"Returning lost heirlooms fills hearts with joy!"

When interior designer Chelsey Brown came across an old handwritten letter at a flea market, she bought it for a dollar and traced it back to its grateful owner-and discovered a new life's calling!

Adrenaline pulsed through Chelsey Brown’s veins as she picked up a yellowed, handwritten letter off the flea market table. The 29-year-old New York City interior designer often scouted for affordable items to use in her decorating. Though it had no personal use, when she spotted the old letter that summer day in 2021, she was drawn to it. This doesn’t belong in a flea market. This is part of some family’s history. It should be with them, she thought.

Chelsey’s father is a trained genealogist who has helped countless people trace their family trees, many times uncovering relatives they didn’t even know they had. Over the years, Chelsey had witnessed the joy he brought to reunited families. I’ve got to try to trace this letter, she told herself, and bought it for $1.