A vase purchased for just $3.99 at a Goodwill store in Virginia sold for an incredible $107,100 at auction.
Jessica Vincent, the thrifter who made this discovery, had stumbled upon an unusual piece designed by Italian architect Carlo Scarpa, according to CBS news in an article.
This vase, initially perceived as an ordinary glass item with green and red veins, was identified as part of Scarpa’s exclusive Pennellate series for Veniniprepared in 1942.
Wright Auction House, which facilitated the sale, described the vase as one of the rarest items they have offered in more than a decade. The uniqueness of the vase lies in its creation technique known as “pennellate” that is, “brushstroke”, which consists of adding colored opaque glass during the blowing process.
Due to the complexity of this method, only a limited number of pieces were produced, increasing the rarity of the vase.
The strange journey of the Scarpa vase
The story of how this vase ended up in a Goodwill store and later at the hands of Vincent is as intriguing as the article itself. During his usual thrifting excursion through the Richmond area, Vincent saw the vase and, noticing the signature on the bottom, felt it was something special.
Richard Wright, president of Wright’s auction house, noted that the “Venini” signature was a clear indicator of the value of the vase; Wright speculated that it might have been donated after its significance was lost over generations.
Vincent’s keen eye and subsequent research, which included consulting an Italian group of glass collectors on Facebook, led it to the auction house, where it was estimated to be worth between $30,000 and $50,000.
Thrift Store Treasures
This incident follows another notable discovery at a thrift store in Texas, where a woman named Laura Young purchased a bust for $34.99, only to discover that it was an ancient artifact more than 2,000 years old.
Young collected the bust in 2018 and, driven by curiosity about its aged appearance, embarked on a journey to discover its origins. Sotheby consultant Jörg Deterling eventually identified that the bust was once in a full-scale model of a Pompeii house in Germany.
The bust was temporarily displayed at the San Antonio Museum of Art before being returned to its rightful place: the Bavarian Administration of State Palaces in Germany.
These stories of thrift store finds that become valuable historical artifacts highlight the hidden treasures that can be found in the most unexpected places.
Not only do they reflect the unpredictability and excitement of thrift, but they also underscore the importance of preserving and valuing historical pieces, regardless of the locations of their initial discovery.
For Vincent, Your investment of $3.99 resulted in an incredible success at the auctionwhile for Young, its discovery contributed to the restoration of an important piece of history.
Keep reading:
· Austin woman bought sculpture for $34.99 at Goodwill without imagining the true treasure she would acquire
· T-Rex fossil found with its last meal in its stomach
· Did they discover Noah’s Ark? Archaeologists claim they found a formation in Türkiye
