The 80 year old widow up the street water heater went out. She came over and asked me if I could look at it. I looked at it, figured it was the thermocouple and went to get a new one. That worked.
She mentioned that she had seen me in my garage with rifles. She said her now deceased husband had guns. She said her son had taken all but one, a "Little Pistol". I told her I'd like to see it so she showed it to me, She set the box on the table and opened it. First thing I saw was an old box of Peters Rustless 38 special ammo. That and a folded rag. In that folded rag was an absolutely pristine Colt Detective Special. I noted the butt was squared off. I figured it was old. I told her it could be worth more than she would expect, maybe $900 or more.
I wrote down the serial number, 363***. When I got home I looked it up, 1928. No way of knowing if the value I told her might be in the ball park. I figure you find a Colt collector and it would be.