fbn@foxbusiness.com. tomorrow i will be on fox radio with guy benson at 5:00 p.m. in the east 2:00 p.m. in the west, we will be debuting and new candy cocktail called the jenny too many. it's going t >> an automotive classic... >> oh, my. it really moves. >> well, it's pretty quick. >> what is it about the corvette that has captured america? >> you have lamborghinis, and you got ferraris, but the american sports car has always been the corvette. >> it's the dream that keeps a soldier going... >> do you think that helped him get through very difficult times at war? >> absolutely. >> ...the decision that vexes his heir... >> it was the most difficult thing i've ever done in my life. >> ...the ultimate for vette collectors... >> it was an urban legend that there was this impeccably original, pristinely kept 1967 corvette. >> we got three, four... >> ...and a mystery on wheels. >> something is fishy because that's not there.

[ door creaks ] [ wind howls ] [ thunder rumbles ] [ bird caws ] >> i'm jamie colby on the outskirts of chicago on my way to meet a guy whose strange inheritance takes us back to a time when american cars rule the road, america herself leads the free world, and a working-class kid from the midwest just dreams of making it home. >> my name is matt litavsky. my father meant the world to me, and he left me a very special car that meant the world to him. he chose me to preserve it, but there came a time when i had to let it go. >> hi, matt. i'm jamie. >> hi, jamie. it's nice to meet you. >> i know i came here to see your inheritance, this magnificent car, but when we're done, you got to take me for a ride in this. >> all right. we'll see about that. >> i'm on my best behavior. >> okay. >> to appreciate the car,

says matt, you first need to know about his dad and why his 1967 corvette meant so much to him. keith litavsky is born in lisle, illinois, in 1944. world war ii is drawing to a close. the cold war is about to begin. america is leading the charge, and nowhere is the country's muscle bolder than on american roadways, which gm, ford and chrysler are pumping with some of the coolest cars on earth. >> now it wasn't all about just having a four-door family car like it had been in the past. >> auto analyst john kraman. >> the manufacturers jumped on board with a variety of high-performance cars, wild colors, the styling really affected by the aviation theme with the big fins and and the wild, futuristic styling. >> no wonder keith loves cars

from boyhood. long before he gets his license, he settles on his dream ride, the american beauty that first rolls off the assembly line in 1953 when he's 9 years old, the chevy corvette. >> the corvette just reset the bar totally with innovative styling and a fiberglass body, which at the time was unheard of. >> a decade later, in 1963, when keith is saving up for his first new car, chevy reintroduces the corvette with a new body style and renames it the stingray. keith wants one more than ever, but the vette's 4k list price is way out of reach, so he settles for a little less. >> the plymouth belvedere was his first car he bought new. has a 426 wedge in it, was what he could afford at the time. >> he doesn't have it long. >> in 1965, the war in vietnam

is heating up, and uncle sam calls keith's number. >> he gets drafted, and he sells the plymouth belvedere to his brother. >> soon, he's in the line of fire with no guarantee he'll return. >> he was in reconnaissance, so he went through a lot of difficult situations there. he made a lot of good friends and lost a lot of good friends. >> if keith does get back home, he's making sure a big reward awaits him. in each letter to his family, he encloses his combat pay with a specific goal in mind, a brand-new corvette. do you think that was a dream that he hung onto that helped him get through very difficult times at war? >> absolutely. a lot of guys would flip through the flyers from the car dealers and pick out a car, and i think, psychologically, it helped them get through to know that they'll have that car there, so it was something to look forward to. >> here is a "strange inheritance" quiz question...

the answer after the break.

