Gen Z entrepreneur found a Wilt Chamberlain Lakers warm-up for $3.07 outside Portland — it was a $90,000 genuine article

A Thrift Store Score Worth $90,000: The Unlikely Story of a Wilt Chamberlain Lakers Jacket

When Quinn Brown, a 19-year-old entrepreneur, stumbled upon a vintage Los Angeles Lakers jacket at a Goodwill store outside Portland, Oregon, he had no idea that he had just unearthed a piece of sports history worth a staggering $89,600. The jacket, which was worn by basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain during the 1972 NBA finals, was sold at auction by Sotheby's, a renowned auction house, after Brown consigned it to the company. Brown's incredible find is a testament to the power of serendipity and the value of dedication to reselling used clothes online.

Background & Context

Wilt Chamberlain, a towering figure at 7 feet, 1 inch tall, played in the NBA from 1959 to 1973 and is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He won two championship rings, one with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1967 and another with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1972. Chamberlain's impressive career was marked by numerous records, including the most points scored by a player in a single game, which he achieved in 1962 with an astonishing 100 points.

Brown, who has been reselling used clothes online for the past three years, has an impressive track record of finding valuable items at thrift stores. His previous most expensive sale was a T-shirt from the indie label Sub Pop Records, which sold for $250. However, Brown's discovery of the Chamberlain jacket far surpasses his previous finds, and its value is a testament to the rarity and significance of game-worn memorabilia from the 1972 NBA finals.

Key Details

Brown's incredible find began when he spotted the Lakers jacket in a massive bin of clothes at a Goodwill store outside Portland in January. The jacket, which had Chamberlain's name on it, was tossed back onto the pile, but Brown quickly grabbed it, sensing that it might be valuable. Brown, who resells used clothes online, has an eye for spotting rare and valuable items, and he knew that the jacket might be worth something.

After buying the jacket, Brown searched online to see if it was worth something. He found a picture of Chamberlain wearing a similar jacket and compared it to the one he had. He noticed that the Lakers patch on the front had certain small stitching details that matched the photo. Brown also looked up the measurements of a different jersey worn by Chamberlain and discovered that they nearly aligned.

"I really just wanted to make sure, because it was so hard to believe at the time," Brown said in an interview. "I had only ever read about such serendipitous thrift finds, and I didn't think that finding something like this was possible." Brown's diligence in verifying the jacket's authenticity paid off, as Sotheby's confirmed that it was worn by Chamberlain during the 1972 NBA finals.

What Experts Say

"Photomatching a piece of game-worn clothing to a specific Finals series, for a player of this era, is genuinely exceptional," Sotheby's website says. "As photomatched items worn by Chamberlain become exceedingly rare, this jacket is a piece of sports history." The auction house's expert analysis highlights the significance of the jacket as a piece of sports memorabilia and its value as a rare and valuable item.

The sale of the Chamberlain jacket at auction is not the first instance of a Chamberlain item from the 1972 finals fetching a hefty sum. In the past, other game-worn items from the 1972 finals have sold for substantial amounts, underscoring the value of rare and authentic sports memorabilia.

Key Takeaways

• The value of dedication and hard work:** Brown's incredible find is a testament to the power of dedication and hard work in reselling used clothes online.
• The significance of game-worn memorabilia:** The Chamberlain jacket's value highlights the significance of game-worn memorabilia and its value as a piece of sports history.
• The importance of verification:** Brown's diligence in verifying the jacket's authenticity paid off, underscoring the importance of verification in determining the value of rare and valuable items.
• The value of rare and authentic sports memorabilia:** The sale of the Chamberlain jacket at auction highlights the value of rare and authentic sports memorabilia and its significance as a piece of sports history.