i'm jamie colby. thanks so much for watching "strange inheritance." and remember -- you can't take it with you. >> 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. this is decision tech. find a stock based on your interests or what's trending. get real-time insights in your customized view of the market. it's smarter trading technology for smarter trading decisions.

fidelity.

♪

>> 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...

the answer when we return. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

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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. she wanted a roommate to help with the cooking.

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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. ♪ >> a warehouse stacked high with high fashion. >> she never, ever let on that i was going to inherit this collection. i had no idea. >> a clothesline to presidents, royalty, and thetitanic? >> what's it worth? >> $20,000. >> that's a lot of money for a >> that's a lot of money. >> and a lot of stress. >> my husband actually said to me -- oops! -- "it's either me or the collection." ♪ >> if she says yes to the dresses... >> definitely good for blondes. >> ...will her dream ever get off the runway? >> i got a phone call saying, "charlotte, they're going to take your collection." >> oh, no. i was panicking. [ door creaks ] [ wind howls ] [ thunder rumbles ]

[ bird caws ] ♪ >> i'm jamie colby in new york city, here to meet an heir whose strange inheritance not only unraveled her life... it left her hanging by a thread. >> my name's charlotte smith. what do you do when your godmother leaves you 70 huge boxes of dresses? one thought -- send them right back. but then i realized these weren't just dresses. they were one-of-a-kind pieces of history. >> charlotte? >> hello. >> hi. i'm jamie. >> lovely to meet you. >> charlotte, a native of philadelphia who now lives in australia, is in manhattan to meet with fashion students at the famed parsons school of design. >> this is my inheritance, all pieces bequeathed to me from my american godmother. >> why can't i get so lucky? ♪ charlotte's wardrobe is filled with fashion gems that are as

timeless as they are priceless. so elizabeth taylor, cleopatra. >> yeah! this is 1930s. it was all decadence. it was the silver screen. it was hollywood. this was about 1915. >> over 100 years old! >> over 100 years old. >> and this is just a small sampling of the valuable vintage heirlooms charlotte inherited. >> when i received the bequest from my godmother, it was about 3,500 pieces. >> you heard right. 3,500 designer pieces, all assembled by a very unlikely fashionista. the story begins in 1937 in bryn mawr, pennsylvania, when a college student, doris hastings, sees a peach gown in a shop window. >> she asked her family to give her enough money for her birthday and christmas for three years so that she could buy it. >> doris gets the dress she covets and wears it to a dance, impressing her date,

howard darnell. the two are soon engaged and then married. it was a good investment. >> yes. that was really something that kick-started her passion for clothing. >> doris darnell goes on to become a school librarian, devoted wife, mother of three, and practicing quaker while meantime pursuing her passion for glamorous clothes, especially vintage attire. doris's daughter beth tells us more. >> she adored getting dressed up. any time they went out, if we had a birthday party or we went out to a restaurant, she wore antique clothes. and she loved it. >> but her mother's taste for fashion is an uncomfortable fit with quaker sensibilities. >> when quakers started, they didn't believe in anything except very simple dress. that didn't apply to her at all. my father's mother absolutely disapproved of her completely. >> how did doris's quaker husband feel about what she did? >> he was amused. but whenever they went into a function, he would always walk

10 steps behind so that doris could walk in and be, you know, the show wearing something extraordinary. >> her quirky style becomes her calling card, and philly society loves it. soon, others are handing down to doris their old designer dresses or family heirlooms for her to wear. >> people were just constantly giving her things. she had a whole wardrobe of house dresses and never bought one. >> by the time doris's three kids leave the nest, the third floor is filled with more than 1,000 high-fashion garments, including designs by dior, chanel, and pucci. it's a dress-up dreamland for doris's young goddaughter, charlotte. >> i just thought, "oh, my gosh, you know, why doesn't my barbie have clothes like this?" >> well, hello! no need for barbie. you were her barbie. >> i was her barbie. >> and doris knows the story behind each and every item. she puts together a meticulous dress catalog that includes

