lifestyle

A couple bought something at a car boot sale for $19. Now, they're selling it for $116,000.

A couple from the UK had the happiest bargain-hunting day, ever.

Car boot sales disappoint everyone.

The sellers are disappointed because nobody’s prepared to pay top-dollar for the set of tea towels their mum crocheted.

The buyers are disappointed because they just spent $40 on someone’s old *N Sync CDs.

The car boot sale that Leah Rogers and Ryan Flanaghan attended in Cornwall, UK, started out as disappointing as any other – until a purchase on a whim changed everything.

This small purple bear changed everything.

The couple were shocked to learn that the Beanie Baby they bought for $19 was worth more than $100,000.

As a former collector of Beanie Babies, Flanaghan recognised the limited edition Princess Diana bear immediately – but he had no idea of its value to a collector.

The builder and beauty therapist were stunned to discover that the bear was just one of a 100 made around the world, making it the rarest Beanie Baby on the planet.

The bear was created in 1997 to raise money for the Princess of Wales Memorial Trust. (Although, jussayin, they might have raised more money if they’d made more than 100 bears.) It includes a poem on the tag commemorating Princess Diana as ‘an angel’.

Related content: 9 of your childhood toys that could make you a shed load of cash.

The lucky couple have put the bear on eBay with a starting price of $38,000 (BARGAIN! Get in quick!). They hope to use the money from the sale of the bear to get into the property market.

Want a closer look at the bear worth more than your house deposit? Watch the video below. 

Stop everything and head to the attic – maybe one of these toys from your childhood will earn you the big bucks?

Have you ever been surprised by the value of something you bought?