting me to continue sifting through the papers. To my surprise, I stumbled upon two separate Disney Co. stock certificates, amounting to a total of 30 shares.
Initially, we assumed that my great uncle’s trust, the name listed on the certificates, had been closed and liquidated following his passing. However, prompted by suggestions from other Imgur users, I decided to do some further investigation.
After consulting with a financial advisor and conducting thorough documentation and inquiries, it was revealed that these certificates are indeed still valid and outstanding!
My grandfather and I are currently in the midst of the process of updating the names on the certificates to remove them from my great uncle’s trust, making them accessible once more.
Ultimately, these shares could potentially be valued at over $50,000! It’s truly a peculiar tale. You never know what hidden treasures you may uncover or extract from an old estate. Have you ever stumbled upon something intriguing among the belongings of a deceased family member?