letters, photographs, and notes. >> for her, it was about storytelling and about fashion history. >> these fashion stories were often intertwined with significant world events -- like this dress by lady duff-gordon, the leading british fashion designer of the late 19th century, who survived the titanicin infamous style. >> she was in the first lifeboat with her husband, sir duff-gordon. >> a lifeboat nicknamed the millionaires' due to the wealthy first-class passengers who climbed aboard. the boat paddles away ignominiously with only 12 survivors, despite being able to hold 40. but even the scandal can't sink gordon's popularity. loyal customers show up to her testimony at the disaster inquiry dressed to the hilt in her designs. doris also has the wedding dress worn by eleanor chase when she marries charles taft, son of

former president william howard taft, in 1917 during world war i. the real story here is what the groom wore. >> even though it was the son of a president, charles decided that in respect of the war that he was going to wear military uniform instead of black tie. >> there's plenty more history... an original dior owned by ruth meyer when her father, eugene meyer, publisher of the washington post, hosted parties for the capital elite. and this dress, worn to the 1937 coronation of britain's king george vi. so many great yarns! that's what the dresses are for >> she was not only treasuring the garment. she was also treasuring that person's story, and she was keeping their story alive. >> over the years, doris's collection grows from 1,000 garments to 2,000 and more. by her 80s, she's amassed more

than 3,500 pieces and is beginning to fear what will become of her treasured fashion trove when she's gone. >> she worried terribly about it's a it.the people who gave these things. and she had promised everybody that she was not going to sell it. >> doris begins looking for someone to step into her shoes, but her own children show zero interest. >> i loved her clothes. i loved her whole collection, but it was not something that i would have taken on. >> doris's next call comes like a bolt out of the blue. >> and i remember just instantly thinking, "what on earth am i going to do with it?" >> is it historically significant or financially a mind blower? >> both. >> here's a "strange inheritance" quiz question. who is credited with creating and patenting the brassiere strap clasp -- author mark twain, inventor thomas edison, or hero nurse clara barton?

the answer after the break.

♪ ♪ since pioneering the suv in 1935, the chevy suburban has carried many things. nothing more important than family. introducing the most versatile and advanced chevy suburban and tahoe ever. ♪ >> so, who is credited with inventing and patenting the brassiere strap clasp? it's mark twain. while the author meant for his patent to be used in vests and pantaloons, it only caught on for one snug garment, the bra. ♪

>> a lifelong love of fashion fills doris darnell's closets with vintage designer clothes. family, friends, and even strangers vie to be a part of her collection. ♪ that's how it grows to more than 3,500 pieces with designs by chanel, dior, pucci, and dating back to the late 1800s. >> it was like a childhood kind of fantasy, really. it was like disney at my godmother's house. she had so much stuff. so it was a treasure trove up there. in 2004, doris surprises her 46-year-old goddaughter, charlotte, who's now living in australia with her husband and young daughter. doris says she wants charlotte to assume her mantle when she's gone.>> she never, ever let on i was going to inherit this collection. i had no idea. it came out of the blue. >> were you looking for a hobby? >> i was not at all looking for

a hobby. i had a shop, an antiques shop. i had a young daughter. i had a husband. i was living on the other side of the world, and there was a lot of personal and emotional baggage that came with it. >> maybe it's best to politely decline the offer, just as doris's own kids had done. and i remember just instay thinking, "what on earth am i going to do with it?" >> but baggage or no baggage, charlotte comes to terms with her inheritance and tells her godmother, "sure. pencil me into the will." in 2007, doris darnell passes away at age 90. her lifelong collection shows up at charlotte's antiques shop in australia, 70 boxes in all. >> did you have room for all those items? >> well, we stacked it up floor to ceiling. i mean, it was just... it took up half my shop. >> the boxes contain thousands of dresses with detailed notes on each. >> there were four gigantic notebooks with her typed-out letters about the stories behind

the dresses and the people who wore them. >> this social history captured through fashion could be worth a mint, says vintage-fashion appraiser karen augusta. is it historically significant or financially a mind blower? >> i'd say both. >> so, let's talk about these. first up, this '80s cocktail dress by the renowned oscar de la renta, who achieved fame as a favorite designer of jackie kennedy. what would it sell for today? >> in today's market, it would sell for about $4,500. >> karen tells me 1930s gowns like this are in very high demand. >> if it were to sell in a shop in l.a., it would be $6,000 to $7,000. >> she's out of my league, but nice to meet you. karen also puts a price tag on this revealing number by spanish designer paco rabanne. it looks like a j. lo dress. what's this one worth?>> $8,000?

