Antiques seller Alex Archbold (Canada) got lucky when he bought the house of a late music teacher named Bette-Joan Rac or commonly known as Madame Rac. Specifically, Alex Archbold bought this property for 10,000 USD (equivalent to 240 million VND), after Madame Rac passed away in December 2020.
This man had known Madam Rac for several years, but even after “closing the deal”, Archbold had never stepped foot inside the house. In Archbold’s impression, Madam Rac is “funny, patient and loves to travel”, he completely does not know the specifics of this woman’s assets.
Portrait of Alex Archbold
However, Alex Archbold still gambled on buying a house because he thought it could be “an exciting adventure” and he knew at least the music teacher would have a grand piano. So as soon as he unlocked the door and entered, Archbold was stunned to see a series of boxes and bags stacked high to the ceiling in most rooms.
This man carefully went through each room, discovering many rare silver coins and money from the 1920s. Boxes of Chanel, Burberry and Tiffany brands were scattered throughout the house.
The house is messy and filled with Madam Rac’s belongings
“Previously, I thought Madam Rac only had a modest income, so I didn’t expect much. I didn’t expect her to be a millionaire and have a very good sense of style,” Archbold said. “I found wallets full of cash, silver bars weighing more than 2 kg, bags filled with gold rings and diamonds.”
Not stopping there, Alex Archbold also found a sparkling ring stuffed inside his shoe, small silver bars falling out when he and his friends checked every magazine and book in the house. This piano teacher’s wardrobe and racks are filled with designer items, from fur coats to tailored suits.
“Treasure” was found inside the old house
Archbold’s team collected countless valuable antique music records, vintage designer cutlery, furniture, books, shoes, gold jewelry and at least three sewing machines. They had to spend several days cleaning and sorting because the previous owner had accumulated too much furniture. In the end, this man only kept the piano for himself and auctioned off all the items Madam Rac left behind.
Alex Archbold shared his “treasure discovery” experience on Youtube and attracted hundreds of thousands of views. Before that, Archbold and his wife often bought used furniture to hunt for interesting and unique items, then shared their discoveries on social networks.
“Every object we find has potential value. I spent 10,000 USD to buy a house and I received 400,000 USD (equivalent to 9.7 billion VND) from the auction of these items. This is truly the best investment I have ever made,” said Alex Archbold.
Former owner Bette-Joan Rac in her youth at the piano
A local newspaper quoted a source as saying that music teacher Bette-Joan Rac was born in 1944 and practiced to become a dancer until she had to give up because of a car accident that resulted in a broken femur. Madam Rac continued to pursue her love of music at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and graduated with a degree in solo piano performance, then earned a degree in piano teaching.
A former student commented that Madam Rac is “a decent lady no matter the circumstances”. When looking back at old photos of this woman, Alex Archbold also believes that Madam Rac was extremely rich from a young age.
According to The Sun, New York Post
