Posted on 12/20/2023 11:02:06 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
Jessica Vincent had just started surveying the shelves of a Virginia thrift store when a vase caught her eye. It was shaped like a bottle and had ribbons of color, aqua green and amethyst purple, that spiraled up its glass surface like stripes of paint.
The piece looked old amongst the clutter of measuring cups, candles and other tchotchkes. After adjusting her eyes, Vincent made out the words “Murano” and “Italia" on its base.
“I bought it thinking it would look beautiful in my house somewhere,” said Vincent, 43, a horse trainer who paid $3.99 at a Goodwill outside of Richmond. “I definitely didn’t buy it thinking, ‘Oh, I’m going to sell this.’ ”
Her thinking changed after some research. And on Dec. 13, the vase sold through the Wright Auction House for $107,100. The buyer, a top collector from Europe, wished to remain private.
Vincent's purchase came after years of perusing yard sales and thrift stores with her mother. She loves PBS’ “Antiques Roadshow” and has daydreamed many times of this kind of lottery ticket-level transaction.
“I always felt like I had a good eye," said Vincent, who visits thrift stores a few times a week. “But I’m really surprised that nobody picked it up before I did.”
The vase was likely on the shelf for only a couple days given its quality and the quick rate at which products are sold, said Laura Faison, a spokeswoman for Goodwill of Central and Coastal Virginia. Each store averages about 2,000 new pieces a day, and they often come in from a car's trunk.
“It could have been someone cleaning out grandma’s basement,” Faison said of the vase's backstory. “We'll probably never know.”
(Excerpt) Read more at channel3000.com ...
After all, it has to be cleaned, properly labeled, and would occupy shelf space at his store for who knows how long.
My parents bought 3 Walter Anderson paintings in the 60’s for a few dollars each before he was known. Together they are probably worth $107000 now.
I like yours better!
Ping
So, as I’m being offered new items, and haven’t a lot of patience, I’m sorta half right. Thanks. I do buy pretty glass at yard sales. Is there a mark I should look for?
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