it could go for very much above that. >> then there's this late-'40s hourglass dress by leading postwar designer pierre balmain. >> that's a museum piece. let's say $22,000. >> that's a lot of money for a dress.of money. >> and remember -- charlotte inherited 3,500 pieces, including this 1930s chanel wedding dress valued at 50k. so, what's the whole wardrobe worth? >> it's up there. >> up there in the stratosphere, perhaps millions of dollars, which leads to a recommendation for charlotte's inheritance. >> "just sell it," you know. "don't waste your time. just sell it." >> tally at least one enthusiastic vote for that option. >> my husband actually said to me -- oops! -- "it's either me or the collection." >> here's another quiz question. the answer when we return. love and respect are at the core of each parenting strategy

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♪ >> so, when it was first introduced, what was described as the atom bomb of fashion? it's the bikini. in 1946, french designer louis réard named his new garment after the bikini atoll in the south pacific where the u.s. did nuclear testing because he hoped it would make as big of a bang as the atomic bomb. ♪ >> charlotte smith has inherited thousands of valuable designer dresses -- garments that span 150 years of history. and today... this one!

...she lets me model some items from her collection. >> doesn't it remind you of a stained-glass window? >> so vibrant. >> [ laughs ] >> definitely good for blondes. >> this is timeless! >> that is timeless. >> the dresses bequeathed to her by her late godmother, doris darnell, aren't just beautiful. they're worth a fortune. >> i could see everybody who was money minded standing behind me rubbing their hands together, saying, "just sell it." you know, "don't waste your just sell it." >> and charlotte does test the waters. >> i have sold one thing. >> what was it worth? >> it made just under $6,000. >> if you sold one for $6,000... >> yeah.didn't you say to yourself, "i could sell a few more. there's still thousands of >> i regret it now. >> oh. >> yeah. i regret it now. i knew at the time that i was carrying on something that someone had begun and wished she

could continue. she took it to a certain level and always anticipated it going further. >> so, charlotte resolves to keep the collection intact, roll up her sleeves, and continue her godmother's legacy. >> i decided that i was going to spend 100% of my time making something of the collection. >> her plan is to make money with paid appearances, modeling shows, and exhibits. so, charlotte sells her antiques shop. it's not a decision welcomed by her husband. >> he just couldn't believe i would give up my shop, which was very successful, and take something that was really an unknown risk. so he actually said to me -- oops! -- "it's either me or the collection." >> did you answer right away? >> well, i'm not married any longer. at the time, i was really angry. trust me that i was going to make something out of it. it was a very good motivator. >> but he's not wrong about one thing -- it is a risky move. charlotte, now divorced, learns

that as she scrambles to book gigs while storage and other bills pile up. i can't even imagine what it costs to maintain the collection. >> i need to have $6,000 a month just to maintain it. we're talking already about $150,000 that i've put in. >> money she puts in from the sale of her shop, but those funds only go so far. >> there are moments where i am so overwhelmed, i just think that i just can't cope with this anymore.oing to get rid of. but i say, you know, "keep going. just keep going. you're almost there." >> then, four years after her strange inheritance upended her life, charlotte catches a big break -- a designer from australia uses a dress from her collection as inspiration for her new fashion line. soon, event planners and museum curators are booking charlotte and her dresses. her growing reputation leads to

a job at a private fashion institute. >> they asked me if i would come onboard and teach the history of fashion. >> for the first time in years, charlotte has a steady paycheck, along with a place to store her dresses free of charge. and just like that, everything unravels. >> i get a phone call saying, "charlotte, they're going to take your collection." >> oh, no >> i was panicking. >> what's your "strange inheritance" story? we'd love to tell it. send me an e-mail or go to our website, strangeinheritance.com.

