Worth Sharing

WS

Stories That Matter

When Homeless Man Finds Artwork That Sells for Thousands, Man Tracks Him Down to Split the Earnings

When Homeless Man Finds Artwork That Sells for Thousands, Man Tracks Him Down to Split the Earnings
When a homeless man uncovered a rare Disney illustration that was worth thousands, an antique store owner tracked him down to give him some of the earnings.

A homeless man's life is taking a turn for the better thanks to a piece of art that he had found in the trash.

Adam, a Canadian man who has been sleeping on the streets of Edmonton, Alberta, first found the piece of art while he was dumpster diving.

He had uncovered a rare and authenticated frame from Disney's animated film Bambi. After uncovering the illustration, he sold it to Alex Archbold at Commodity Inc. for $20.

It seems that neither Archbold, nor Adam, knew exactly what they had found until the artwork later sold on eBay for $3,700. Instead of keeping the earnings for himself, however, Archbold decided to track down the homeless man and split the earnings.

"I decided the right thing to do was to find him, and whatever it sold for on eBay, I was going to give him half," Archbold told CTV News. "Here's a guy who needs it more than I do, so I just thought it was the right thing to do."

Archbold then embarked on a 3-week search to find Adam, but had no luck.

"Getting him the money was difficult because he has no home and no phone number," Archbold told CBC. "I took it upon myself to drive around town for a period of two weeks every single morning before work to try and find him. I found two of his friends; they told me that when they saw him next they would tell him to come in. And sure enough, he walked in my door."

Finally, Adam returned to the shop so he could sell another trinket. Archbold then reminded him of the piece he had previously brought in, and presented the homeless man with a manila envelope filled with $1,600 in cash, plus an extra $100.

"He's a very humble and nice man, and he was silent. He was tearing up a little bit. He said, ‘Is this a joke? Is this for real?‘ And I said, ‘It's 100 per cent for real,'" Archbold told the radio station. "He couldn't understand why I was helping him, and he even offered to give me the $100 extra back. He was such a kind guy. I think he's got great strength of character."

Adam, who has been living on the streets for over 3 years, is currently staying in a motel until he can make his way home to London, Ontario so he can reunite with his mother and 4 children. As a means of helping his new friend, Archbold set up a GoFundMe page for Adam; and it has already exceeded its $10,000 goal.

(WATCH the video below) – Photo by Alex Archbold

Be Sure And Share This Incredible Story Of Kindness With Your Friends

About author

Be the first to comment

Leave a Comment