The $2 Thrift Store Find That Turned Out to Be the “Holy Grail” of Photography

In 2010, collector Randy Guijarro walked into a small Fresno, California antique shop and picked up a handful of old photographs. One of them — a faded black-and-white image showing a group of people playing croquet in the countryside — caught his eye. He liked the vintage charm, so he paid just two dollars for the lot and took them home.

What he didn’t know at the time was that this casual purchase would soon be called “the rarest photograph in the world.”

A Closer Look Reveals an Outlaw Legend

Years later, after showing the photo to experts, Guijarro learned that the unassuming croquet players were actually Billy the Kid and his infamous gang, the Regulators.

According to Americana expert Kagin’s Inc., this was only the second confirmed photograph of Billy the Kid ever discovered — and the very first known image to feature the entire Regulators group together.

Why the Photo Is So Valuable

Billy the Kid is one of the most legendary figures of the American Old West. The only other confirmed photo of him, taken in 1880, sold at auction in 2011 for an astounding $2.3 million.

Guijarro’s image is even older — dating back to 1878 — and historians estimate it could fetch up to $5 million at auction. That’s a staggering leap from the $2 price tag he paid, making it one of the greatest antique finds in modern history.

“The Holy Grail” of Western Photography

Jeff Aiello, executive director of the documentary Billy the Kid – New Evidence, called the discovery “the rarest photograph in the world.”
The photo not only captures an iconic outlaw but also provides a rare window into the daily life of the Regulators outside of their violent reputation — laughing, relaxing, and playing a casual game of croquet.

The Best Part?

Guijarro didn’t buy the photo as an investment. He simply liked the way it looked. And that’s often the magic of collecting: sometimes your gut leads you to treasures you never imagined.