The hunt for an anonymous mother and son featured in a VHS still lodged in a VCR bought at an Arizona Goodwill is underway.
Destinee Johnson, 25, bought the VCR from a Mesa Goodwill before finding the tape of a little boy, named Christopher, celebrating his Christmas morning in 1989.
‘I decided to bring it home and see what was on it, and when I got home and set everything up, I put it in, and I was like, “Oh my God, what did I find?”‘ Johnson told KOLD.
Christopher was seen opening presents like a Ghostbuster proton blaster and toy airplanes, sharing the excitement of Christmas.
Johnson told DailyMail.com: ‘As a daughter, I would love to see this footage taken of me by what seems like really loving parents.
‘I’d also love to watch footage like this of my parents if Christopher happens to have children.’
She shared the video on social media with hopes to attract the internet’s attention and find the little boy’s family.
The 14-minute-long tape also captured the wholesome journey of Christopher meeting his newborn baby brother, Taylor, for the first time a couple of weeks later.
The long-lost tape held the memory of a little boy, named Christopher, celebrating Christmas morning in 1989
Destinee Johnson bought the VCR from a Mesa Goodwill before finding the tape of a little boy. ‘I’m hoping the family sees it or someone that knows the family sees it. I’d just like to give it back to them if they see it and they want it,’ she said
‘It starts off, they’re playing in the snow… and then from there it cuts again to Christmas morning, and he opens his presents underneath the tree,’ said Johnson
‘It’s so precious, he comes down with a toy and [he’s] talking about Santa giving him presents,’ Johnson said.
The video showed Christopher opening presents with his family.
With a toy airplane in his hand and a yellow tricycle toy behind him, he spent the day playing with his new presents.
‘It starts off, they’re playing in the snow… and then from there it cuts again to Christmas morning, and he opens his presents underneath the tree.’
The tape followed the family throughout their Christmas day as they shared the festive spirit and enjoyed a visit from other family members, according to Johnson.
At the end, Christopher was seen running with a handful of blue and clear balloons while a small black and gray terrier ran alongside him.
Johnson since has been on social media looking for the family to return their long-lost memories before Christmas.
‘I’m hoping the family sees it or someone that knows the family sees it. I’d just like to give it back to them if they see it and they want it,’ she said.
The 14-minute-long tape also captured the wholesome journey of Christopher meeting his newborn baby brother, Taylor, for the first time
Johnson’s story comes as another thrift store purchase gave buyers an incredible surprise.
Last year, in a similar moment of good fortune, 43-year-old Jessica Vincent in Virginia found a vase in Goodwill selling for $3.99.
Little did she know, the colorful vase was one of the rarest Italian pieces of art from 1940s architect Carlo Scarpa.
The piece was estimated to fetch between $30,000 to $50,000 when it went on auction but instead sold for $107,100.
In a similarly lucky moment, just earlier this year a New York-based art dealer, Allen Treibitz, attended a barn sale in the Hamptons where a piece of art had caught his eye.
Jessica Vincent, 43, was scouring her local Goodwill when she found a 13-inch Murano glass vase wrapped in burgundy and green brushstrokes and bought it for $3.99
‘It was so unusual. It had such quality. I knew it was a good piece of glass with the mark on the bottom,’ she said.’I knew it was coming home with me’
The particular piece, listed for $50, depicted a carved grizzly bear atop a memorial totem pole, and bore the signature of the iconic Canadian painter Emily Carr.
Although the dealer was a seasoned art expert of 40 years, he was not acquainted with Carr’s legacy. However, he felt that the painting was something ‘extraordinary.’
But he realized it could be far more valuable than he first thought. When he contacted Canada’s Heffel Fine Art Auction House, his suspicions were confirmed.
‘We were provided photos and there was no doubt in my mind that this was an exciting Cinderella discovery,’ said David Heffel, president of the auction house, in an interview. The 1912 painting sold at a Canadian auction for $24,350 USD.