♪

>> vietnam, april, 1966, keith litavsky is praying he'll making it home to illinois and the dream car he's saving for, a chevy corvette. one day, as keith's unit is searching for the enemy, shots ring out in the jungle. a firefight erupts, bodies dropping everywhere. >> he carried his wounded commanding officer out. >> literally carried? >> literally carried him out of this firefight. >> corporal litavsky makes it home in the winter of 1967. >> still had shrapnel in his leg... >> amazing. >> ...but came home with two purple hearts and a lot of interesting stories. >> and that car of his dreams is waiting for him -- this '67 chevrolet corvette,

fresh off the assembly line. >> we actually had ordered the car while he was in vietnam, then came home and picked up the car. >> marina blue finish, bright blue interior, sweet, plus red pinstripe tires and a black stinger, poetry on wheels. keith even keeps the sales sticker from the dealer. how much did it cost? >> it was around $5,500. >> so he had to save for a while. >> mm-hmm. it's a lot of money back then. >> what the heck? he's 23, just out of the army, single, handsome, buff. this ride perfectly fits his life but just for a fleeting moment. keith enrolls in college on the g.i. bill and marries crystal kierien. she's divorced with five kids. life had thrown crystal a curveball and keith was right there to catch it. >> young guy,

marries a woman with five children. >> yeah... >> five of you. >> five of us >> how old were you when they got married? >> i think i was about five. >> what kind of a father was he? >> if i could be half the man he was i'd be a success. he was the best. >> and so were his wheels. >> one of my first memories takes place in the corvette. me and my two brothers climbed in the back, and he gave us a ride. >> meanwhile, chevy is working up big changes for the corvette, changes that will have profound consequences for this "strange inheritance" story. in 1968, the stingray body style takes on a kind of pre-'70s vibe. some folks love the new vettes. some hate them. either way, those earlier corvettes quickly become collectibles, and the '67, the last of the old body styles, would become the ultimate. >> those cars are regarded today as some of the most desirable

and valuable corvettes of all time. >> keith litavsky saw it coming. >> he knew he had a car that might be worth some money some day and decided to not drive it as much. every time he drove it, he would write stuff down and log it in a logbook. >> like what? >> well, if he started it up, he'd say, "july 5th, 80 degrees outside, started the car, revved it up to 3,500 rpms three times and shut it down," or "changed oil." >> according to keith's log, the odometer shows just 2,600 miles when he marries. he won't put very many miles on it after that. even if he wanted to, he won't get the chance. when he's just 30 years old, he's diagnosed with testicular cancer. >> he was sick, in and out of the hospital a lot. >> the disease makes a long, slow march through his body. in 1992, at age 48, keith's prognosis becomes dire. matt, now 28 and living on his own, moves back to his childhood home

in suburban chicago to help his mom take care of his dad. >> you could just see that, from such a strong guy, that the cancer was just eating him alive, literally. >> on nights when keith is in too much pain to sleep, matt stays up with him, and they talk all night. >> he kind of opened up a lot about his time in vietnam, and it was difficult for him. >> and he entrusts matt to drive his prized car for the first time. >> he knew the car had to be driven. he could no longer shift the car, so it just about killed him to say, "go ahead." >> keith knows the car he dreamed of in the vietnam jungle, bought for $5,000 in combat pay and meticulously maintained ever since is now worth a lot more than that, six figures, easy, so as death nears, he must decide what to do with it.

>> he was nervous that my brother might sell the car. he wanted to keep the car around as long as he could. >> when keith finally succumbs to cancer in 1993 at age 49, he leaves the corvette to matt alone. >> i think that was kind of his way of saying thank you. >> but matt senses the rest of his family feels left on the side of the road. >> it left a little animosity with my brothers and sisters because my dad loved all of us the same, but because i inherited the car, there was always some tension there. >> that tension worries him. one day, he'll have to pass on this strange inheritance. what'll he do when he hits that fork in the road? we're really going to go for a ride? >> we're going for a ride. >> i'm ready. >> here is another quiz question for you...

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♪ >> it's arctic white, which made up 18% of new vettes sold, but if you guessed red, you're close. if you combine torch red and long beach red, the two shades add up to 20%. >> this 1967 corvette is the gift that vietnam soldier keith litavsky gives to himself for returning home alive. he buys it with his combat pay, maintains it meticulously, and drives it a mere 8,500 miles until his death in 1993.

>> he added a lot to the documentation of the car and the validity of it. for me, it was more sentimental just going through it and seeing in dad's handwriting how cool it was and how special. >> absolutely. his son matt knows he's inherited much more than a 26-year-old sports car but isn't sure what to do with it. >> it was years of prayers and, you know, saying, "hey, god, what do you want me to do with this car?" >> so he just maintains the classic even more fastidiously than his father had. >> the car has never been to a car show, you know. my neighbors didn't even know i had the car. >> oh, my. why would they? in the 2-plus decades after his dad dies, matt marries, starts his own family but racks up just 30 more miles on the corvette. he takes it out rarely for a quick drive around the block just to keep all the parts working. ah, sounds good, matt.

