A man made an incredible discovery at an antiques shop, unearthing what has been called “the holy grail of Western Americana.” In 2010, collector Randy Guijarro found a photograph in a Fresno, California store and purchased it for just $2. The black-and-white tintype image depicted a group of people gathered outside a barn, some playing croquet. Upon closer inspection at home, Randy recognized one of the individuals as the notorious 1800s outlaw Billy the Kid, whose real name was Henry McCarty.
Randy had the photo authenticated by Kagin’s, an Americana company in San Francisco, which confirmed that McCarty was indeed in the image. The photo, believed to have been taken in 1878, also includes other members of the Lincoln County Regulators and is one of only two authenticated photos of Billy the Kid. The first authenticated photo of the outlaw sold for $2.3 million in 2011.
Due to its rarity, the photograph was valued at $5 million, as reported by The Guardian in 2015. Randy faced initial skepticism when he sought authentication, but experts at Kagin’s rigorously verified every detail. David McCarthy from Kagin’s explained, “An original Billy the Kid photo is the holy grail of Western Americana. We had to be certain about every aspect of the image—just a resemblance wasn’t enough.”
Randy’s remarkable find led him to encourage others to search for hidden treasures in their homes. “I hope this inspires people to look into old trunks and attics because there are many lost treasures out there,” he said. As for his plans, Randy mentioned that he and his wife could use a new vehicle and hoped to continue their treasure-hunting adventures.
The discovery and its five-year journey to authentication were documented in a National Geographic special narrated by Kevin Costner, titled Billy the Kid: New Evidence.