Thrift Store Find Turns Into Major Windfall for Teen

A 19-year-old from Oregon discovered that his quest for a favorite piece at a thrift store could lead to a remarkable payday. The item, a warm-up jacket, was worn by the legendary Wilt Chamberlain during the 1972 NBA Finals.

The name “Chamberlain” was emblazoned on the back of the bright yellow jacket from the Los Angeles Lakers, a moment tied to one of the most dominant figures in sports history.

Quinn Brown bought the jacket for just $3.07 about six months ago. Recently, it sold for an astonishing $89,600 at a Sotheby’s Sports Auction.

Brown was at a Goodwill Bins near Hillsboro in January when he observed another shopper take a look at various items before discarding them. Unsure of its value at first, Quinn, who has a fair bit of knowledge about vintage articles, decided to wait and see.

“A lot of people just throw things back. I was right next to him, and after about 20 seconds, he moved things around and tossed some right in front of me,” Brown recalled.

Seizing the opportunity, Quinn quickly grabbed the jacket and made his purchase.

“The real moment of realization came later when I looked at the jacket’s measurements. With Chamberlain being 7 feet 1 inch tall and the jacket measuring 33 inches long, it would have been almost to his knees. It all lined up,” he reflected.

An appraiser from Sotheby’s soon confirmed the jacket’s significance, connecting it to a photo of Chamberlain when he won the MVP title during the fierce series against the New York Knicks.

The auction took place on a Monday, and the jacket was sold after generating 48 bids, fetching a price of $89,600. The story of how such a valuable item ended up in the thrift shop remains unclear.

Items from NBA centers have been known to fetch high prices for years, and Chamberlain’s memorabilia is particularly coveted. He famously set numerous records, including scoring 100 points in a single game—an achievement that still stands unchallenged.

Sotheby’s described him as among the top 10 basketball players of all time, with impressive career averages. He not only leads in rebounds per game, but also ranks second in scoring, just behind Michael Jordan.

During the 1971-72 season, the Los Angeles Lakers were deemed one of the greatest teams in NBA history, clinching a then-record of 69 wins and triumphing over the Knicks to secure the championship.

That season also marked the last in which Chamberlain set a single-season field goal percentage record, a feat he accomplished during the 1972-73 season, which remained unbroken until recently.

Chamberlain passed away at the age of 63 due to congestive heart failure at his home in Bel Air, California.

In the past three years, Brown has developed a business revolving around finding high-value clothing items at thrift shops and reselling them. Before the windfall from the Chamberlain jacket, his best find was a T-shirt from Sub Pop Records, costing $250.

After his recent success, Brown expressed plans to take a budget-friendly vacation to Vietnam with friends, while also intending to invest the remaining funds. “I never thought I’d find something like this,” he said, “I think I was really lucky.”