>> oh. >> ah, that smell, too. >> i just love that. >> it's a beautiful thing. >> smells like america. >> i love the way it looks. it looks like the day it came out of the showroom. >> i've done my best. >> but while matt's neighbors don't know about his strange inheritance, rumors abound in corvette world. >> i think you're right about that. >> it was sort of an urban legend for a long time, that there was this impeccably original, pristinely kept 1967 corvette. corvette enthusiasts, in particular, go crazy over mint-condition, unrestored, original cars. >> really big-money enthusiasts like former racecar owner gary runyon and his wife, jackie, of carmel, indiana. so what is it about the corvette that you think has captured america? >> you know, you have lamborghinis, and you got ferraris and all types of european cars, but the american sports car has always been noted as the corvette.

>> like the runyons' super-rare 1957 airbox, only 43 of them were made, and their serial number 001, the first off the assembly line in 1965. couple are always ready to add to their collection. what is your criteria? >> a real, unrestored, original engine, transmission, original interior and a story behind it. >> well, there's certainly a great story behind matt's corvette unless everything he thought he knew about his strange inheritance is wrong. >> original, unrestored '67 corvettes, there's a little, tiny dot. >> i don't see it. >> and something is fishy because that's not there. >> what's your "strange inheritance" story? we'd love to tell it. send me an e-mail or go to our website, strangeinheritance.com. while the world keeps fighting for your attention.

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>> now, back to

"strange inheritance." >> in 1993, vietnam veteran keith litavsky dies and leaves his son, matt, his '67 corvette stingray. off we go. since then, it's hardly left matt's garage except for short drives to keep it running right. what's this? >> that's a st. christopher medal for the patron saint of travelers. >> yeah. >> so he kept it in here because he felt like it would keep the car safe. >> oh, really? >> and, yeah, so i thought it should stay with the car. >> it's wonderful. but by 2016, matt is in his 50s and wondering about what would happen to the corvette if something were to happen to him. he knows a pristine, unrestored '67 is worth a fortune and recalls the tension among his siblings after his father left the car solely to him. >> i have two boys and a daughter, and splitting a car three ways is not easy.

>> mm. >> splitting money three ways is a lot easier. >> after a lot of soul-searching, matt decides it's time to sell. >> so it was a decision that, honestly, i prayed for, for years. >> matt brings the corvette and his father's story to mecum auctions in wisconsin. remember john kraman? he's their director of consignments, and they discover a big problem. >> part of the build process of the very unique fiberglass body of the corvette has a little mold dot that's just part of the normal manufacturing process. you know, imagine our surprise that that little hood-channel dot is missing. >> it's about the size of the tip of a ballpoint pen. >> david burroughs, mecum's automobile authentication expert, pinpoints the problem for me. >> so if you count in 13 of these ribs, it would be right about in the center of this little gutter. >> but it's missing.

>> so restored cars, that gets all sanded off to make it look pretty and shiny, and then that little fingerprint gets obliterated, and so that implies that this car has been either restored, or at least something is fishy. >> i knew what i had, and i knew everything i had was genuine and real. >> that one little dot could be the difference between someone believing you and not believing you. and a difference of hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction, but how do you prove what was or wasn't done to a 50-year-old car? the mecum team scrambles. they track down other '67 corvettes manufactured around the same time. >> we were able to collect photos of unrestored cars in this vin range and the serial numbers where this car fits in that vin range. >> all '67s? >> oh, yes, and none of them had the dot. >> dot mystery solved. >> it's a home run in the world series.

