Weird Things People Inherited From Passed Loved Ones
During a lifetime, we amass a fairly large collection of possessions. When our loved ones pass on, oftentimes their possessions are all listed in a will to denote which relative will inherit which items.
While heirlooms often include jewelry and other meaningful trinkets, sometimes people inherit some pretty outrageous things from a large collection of comic books, a rare classic car, or even hundreds of reptiles. Let’s take a look at the strangest things people inherited.
Bone Palace
What do you get when you cross an aging science teacher with an obsession for bones? An inheritance so big it’s referred to as a “bone palace.”
By the time he passed away at age 90, the science teacher had spent his long life collecting a wide variety of animal bones. If you’re not as into things such as femurs and skulls, it might be a collection that would be difficult to appreciate. So, after his nephew was given the bone palace, he did the only right thing to do in this situation; donate it to science.
Millions in Coins
Inheritance is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get. Sometimes it’s weird and sometimes it’s straight up lucky.
When it comes to value, gold has been staking its claim for much of human history. The value is ever rising and everyone is always looking for it. So, when a woman’s cousin left her a treasure chest of gold pieces, it was definitely exciting. Once valued, it was discovered that the loot was worth over $7,000,000.
Child Inherits Winery
There’s coming into gold and then there’s coming into a self-replenishing inheritance. An eight-year-old was set to come into ownership of a winery upon the demise of his father.
Unfortunately, the untimely death of his dad made him a business owner all too soon. The business in question was a winery, so not only was he too young to run it, but also too young to understand the product. Luckily, he had support and now runs it on his own, as an adult.
World's Largest Autograph Collection
Turning an obsession into a collection is a productive way to channel that energy. Then there’s the type of collection that seems like it would be more of a challenge to keep going.
That would be the case with this autograph collection. Juan Carlos Saucedo-Campos spent his life putting together 33,000 autographs from a variety of celebrities. It’s hard enough to see one actor or singer in the course of normal life. The thought of being able to approach that many, plus having them willing to sign something for you, is priceless. At least, that’s what the man who inherited it thinks, since he is not willing to give it up.
The Infamous Bonnie Parker's Ring
There are amazing collections filled with thousands of pieces and then there are solo pieces that have just as much of a story to tell. One of the biggest stories of the 20th century was that of the criminal escapists, Bonnie and Clyde.
Their crime spree spread across the states and has been fodder for several depictions since their deaths in 1934. So, it’s no surprise that a ring belonging to Bonnie fetched $20,000 at an auction recently. How did the ring resurface after all of these years? A sheriff confiscated it from the duo, and his grandchildren found it in his closest a decade after his passing.
Millionaire By Train Set
Many people have the distinct pleasure of getting a train set as a child. The time spent with a parent or grandparent putting it together can create touching memories to look back on.
However, most of these train sets don’t necessarily make it to adulthood. They certainly aren’t worth $1,000,000 when they do. Fortunately for one woman, that’s exactly her story. Her father dearly loved the train set they played with during her youth. Adding to the background and town became a hobby of his over the years. Despite the high value placed upon the set following his death, it was never sold. The work of art is now on display in a museum.
200 Reptiles
While most people are open to gaining personal items when someone close to them passes, they usually don’t expect those things to have a heartbeat.
Karel Fortyn had a lifelong love for reptiles and amassed 200 before his passing. Talk about chaos at the will reading. There were even crocodiles included in the mix. Taking on such a large fleet of creatures wasn’t something anyone related to him had in mind. A vet was quickly deployed to the residence to help sort out the next steps.
5,000 Dolls
Some people find dolls a little creepy, especially an assortment of older types. There are even horror movies about when dolls come to life.
Imagine inheriting 5,000 of them. That’s what happened when a man’s mother passed away. She had been putting this collection together for decades. As unsettling as this might look at first glance, the story behind it was quite touching. The mother was a teacher who asked her students who were deploying overseas to bring home a doll for her from where they were stationed.
Send In The Clowns
The one thing that tops dolls on the creepy chart is clowns. There are plenty of people who have a full-on fear of their overly happy faces. Then there was a man with 13,000 clown-related items.
Luckily, this man’s son-in-law was not someone who suffered from a fear of clowns. He actually grew to have an appreciation for them. Following the death of his father-in-law, he decided not to sell off the collection that included stuffed clowns, paintings, figurines, stained glass, and much more. Instead, he made a place to show them off in his own home.
A Literal Man Cave
A trending home addition these days is a man cave. This is a place in the home, like a basement, where a man can go to and enjoy a fun time doing supposed “manly” things.
One California man took this sentiment to the extreme. Over a period of several years, he turned 20 acres of land into a strategic underground network of tunnels, rooms, and gardens. This lair was livable and the best type of escape from the world. Multiple people ended up being willed this lovely cave.