A woman who bought a glass vase for $3.99 at a local Goodwill charity shop has seen the piece auctioned off for more than $100,000 after it turned out to be a rare and valuable piece of Italian glassware.

Jessica Vincent had bought the item at a Goodwill thrift store in Hanover county, Virginia, and had an inkling that it might have been worth a little more than was usual, she told the New York Times.

“I had a sense that it might be a $1,000 or $2,000 piece, but I had no clue how good it actually was until I did a little bit more research,” she told the paper after noticing a small ‘M’ on its bottom which she suspected might stand for Murano, an Italian island near Venice famed for glasswork.

  • Drusas
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    357 months ago

    That’s pretty ugly for something worth $100,000.

    • @jopepa@lemmy.world
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      317 months ago

      Photos alway look 5% compared seeing glasswork. Could be valued for the techniques, materials, the art’s story, or even someone’s favorite kind of ugly.

      If I paid $50 at a flea market for it I’d eventually feel like i got ripped off, so I see what you mean.

      • Drusas
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        97 months ago

        I assume the value is based on its history and popularity of the original artist. I still don’t think it’s anything special.