A woman bought a vase at Goodwill for $3,99, then sold it at auction for $107.

A woman bought a glass vase at Goodwill for $3,99. A rare item was sold at auction for $107, reports AP.

Photo: IStock

Jessica Vincent had just begun browsing the shelves of a Virginia thrift store when a vase caught her eye. It was shaped like a bottle and had colored ribbons of aqua green and amethyst purple that spiraled across its glass surface like streaks of paint.

The item looked old among the clutter of measuring cups, candles and other trinkets. Vincent looked closer and saw the words "Murano" and "Italy" on the base.

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“I bought it thinking it would look nice somewhere in my house,” said Vincent, 43, a horse trainer.
She paid $3,99 at a Goodwill store near Richmond.

“I definitely didn’t buy the vase with the intention of selling it,” the woman said.

Masterpiece on the shelf

Her opinion changed after some research.

On December 13, the vase was sold through Wright's auction house for $107. The buyer, a top collector from Europe, wished to remain anonymous.
Vincent's purchase came after years of visiting yard sales and consignment stores with her mother. She loves "Antiques Roadshow" on PBS and has dreamed many times about such luck as winning the lottery.

As an avid watcher of “Antiques Roadshow,” Jessica Vincent knew the glass vase had some value as soon as she picked it up. But she could never have predicted just how valuable it actually was. Full story >> https://t.co/sj57vPC0Cb pic.twitter.com/7wlSHpLwmb

— ABC Action News (@abcactionnews) December 18, 2023

“I always thought I had a keen eye,” says Vincent, who visits thrift stores several times a week with her partner. “But I’m very surprised that no one took the vase before me.”

The vase likely only sat on the shelf for a couple of days, given its quality and the fast pace of product sales, said Laura Faison, a spokeswoman for Goodwill of Central and Coastal Virginia. Each store receives an average of about 2000 new products per day.

“It could have been someone cleaning out grandma’s basement,” Faison said of the vase’s previous owner. “We’ll probably never know.”

Vincent walked into Goodwill on a June afternoon with her partner, Naza Acosta, after training horses. The vase seemed heavy in her hands. Although Vincent had seen painted glass before, the colors of the vase were different. They came from the glass itself, she said, “and it was done so delicately.”

After returning home, Vincent posted photos to Facebook groups dedicated to glass art. She soon joined a private group dedicated to Murano glass.

The inscription "Murano" on the bottom of the vase refers to the island in Venice, which has been famous for its glassware since the 13th century. Among his highly acclaimed creations are ornate crystal chandeliers and mirror frames, many of which adorn the palaces of European aristocracy.
The vase was produced by the famous glass company Venini and designed by Italian architect Carlo Scarpa, who died in 1978. One response on Facebook made Vincent shiver.

“This is a very rare vase. Every collector would like to have one. But most people can’t afford it,” one user wrote.

Vincent was referred to Richard Wright, president of Wright's auction house in Chicago.

“The minute I saw her email, I knew what kind of vase it was and how rare it was,” Wright said.

Piece of art

Scarpa was a leading Italian glass designer in the mid-20th century, and the vase was part of a series he created in 1942. The collection was called Pennellate, meaning "brush stroke", and was created by blowing and adding colored opaque glass to a vase.

“It was essentially a duo between Carlo Scarpa and a master blower who had to physically translate Scarpa’s designs onto the product,” Wright said. — You must constantly rotate this vase, otherwise it will fall off the pipe. And at the same time, you apply these subtle colors that have an absolute ease.”

Few of these vases were made because they were very difficult to create. The auction house knows of only one item of this shape and color combination. It is in a private collection.

Wright sent two Italian glass experts to Virginia to confirm the vase's authenticity. Vincent pulled it out of the cardboard box. The vase was wrapped in bubble wrap and a tablecloth.

“Just the look on their faces,” Vincent recalled. “The people who work with very important glass pieces were delighted with my little thrift store vase.”

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The vase was in perfect condition, Wright said. A small chip in the glass would have reduced its value to $10. Wright's auction house said the Vincent vase would fetch him about $000 and she would get about $23.

Vincent said much of the money will go toward installing an HVAC system in an old farmhouse she recently purchased. The family currently uses space heaters.

“I’m not rich, so it would be nice to have a little bit of a financial break,” added Vincent, who trains polo, sport and racing horses with her partner.

As for the vase, Vincent hopes that one day it will end up in a museum.

“My little 1930s farmhouse is not the right showcase for something this impressive,” Vincent said. “I would also be very nervous if it were in my house.” When you find out how much something costs, it’s a big responsibility.”

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