A donated copy of Paul McCartney’s 1976 book In His Own Words turned out to be a lucky find for a charity shop in the U.K.
The BBC reports that the manager of the Oxfam shop in Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales, found the book in a larger collection of donated memorabilia from the ’70s. Turns out the book was actually an autographed copy, and when the shop put it up for auction it sold for over $1,000.
“The book had actually been sitting on a shelf for a few months alongside lots of other 1970s memorabilia,” shop manager Joan Randle said. “I’d been planning to use some of the items in a fun window display, so it wasn’t something we’d paid particular attention to at first.”
After finally going through the items she discovered the autographed book, noting, “I could hardly believe it … it was one of the best moments of my 10 years working in the shop.”
Now the money raised is going to good use, including a recently launched campaign to help those affected by the recent earthquakes in Venezuela.
“This is a fantastic example of how a single donation can make a real difference,” said a representative for the humanitarian organization Oxfam. “We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who donates to Oxfam.”
Released in August 1976, Paul McCartney: In His Own Words featured interviews with the Beatles legend, as well as photographs of the rock star.
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