>> may 20, 2017, the '67 corvette, along with all of its documentation, hits the auction block 50 years after it was sold to corporal keith richard litavsky, who gave himself a present for returning home from battle alive... >> the 1967 corvette is making its way into the building with matt litavsky behind the wheel. >> ...and with a heartfelt tribute in honor of matt's father. [ "taps" playing ] >> they just really paid a great tribute to my dad and the car. >> and here we go. start the bid! >> befitting a classic american sports car, would-be buyers maneuver fast and furiously to own the corvette with the classic american story. the bidding starts at 100k. >> three, four,

$ 300,000, on the bid... >> it's off to the races. >> five, now $500,000, anybody? >> it blows through the half-mil mark in seconds. >> got 75, 25, go 25! >> and then... >> sold, $675,000! >> you may recognize that gentleman there in the checked shirt. that is gary runyon with his wife, jackie. >> that same husband-and-wife team, the rare-car collectors we met earlier in indiana. >> it was totally unrestored, absolutely gorgeous. i gave a thumbs up and a head nod, and gary said, "you just purchased that car." >> i see tears of joy. it appears that this story is going to have a happy ending. >> it will. yes. >> matt was a great caretaker for his dad's vehicle, and to be frank with you, i believe that's exactly what jackie and i are. >> again, god answered my prayer. i didn't pray for money.

i prayed for it to go to a good home. >> of course, that $675,000 will go a long way, but the values inherited from his dad will go even farther. what are you thinking? >> i was just thinking about how he... i think he instilled in all my brothers and sisters a lot of perseverance and just getting through anything. didn't matter what it was, you'll get through it >> what did he teach you about america? >> you know what? it's the land of the free, home of the brave, and there's no bs there. >> even though the corvette has been around now for more than 60 years, it's nowhere near retirement. in fact, it's become a verb. corvette lovers like to say they're "vetting," an apropos phrase for matt's father, the vet who loved his vette. i'm jamie colby.

thanks so much for watching "strange inheritance." and remember -- you can't take it with you. >> she's a jet-setter in the golden age of travel... >> pan am flight attendants were iconic. >> did she fit the bill? >> i think shecreatedthe bill. >> ...bringing back these from around the globe. >> indonesian, african, chinese -- they came from everywhere. i thought she was a smuggler, which made it even more exciting. >> what?! >> are they just silly trinkets... >> is there a big market for beads? >> there's a big market for beads. >> this is the real deal? >> this is the real deal. >> ...or historical treasures worth a mint? >>thedalai lama? >> yes. [ gavel bangs ] >> bidder 561 is for $11,000. [ door creaks ] [ wind howls ] [ thunder rumbles ]

[ bird caws ] ♪ >> i'm 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 it's

decorated -- minimalist. >> it wasn't 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 lindstrom's story begins in a tiny logging town in british columbia, canada, where she's 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, she'd take the shotgun and go and get it. >> but the backwoods life is too small for naomi's big dreams. by 18, she's a pre-med college student in seattle. >> she had one quarter left, but it was summer, and she saw a sign from united airlines saying "we're hiring." she thought, "i'll 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 globe-trotting lifestyle. she was hooked. >> she was hooked, and she never regretted it. >> in 1952, she jumps ship to pan-american airways -- not just the most prestigious of carriers, but a cultural icon. pan am was founded in 1927 as america's 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. >> how'd she look in her uniform? >> oh, she looked gorgeous. she looked gorgeous until she

retired. >> the stew's 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. that's how she befriends jamey allen -- over their shared love of the small mementos. what do you think naomi's 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, they're money. in others, magical charms. for naomi, they slide easily into a suitcase and through customs. >> they are mankind's 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 weren't 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 who'd buy dinner for her. >> naomi's 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 bigger-than-life, 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, she's still feisty as ever. >> she was probably about a year beyond needing full-time 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. that's when they learn aunt naomi's 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. >> that's 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.

