Portland Teen Spends $3 on a Lakers Jacket at a Thrift Store. Finds Out It Could Sell for $250,000
Holding a piece of history.
Quinn Brown just hit the thrift store jackpot in a way that sounds like it’s straight out of a movie. According to CBC, the 19-year-old from Portland, Oregon, walked into a local Goodwill in January and walked out with Wilt Chamberlain’s 1972 Los Angeles Lakers warmup jacket after paying just $3.07. Now, that same jacket is up for auction at Sotheby’s with an estimated value of up to $250,000.
Brown was digging through the bins like he usually does, a habit he picked up from his twin sister. He’s been thrifting for years, buying clothes by the pound and reselling the rare finds online. It’s become a side hustle that actually pays the bills, and he’s gotten pretty good at spotting what’s worth grabbing. His biggest score before this was a vintage Sub Pop T-shirt, which he sold for $250. But nothing compares to his latest find.
He says he first saw another shopper holding the massive, bright yellow jacket with Chamberlain’s name on the back. The shopper hesitated, then tossed it back into the bin. Brown didn’t think twice. He snatched it up, figuring it was a solid vintage piece he could flip for a couple hundred bucks. It wasn’t until he got home and started doing some research that he realized he might be holding something way more valuable.
It was the find of a lifetime
The jacket had Scovill buttons, which were discontinued in 1984, a clue that it was genuinely old. But the real kicker was the size. It was enormous, way too big for Brown, which matched up with other Chamberlain jackets and jerseys he found in previous auction listings. He posted a photo of it on Instagram to get some feedback, and that’s when things started moving fast. Auction houses began sliding into his DMs, and he eventually struck a deal with Sotheby’s.
Sotheby’s brought in a third-party company called SIA Photo Match to authenticate the jacket. They compared the stitching details to three authentic photos of Chamberlain – two from the 1972-73 NBA season and one from the 1972 NBA Finals. The match was undeniable. This wasn’t just any vintage jacket. It was the real deal, worn by one of the greatest basketball players of all time during one of the most iconic moments in NBA history.
The 1972 NBA Finals were a big deal for the Lakers. It was their first championship since moving from Minneapolis to Los Angeles, and Chamberlain was a huge part of that victory. He was named MVP of the series, even though he played Game 5 with a broken wrist.
The jacket Brown found is a piece of that history, and Sotheby’s isn’t shy about saying so. On the auction page, they called it “a piece of sports history,” and collectors seem to agree. Bidding was already up to $15,000 by Monday afternoon.
This isn’t the first time a Chamberlain warmup jacket has gone up for auction
In 2022, one from the 1968-69 season sold for $56,400 at Heritage Auctions. Last year, his 1972 Finals jersey went for a staggering $4.9 million at Sotheby’s. So while $250,000 might sound like a lot, it’s actually on the lower end of what these kinds of items can fetch.
Brown knows that, and he even considered holding onto the jacket a little longer, thinking it might increase in value. But in the end, he decided to take the money and invest it, probably into an index fund. It’s a smart move for someone his age, and it shows he’s thinking ahead.
The 19-year-old can’t help but feel a little guilty about the person who left the jacket behind, according to OPB. He knows exactly what it’s like to leave something valuable behind in the bins. He’s done it himself, passing on items that later turned out to be worth hundreds. It’s just part of the game when you’re thrifting, and it’s a lesson he’s learned the hard way. But this time, he got lucky. Really lucky.
Brown’s story is a reminder that you never know what you might find in a thrift store. He’s been going to Goodwill three or four times a week, posting about 30 items a day for resale. It’s become a full-blown side hustle, and he’s made friends with other resellers along the way. The used clothes and collectibles market is booming, and people are always on the lookout for the next big score. Brown just happened to stumble upon one of the biggest.
For now, Brown’s just trying to process how quickly everything has happened
One minute, he’s digging through bins like he always does. Next, he’s got a piece of sports history in his hands that could change his life. He’s not holding onto any illusions about what this means, though. He knows the jacket will probably end up in the hands of a collector, someone who will appreciate it for what it is. And that’s fine with him. He’s just happy to have been part of the story, even if it was just for a little while.
The auction for Chamberlain’s jacket is open until July 29, and it’s anyone’s guess how high the bidding will go. If you’re feeling lucky, you can place a bid and maybe walk away with a piece of NBA history. But if you’re Quinn Brown, you’re probably just happy you didn’t leave it in the bin.
(Featured image: Bill Allen)
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
Follow The Mary Sue:
