You Won’t Believe What a Man Finds after Buying Tank Off eBay
You must’ve heard the stories about people who bought something on eBay and then received something different. Well, a similar thing happened to tank enthusiast Nick Meade. However, Nick actually received the item he ordered and an additional one worth a fortune. That one transaction was enough to earn Nick and his business notoriety. His discovery went viral, made international headlines and could have even stirred conflict between two countries in the Middle East. So, what exactly did Nick Mead find in his tank?
How The Treasure Hunt Began
One day Nick Mead was searching the internet and looking for a new combat vehicle he could add to his unusual collection. He came across a Russian T-54 tank that someone was selling being on eBay. Impressed by this tank, Nick came up with an unusual business idea and simply had to buy it for his company called Tanks-Alot that provides its customers a tank driving experience.
“I saw it advertised and I had this idea of doing a From Russia With Love experience, where people would come and drive three Russian tanks,” Mead told the Daily Mail. He certainly was not expecting to find buried treasure inside of it, but that is exactly what happened.
The Soviet Tank: T-54
The model of tank Nick wanted to buy, the Soviet T-54, was introduced shortly afer the Second World War and it was a part of a series of main battle tanks. These tanks took part in many armed conflicts throughout the history.
It’s estimated that over 100,000 Russian T-54 tanks were built until 1979, when the production of the series was stopped and the T-54 was replaced by a newer model. The Russian T-54 tank was used in various battles all over the world, including the Middle East, Angola and during the Vietnam War.
The Man Who Sold The Tank
Joe Hewses, a 23-year-old man at the time, was the one who was selling the tank on eBay. He was hoping to sell the tank but actually ended up trading with Mead. Hewes traded the tank in for two of Mead's armored vehicles that were worth about $42,000.
However, Hewes didn’t have a clue that there was a fortune hidden inside the Soviet tank he was selling. And, as it turned out, that fortune would be worth 60 times more than the exchanged vehicles he got in return. But with the tank's hidden fortune came a dark secret as well.
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Hidden Treasures
As a person who has been collecting combat vehicles for so many years, Mead was aware that some of them come with more than what is seen on the surface. Tanks are destructive machines used in wars, but during times of conflict and uncertainty, they are also used for some other purposes.
In the times when the political climate was uncertain and the entire state in danger of collapsing, tanks were typically used in combat, but also to safely transport people and some valuable items. Whether it is an important person or some stolen treasure in question, every tank comes with a unique story of its own.
The Origin of Mead’s T-54
The origin of the T-54 tank Nick Mead bought on eBay is certainly an interesting one. Even though it is a Soviet tank, it was manufactured in China and was used by the Iraqi army commanded by the notorious president Saddam Hussein.
Tanks were used frequently during the Iran-Iraq war which lasted for 8 years. Hundreds of thousands of lives were claimed during the war. Shortly after the war ended in a stalemate, tanks were then used for another purpose - the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. During the invasion, Iraq looted the Persian Gulf, a nation known for holding numerous treasures. And, many of those treasures were transported by tanks.
Tanks-Alot Team
Shortly after receiving the tank, Mead and his Tanks-Alot team got to work. They worked together to examine the condition of the tank, replace the parts that were damaged, and also restore the parts that had eroded over time. All of this was done to get the tank back to its optimal condition and make it fully operational again.
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As a part of the restoration process, the Nick and his team searched every corner of the armored vehicle, knowing that they have to be as thorough as possible. Overlooking just one part of the tank could make the vehicle critically malfunction or even worse - put the lives of Mead’s customers in danger.
Finding Something Suspicious
After putting in countless hours to inspect, restore, and repair the tank, the team came across something very unusual. One of the tank’s fuel canisters was not working properly and it seemed that it was disabled on purpose. Also, the team suspected there was something hidden inside.
They could immediately tell after inspecting the weight of the canister that there was something stored inside. And, that something certainly wasn’t supposed to be found. After carefully removing the canister from the tank, Nick and his team found something that they had never expected to.
Searching the Goods
The Tanks-Alot team carefully removed the fuel canister and started preparing themselves for the item they were about to extract. They knew that the best case scenario was finding something worthy. And, the worst case scenario would be finding something that would put them all in danger.
The team found a stockpile of ammunition inside the fuel tank. For the time being, they were in the clear. They knew that they would have to report the ammunition to the authorities and turn it in. They had no idea how old the bullets were and whether they could be used at all. In addition, using a faulty and defective bullet could be disasterous, so the team decided to be very cautious.
Finding More Suspicious Items
Nick’s team grew more cautious after their first discovery. They knew that if the tank was used to hide the ammunition, then there must be more secret items stashed inside. And sure enough, they did end up discovering the tank's other secret.
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Shortly after they discovered the ammunition, Nick's team found another fuel tank that was not working properly. One thing about this fuel tank was that it was much heavier than the previous one. It wasn’t heavy because it contained fuel or ammo, but something completely different.
Proceeding With Caution
The team was certain that this canister must hold some firearms that go along with the ammunition they found. But after taking the canister off the tank, they started suspecting that perhaps even something else could be stored inside.
The team decided that this time they would record a video of the unveiling of whatever was inside the canister. The reason why they wanted to do this was in case the items inside the canister were illegal. They believed they should have a proof that the items were not theirs and that they were found inside the tank.
Discovering the Treasure
The fuel canister was so heavy that two men had to use crowbars to lift it up high enough and be able to reach inside. They had to break the underside of the canister in order to get the mysterious items. One of Mead’s colleagues put his hand inside, not knowing what could be inside.
After a few moments of struggling with the weight of the item hidden inside the canister, the man pulled out an unusually-looking brick-shaped item. One brush against his clothes and a shiny gold bullion was revealed. The Tanks-Alot team had found gold!
Better Than Puppies
Enthusiasim immediately filled the room and the two colleagues that were previously struggling to hold the canister in the air suddenly had no problems holding it once they felt the adrenaline rush. Mechanic Todd Chamberlain put his hand back inside to see if there were more gold bars.
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It was just like magic. Every time Tod put his hand inside the canister, he would pull out another gold bullion! One of the workers commented that the experience was better than seeing a dog have puppies. One after another, the gold bullions kept coming. Eventually, the team collected five gold bullions. But the story doesn't end here.
Are Finders Always Keepers?
The entire Tanks-Alot team was excited by their amazing find. Never in their wildest dreams had they thought they would find real gold bars, more precisely, a fortune hidden inside a tank that was bought off eBay. But, they were not sure whether they could keep their new found treasure.
The team started discussing immeadiately whether or not they could keep the gold. Nick Mead, the owner of Tanks-A lot stepped in with a firm foot. He said that they had to do everything according to the rules which meant reporting absolutely everything they had found to the authorities, including the golden bullions.
The Police
Mead contacted the police to inform them about the tank and everything they found inside of it, including the golden bars. Soon, the police officers came to the farm and collected everything, leaving Nick only with a receipt.
That receipt became his only connection to the gold bars that were on their way to a UK police station. According to the police, they were going to attempt to locate the rightful owners of the gold. But where did the bars come from?
The Wonders of the Internet
Nowadays you can buy almost anything online. And, we mean literally anything. The endless space that is known as the internet can sometimes be a weird and scary place. But we aren’t talking about scary things such as human trafficking.
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We are talking about eBay, the multi-billion dollar e-commerce company. eBay is definitely an unusual place, full of odd people selling odd items. People have sold items as weird as imaginary friends, unassembled snowmen and even gum chewed by Britney Spears on eBay. But buying a tank online? It seems as if eBay has a market for everything.
The Man Behind It All
Nick Mead certainly has an unusual hobby: tanks. But, as you could conclude from the story so far, he was not buying figurines. Nick was after the real things. While to most people it would seem very strange (and perhaps illegal) to try and buy a tank on eBay, it wasn't Mead's first time.
By the time he was thinking about buying this particular tank, the one that would change his life, he already had an entire collection of tanks in his arsenal. But what did he use them for? Did he plan to overthrow the government? Was he just a military enthusiast? Or is there something else?
The Reason Behind the Tanks
So what on Earth could be the reason why Nick Mead has a tank collection? It is his job. Mead runs one unordinary business that includes tanks and other armored vehicles. If you tend to watch a lot of war movies, the chances are you have seen some of his tanks.
Mead’s company rents out tanks and other armored vehicles so they could be used in movies and TV shows. Just think about it. Have you ever asked yourself where the tanks in films and movies come from? Well, they come from companies like Mead’s. But even he couldn’t predict what was about to happen to him.
Nick’s Company: Tanks-Alot
Nick Mead’s company is called ‘Tanks-Alot’ and that is precisely what he offers – lots of tanks. At his farm in the village of Helmdon, England, you can sign up for an incredible experience: driving a tank around the property and even crushing some cars with it.
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Mead’s business also offers some other services and activities. For example, you can do a tank driving course and get an official license. Once you pass your license test, you are elligible to buy a tank from Tanks-Alot. There is a wide variety of tank models in their collection for sale, just in case you suddenly become interested in purchasing one.
Can You Buy a Tank Legally?
Right now you must be thinking that it is practically impossible to buy a tank, much less have an entire collection (or better said an army) of tanks. Well, as you can see, it isn’t that difficult at all.
In the United States and the United Kingdom, there is a great number of companies that offer services similar to Mead’s. However, there is one rule all of those businesses must abide. The main gun of the tank must be decommissioned. But, the actual process of buying the tank isn’t problematic at all.
Mead’s Impressive Collection
To this day, Nick Mead has over 150 tanks in his collection. We can truly say that Nick has his personal army. In fact, there are even some countries that don’t own that many tanks. The tanks that Mead owns come from all over the world and each one has its unique story and background.
After being in the business for so long, Mead is well aware of the fact that tanks are used for purposes other than just war. Sometimes they can be used for hiding and smuggling various items. It is quite easy to find secret spots in the gigantic vehicle and hide those items.
The Challenger 1
Mead is also a proud owner of one rather controversial tank. The tank is known as Challenger 1. The Challenger 1 is a British-made main battle tank and Mead is the only citizen in the world who owns one privately.
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But that’s not the controversial thing we wanted you to know. What is truly controversial is that the Challenger 1 tank is still currently in use by the British military. This has led many people to wonder how exactly Nick Mead got his hands on one.
The Perks of Being Popular
How Nick Mead managed to purchase this rare tank that is still used by the British army may be confusing, but it is certainly not a secret. He is well-known in his community for his business and his incredible enthusiasm for all things related to tanks and armored vehicles.
After all, it would be quite hard to hide a tank, or to be more precise 150 of them, in a village. Mead can even be seen driving his massive tanks around frequently. So many customers flock to his company to experience the excitement and adrenaline rush of driving a tank.
Making Headlines
Even before Mead’s amazing discovery of the gold bars hidden in the T-54 tank, he made a few headlines for things such as driving his children to school. You would think that driving your children to school is an ordinary task. But, for those such as Nick Mead it can be so exciting that they end up in news.
Mead made the news for driving his two kids to school in a tank that weighs 17 tonnes. Now that’s how you impress your friends and the entire school! Mead says that his kids love driving around in one of the tanks but that they are so used to the experience that it is not exciting for them anymore.
Driving Tanks on Streets
If the ease of purchasing a tank doesn’t take you by surprise then you will definitely be surprised to learn that it is completely legal to drive a tank on the streets just like any other car.
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Mead says that he gets a lot of attention when he is driving around town in his armored vehicles. “People often do a double take. They can’t believe it, and when they see the tax disc which verifies it’s road legal, they’re even more gobsmacked.”
Tank Riding Brings Nick Joy
Nick Mead takes advantage of the law that makes driving tanks legal and he often drives one through the town. He says that people wave “as if their hands are going to drop off” when they see him. Mead even likes teasing the local police.
“The police often grin or look the other way and most of them don’t know what to do, it’s not every day you see a tank rolling into town,” Nick Mead told The Telegraph. He certainly seems to enjoy watching other people’s reactions.