>> it's "b." pan am did not require applicants to have traveled abroad. the three other answers really were requirements. >> 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 didn't 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. >> it's 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. it's dogs' teeth. >> dog teeth -- that's a new one. thousands upon thousands of beads. it's simply overwhelming for carol. when you looked at all the beads, what was your first reaction? >> "wow. what have we gotten into?" >> but help's just a phone call away -- to naomi's friend and fellow bead enthusiast jamey allen. >> well, we were all astounded. we were not prepared for what we found. >> jamey's first step is to catalog the collection. >> jamey and i spent months together, going through drawers, with me helping him sort and saying, "jamey, what's this? jamey, what's this?" >> the beads may look alike to lise, but not to jamey's discerning eye. he's able to deduce a bead's 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 bead's 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. >> jamey's analysis yields a stunning conclusion -- many of naomi's 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. there's west african quartz more than 1,000 years old, pre-columbian ceramic from peru, and afghani beads from the 3rd millennium b.c. are these museum-worthy? >> absolutely. there are many, many museum-worthy pieces in the lindstrom collection. >> i had no idea. i mean, to me, it's a bunch of beads. >> a bunch of beads that jamey says might be worth their weight in gold. >> a well-made 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. >> that's next. >> here's another quiz question for you.

the answer after the break. there's a company that's talked to even more real people than me: jd power. 448,134 to be exact. they answered 410 questions in 8 categories about vehicle quality. and when they were done, chevy earned more j.d. power quality awards across cars, trucks and suvs than any other brand over the last four years. so on behalf of chevrolet, i want to say "thank you, real people." you're welcome. we're gonna need a bigger room.

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>> so, which of these beads is typically the most valuable? it's "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 naomi's 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 one-of-a-kind 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 michaan's auctions to naomi's san francisco condo. >> when i walked in the house, i was just overtaken by the beauty of everything that she had. you just don't see these items. the collection is phenomenal. >> it's immediately clear to rhonda that this is one of the top bead collections in america and deserves its own stand-alone auction -- which i'm previewing today, just hours before the big event. what are you wearing, to start? >> i'm wearing an ancient tibetan necklace of coral.

>> from what i understand, the piece you're wearing has an estimate of $30,000. >> that is correct. coral is so popular right now, and you just don't see it -- the size, the color, the quality. it's almost impossible to find. >> is there a big market for beads? >> there's 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. they're ancient beads from afghanistan, and they're glass beads. >> its pre-sale estimate -- $3,000. this really caught my eye.

>> it's pre-columbian, and it's 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 naomi's 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 pre-sale estimate -- more than 10 grand. while this central asian necklace from 700 b.c. is appraised at $18,000. there's no telling what the entire cache will bring in. ready to find out? that's next. are you nervous? >> i'm terrified. >> with that, we will begin. >> i am hoping that i've done everything i could have done up to this point. >> $500 is bid. online at $500. >> what's your "strange inheritance" story? we'd love to tell it.

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>> 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 michaan's 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. >> i'd say collect it now, because you'll 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."

she'd be so proud. she'd be thrilled. >> naomi felt all of these things were her babies. and today, we're looking for a lot of good homes. >> $475. >> $475 now. $475's the bid. go $500? >> the auction gets going. some of the pre-sale 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 we'll start the bidding off on this at $6,000. >> $6,500. >> that necklace from naomi's time helping the dalai lama... >> bidder 561 is for $11,000. >> whoo! >> way to go. >> [ laughs ] >> whew! >> yeah. >> this is fun, isn't it? [ laughter ] >> it's even more fun when items go way above their appraisals. many do. remember that tiny tibetan spiritual bead priced at $1,500? >> and we'll 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. we're 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. >> that's triple its pre-auction estimate. more big sales follow... >> chinese white jade necklace. and we'll 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! there's 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 she'd be happy that people thought her things were interesting enough to buy them. >> and that may be just the beginning. many top-tier items that didn't hit their reserve will be re-offered 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 we'll 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 it's 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 naomi's 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 naomi's 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." i'm jamie colby. remember -- you can't take it with you. >> an ancestor they knew nothing about... >> i went through 50-some-odd years of my life and had no clue. >> an inheritance they can hardly believe... >> what was your reaction as you opened those first boxes? >> it was mind-blowing. >> why does andrew green have george washington's will? >> bare-knuckle politics, cold-blooded murder, a legacy all but snuffed out... >> this was a cloud of suspicion of having lived a double life. >> what did they do? >> what are the chances that those boxes would've just been trashed? >> very good chance of that. >> what would you do? >> well, it drove me crazy. >> how 'bout 6,000? >> and what's it all worth? >> you think you'll ever get another auction with a story like this? >> no, i kinda dou