♪ >> now back to "strange inheritance." >> charlotte smith is trying to make a successful career out of the thousands of high-fashion historical dresses she inherited from her godmother. in 2009, she's teaching at a design institute when it goes belly-up. >> i got a phone call from one of the other teachers saying, "charlotte, you've got to get down here right away. they've gone into liquidation, and they're going to take your

collection." >> i was panicking. >> you could have lost these valuable pieces. >> i could have lost everything. everything that i owned was in that school building. no one could get in. >> charlotte won't back down. she's able to prove the garments are hers, not the school's, and get the collection back in her custody. but now her strange inheritance poses another tough choice. >> i'd just lost my job, and i thought, "i'm actually a two-home owner" because my collection actually costs me more than maintaining my house. >> charlotte can only afford to keep one. >> it was awful, but you know what, i thought,"there is no way i would inherit a collection like this for no reason." i made the decision i'd rather sell my house than my collection. >> now, think about that. first the dresses cost her her next they cost her her husband. now they cost her her house. are you obsessed? >> [ laughs ] am i obsessed? i'm determined. i'm passionate.

>> and at this point struggling to make ends meet, but it's not all bad luck. charlotte also gets an e-mail from a major publishing house. >> it came out of the blue, saying, "we've been following your story. are you interested in writing a i sent the e-mail saying, "yes, i'd love to talk to you more." >> charlotte nets a book deal, releasing "dreaming of dior" and lalater "dreaming of chanel" based on stories of dresses from her strange inheritance. the publications provide much-needed income and help her book even bigger engagements, earning up to 16 grand in a weekend. how many different projects have you developed out of the collection? >> i do everything from museum exhibitions... i write books, of course. i do catwalk parades. ♪ >> in september 2017 at the acclaimed parsons school of design here in new york city, charlotte makes her latest appearance as guest lecturer.

>> it's a real honor for me to be here and to tell the story c. >> both students and professors are wowed. >> i think charlotte's collection must be pretty unique. it's very rare to have a collection of that historical range in private hands. >> have you taken this beyond where even doris could have imagined? this is what she had s wanted, where it was being seen around the world. in the 1920s, people were obsessed with the exotic. this is the modern woman emerging. so when you look at that dress, you suddenly know a bit about world history. so, yes, the collection is at that place that she always anticipated and envisaged it to be. keep loving fashion. it's fantastic. >> a dress in the window ignites a fashion flame in an unlikely soul, launching an historic collection that weaves thousands of stories while providing an heir with a total life makeover. >> i think the collection has given me incredible confidence. it's empowered me.

it's given me something that i can learn and grow with. doris has changed my life... >> wow. >> ...through this inheritance. >> as charlotte says, every dress has a story to tell. here's one more. it's december 1941, right after pearl harbor. a young lady in boston is planning her wedding. her fiancé appears at her door to announce he's being shipped out in three days. they decide to get married right away.the woman heads to filene's basement, which is swarming with other jittery brides-to-be. she picks out this simple ivory dress. the label reads "parachute silk," which somehow seems appropriate. after she ties the knot, she lends the dress to two friends for their wartime weddings. it proves a lucky charm for them all. their husbands make it home alive.

i'm jamie colby. thanks so much for watching "strange inheritance." and remember -- you can't take it with you. [ applause ] maria: good monday morning, everybody. welcome, thanks so much for joining us man. i'm maria bartiromo it is monday, october 12th. countdown to the november decision, tomorrow is three weeks until election day, we are 22 days away. president trump making his first public appearance this weekend with a law and order rally at the white house. he told me yesterday on sunday morning futures about the doctor's note saying he's no longer a transmission risk. does this suggest you no longer have covid, sir? >> yes, and not only that, it seems like i'm immune. so i can go way out of a baseme