Safety First
Even though a tank is legal on the streets, that doesn’t mean that driving a giant war machine down a busy city street is a simple task. One wrong move and you know, you can easily crush a car or a person with your 17-tonne vehicle.
Mead admits that he has had some close calls while driving one of his tanks in town. The worst that has ever happened to him was taking the fuel cap off a bus that got too close. “But in my 20 years driving tanks I’ve never had once crash, I’m always extremely careful, especially with the kids.”
The Origin of the Golden Bars
It is believed that the gold bars Mead and his team found were stolen from Kuwait by Iraqi soldiers during the invasion of the nation back in 1990. Iraq looted billions of dollars’ worth of valuable items from Kuwait during their invasion. And, only some of those items were returned.
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After the war ended, Iraq returned 3,216 gold bars to Kuwait, and each of the bars was weighed. The return was overlooked by the United Nations. Another possibility could be that the gold was stolen from Saddam Hussein’s personal stash. After the US invasion of Iraq, the troops found almost a billion dollars’ worth of hidden items, including gold bars as well.
Dangers of Keeping the Gold Bars
While the thought of keeping the gold might have come across the minds of Nick Mead’s team at some point, they knew that it would be a terrible idea in the end. The gold that Mead found in the T-54 tank is worth about $2.4 million.
Mead’s entire company soon found out about the gold bars as word spread around quickly. Had Nick kept the gold for himself, robbers would surely have done everything necessary to steal it, thereby endangering Mead, his family, and the other employees as well.
Going Viral
The story of Mead’s incredible discovery quickly went viral and hit headlines worldwide. Everyone was amazed by what he has discovered, but also by something else - the fact that you can buy a tank on eBay without any restrictions. Who would have thought that you could do that legally?
If you ever decide to start your own personal army, now you know that it it’s not as difficult as you might have expected. Reporters also searched for the man who sold Mead the tank. Turns out, he isn’t bitter about not finding the gold himself. However, he did mention that if Mead gets to keep the gold, he expects at least a call to grab some beer.
Will Mead Get Anything?
British police are currently trying to track down the rightful owners of the gold bars and return them. But, one important question still remains unanswered. In the event that they are not able to find the rightful owners, who will get the gold?
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Mead stated that he still has the receipt he got from the police. The receipt is hidden in a bank vault, just to be safe. The worst case is, Nick said, he might get a finder’s fee. However, he still has his fingers crossed that maybe, just maybe, he will get to keep all of the five gold bars he discovered inside the tank.
Being Creative
The story about Nick Mead, his crew’s, and their incredible find fascinated many people on social media. So many commenters were impressed by his lucky discovery. However, some were disappointed that he actually reported everything to the police. Among all those commenters, one proposed a more complex plan.
The commenter, a man called Jeremy Wetzel, suggested staying quiet and selling the gold to questionable people (at a discounted price, of course), for some quick cash. Others suggested melting the gold into jewelry. We just hope none of these guys are speaking from their own experience!
Who Does the Gold Belong To?
Did Nick Mead do the right thing when he decided to turn the gold and ammunition in? Well, it depends on who you're asking. One of the commenters, a man named Nicholas Van Pelt, was more for the “finders keepers” approach.
A similar thing happened in San Jose, CA. One man, identified only as John, bought a storage unit which contained rare gold coins hidden inside. The lucky man decided to put the coins up for auction. In the end, he turne his $1,100 investment into a profit of $500K. We wonder what would have happened if he called the police and turned the coins in!
Not Such a Bad Idea?
Though most commenters expressed disapproval of Mead’s decision to get the police involved in his discovery, one person actually thought it was a smart idea. Even though he did turn the gold in, it’s not that unlikely that he will get it back eventually.
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Actually, as commenter Nick Rapaport suggests, it will probably be impossible to trace back the gold’s original owner, considering that they decided to hide it in a tank, and probably for a reason. If the original owner isn’t found, Nick Mead is probably next in line! The only problematic thing is how long the search might take?
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