The rare 14-karat gold piece from Lego’s Bionicle line, a golden Kanohi Hau mask, was discovered in a bag of jewelry that arrived at the Goodwill Store in Du Bois, central Pennsylvania, more than 10 days ago. Chad Smith, the store’s vice president of e-commerce and technology, revealed this information to USA TODAY on Wednesday. Smith noted that the mask likely originated from the State College area.
Reflecting on the discovery, Smith remarked that initially, no one likely thought much of it. However, the significance of the find became apparent upon further inspection. This unique piece, part of Lego’s Bionicle line, garnered significant attention and ultimately fetched an impressive sum of more than $18,000 at auction.
What is the Lego golden Kanohi Hau Mask?
Jessica Illuzzi, a spokesperson for Goodwill, informed USA TODAY that the staff at Goodwill initially had no awareness of the item’s significant value until it was listed on their e-commerce platform, ShopGoodwill. It was only after individuals began reaching out with private offers that they realized the item’s potential worth.
Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the item in question was one of only 30 golden masks released by Lego in 2001. Illuzzi clarified that while 25 of these masks were allocated to Lego employees, the remaining five were distributed through a contest held by Lego.
Providing details about the mask, the Goodwill auction listing described it as approximately 1 inch tall and weighing about 9 ounces, shedding light on its physical attributes.
Mask received 48 bids
The item garnered significant attention, receiving a total of 48 bids and ultimately selling for an impressive $18,101 during last Wednesday’s auction. The buyer, who chose to remain anonymous, secured the prized possession.
Chad Smith, who has been with the company for nearly 25 years, expressed his astonishment at the sale, noting that it marked the highest-value item he had ever overseen. Despite the routine nature of auctions on ShopGoodwill, Smith admitted to being glued to the bidding process throughout the night, ensuring the legitimacy of the bids. He recounted a previous instance where the item had been listed for bid at $33,000, but no payment was made, underscoring the importance of diligence in verifying bids.
Both Smith and Jessica Illuzzi emphasized that the proceeds from the auction would directly contribute to supporting Goodwill’s overarching mission of aiding individuals facing life challenges. Illuzzi emphasized that every dollar earned from the sale would be reinvested into initiatives aimed at providing employment opportunities, training, and essential support services to individuals in need.