• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Woman stunned after vase she bought for $3.99 ends up going for 26,800x more at auction

Home> News> US News

Published 12:09 19 Dec 2023 GMT

Woman stunned after vase she bought for $3.99 ends up going for 26,800x more at auction

A woman was able to make a massive profit on a rare Italian vase she discovered it at Goodwill.

Gerrard Kaonga

Gerrard Kaonga

One woman was able to win big when she realized a vase that had a signature at the bottom of it might be worth a pretty penny, and boy was she right.

Jessica Vincent discovered the rare Italian vase during her weekly thrifting trip in Richmond, Virginia, and was able to turn a $3.99 purchase into quite a steal.

After buying the vase at Goodwill, made by Carlo Scarpa, Vincent was able to sell it at auction for $107,100.

Advert

The Wright auction house, who made the sale, praised Vincent for her savvy nature in realizing the vase might be worth some money.

Because to my untrained eye, it looks like any old vase with some green and red streaks added in for color.

Richard Wright, president of the auction house, told CBS News the ‘Venini’ signature on the bottom was the sign that it was a rare piece.

The vase is part of Scarpa’s Pennellate series for Venini and was produced in 1942. The piece in this particular series is difficult to make, likely increasing its worth.

Advert

Jessica Vincent discovered the rare Italian vase during her weekly thrifting trip.
WRIGHT AUCTION HOUSE

“She did research and ultimately spoke with people on an Italian glass collecting Facebook group. And because of our position in the market and our history of producing these auctions, the people on Facebook told her to contact us,” he said.

“It's a very well documented piece of glass. Carlo Scarpa is really one of the preeminent, most famous glass designers of Italian glass in the midcentury. So, his designs are valued by the market right at the top.”

The auction house explained why the vase was worth so much as my art history knowledge is limited to put it kindly.

Advert

“Like many great artists, Scarpa’s work as architect and designer is highly influential and yet remains enigmatic, illusive and hard to categorize,” the auction house said.

Vases and bottles from the Pennellate series, 1950s.
WRIGHT AUCTION HOUSE

“What is obvious in all his work is an underlying transcendental quality, an uncanny ability to create powerful emotional states in all who experience it.”

The buyer certainly saw the appeal as the auction house only estimated the piece was worth $30,000 to $50,000.

Advert

You must know a thing or two about art or really love the vase to want to pay over double its worth, a scenario Wright said he was ‘delighted’ with.

He also said it was unknown how the piece even ended up at Goodwill. “Whether it was passed down in a family and somehow [they] lost track of how special it was and was donated to a charity, one can only speculate,” he said.

Featured Image Credit: JESSICA VINCENT / WRIGHT AUCTION HOUSE

Topics: News, US News

Gerrard Kaonga
Gerrard Kaonga

Gerrard is a Journalist at UNILAD and has dived headfirst into covering everything from breaking global stories to trending entertainment news. He has a bachelors in English Literature from Brunel University and has written across a number of different national and international publications. Most notably the Financial Times, Daily Express, Evening Standard and Newsweek.

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

5 hours ago
7 hours ago
  • 5 hours ago

    Woman with fear of dolls sues boss after terrifying office prank left her with PTSD

    A former banker with a lifelong fear of dolls says she’s had PTSD after a prank at work

    News
  • 5 hours ago

    Celebrity chef Anne Burrell's final Instagram post before she suddenly died aged 55 as police release heartbreaking details

    Anne Burrell was best known for TV shows like Secrets of a Restaurant Chef and Worst Cooks in America

    Celebrity
  • 7 hours ago

    Teen dies aged 14 just days after contracting infection as doctor issue urgent warning

    William Hand tragically died on June 8 at the age of 14

    News
  • 7 hours ago

    Celebrity chef Anne Burrell dies suddenly aged 55 as police release heartbreaking details

    Anne Burrell's family confirmed her death on June 17

    Celebrity
  • The ultimate TV and takeaway pairings revealed, backed by science
  • Woman who bought painting for $4 from thrift store set to make more than $150,000
  • Woman went from being bullied to becoming first transgender woman to compete at Miss USA pageant
  • Man claims people 'can't live any more' after sharing groceries he bought for $100