Thrift Store Treasure: Michael Sparks’ $2 Declaration Purchase Brings $477,650 at Auction

A rare 1823 copy of the Declaration of Independence was sold at auction for $477,650 by a man who found it last year in a Nashville thrift store for $2.48.

From Thrift Store Treasure to Fortune: Declaration Copy’s Amazing Journey

A Nashville music technician’s $2.48 thrift store gamble turned into a life-changing windfall when his rare copy of the Declaration of Independence fetched $477,650 at auction.

The historic document, one of 200 commissioned by then-Secretary of State John Quincy Adams in 1820 and printed by William Stone in 1823, was discovered by Michael Sparks during a routine visit to Music City Thrift Shop last March. When Sparks inquired about the yellowed, shellacked scroll, a store clerk casually priced it at $2.48 plus tax.

The auction, held at Raynors’ Historical Collectible Auctions in Burlington, N.C., drew intense interest from six bidders competing mostly via phone and Internet. Bidding opened at $125,000, though the winning bidder’s identity remains undisclosed.

Sparks, who works as a music equipment technician, has modest plans for his newfound wealth. “You think it is a huge fortune, but by the time you figure it up and put some off for the taxes it is not,” he explained. “It is not a huge fortune, but more like a small fortune.”

His priorities include purchasing a used car, adding a sun room to his house, supporting his parents, and making charitable donations.

The remarkable discovery underscores the potential value hiding in America’s thrift stores, where historical treasures occasionally surface among everyday items.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​