Bought for $3.99, sold out for $107,000
Jessica Vincent, who often went thrifting with her mother as a child, recently turned a $3.99 purchase from a Virginia thrift store into a six-figure windfall.
The Richmond native sold a glass vase for over $107,000 at an auction by the art and design house Wright.
Vincent, a frequent shopper at the Goodwill store in question, said she and her partner visited "probably two or three times a week." She described thrifting as a way to decompress on the way home.
She immediately noticed the vase on a June shopping trip. "People say I have a good eye," Vincent remarked during a phone interview. "I can spot the valuable item among dollar store stuff. It's like I've trained myself – I've watched a lot of 'Antiques Roadshow.'"
The bottle-shaped vase, elegantly blown with red and seafoam green glass, caught her attention. "As soon as I picked it up, I knew it was a nice piece," she said. "I couldn't believe it was still there."
Vincent identified markings on the base indicating its Italian Murano glass origin but was puzzled by one word. After posting photos in a glassware Facebook group, members identified the word as "Venini," linking it to the renowned Italian glassworks company.
The vase, part of the "Pennellate" series designed by Carlo Scarpa for Venini in 1942, translates to "brushstrokes" and exemplifies Scarpa's vision of a vase as a canvas. Wright's auction house noted its rarity and difficulty in production.
"When I first heard Jessica's story and saw the vase, I knew it was genuine," said Richard Wright, the founder of Wright. He described Scarpa's glasswork as highly innovative and noted the series' limited production.
The auction house confirmed the vase's authenticity, and it was listed in Wright's "Important Italian Glass" sale with an estimate of $30,000 to $50,000. The final sale price exceeded $107,000. The buyer, an "esteemed collector," remains anonymous.
Watching the auction online, Vincent and her partner were ecstatic. "The excitement was indescribable," she said. "Owning a 'Pennellate' was incredible, but selling it was the right decision. I needed the money more than the vase," she added, calling it "a blessing."
Vincent continues thrifting, searching for anything from auction-worthy items to perfect additions for her home. "I went thrifting again after the auction," she said. "I'll always do it – it's the thrill of the hunt."
