Motorbike joy for boy who sold $5 note for $1000
After finding a faded $5 note in the sea and selling it on Trade Me for $1000, a Canterbury youngster has fulfilled his dream of owning a motorbike – just like his dad.
The extraordinary chain of events began when Zayne Hinton found the cash floating beside him at Christchurch’s Sumner Beach.
The 7-year-old grabbed it and while heading home, his dad, Brad Hinton, suggested they try and sell it online.
They hoped they might be able to double it with a $10 bid, but as the days went by the offers flooded in.
The bids reached more than
$500 with 24 hours to go, then after an early morning bidding war, the amount reached four figures.
The story came to the attention of North Islander Mark Gluyas, from Carterton, who decided to help Zayne in memory of his wife Denise, who died in October.
He made the winning bid of
$1000, saying Denise always liked to help out children in need.
‘‘I thought that’s a nice story and it reminded me of when I was a kid and I thought, ‘why not’.
‘‘The $5 note really has got nothing to do with it,’’ he said.
With his new-found fortune, Zayne has purchased a KTM 50, having been motorbike mad since he was four.
He is now looking forward to seeing his mates at school to tell them about his exploits.
‘‘He wanted a bike like mine,’’ said Brad Hinton, who rides a KTM 250.
‘‘We’ve been out along the river, there’s a motorbike track there.
‘‘Otherwise, he’ll ride it around our backyard.’’
The family has been in contact with Gluyas, who was a ‘‘bloody legend’’, Hinton said.
‘‘It’s been pretty amazing – who would have thought it would turn out like that?’’