While thrifting, where the hype of scoring a bargain often outshines the chance of finding hidden gems, Jessica Vincent’s summer adventure went from zero to a hundred real quick. A basic vase, copped for just $3.99 at a Virginia Goodwill, turned out to have a wild backstory. Little did Vincent know, this piece was actually a creation by the Italian architect and artist Carlo Scarpa.
The Remarkable Journey of a Murano Masterpiece
Carlo Scarpa crafted this 13.5-inch vase as part of his Pennellate series in the 1940s. Scarpa was all about pushing boundaries in Murano glass, and he used this technique to mix opaque and transparent glass to make it look like brushstrokes.
The auction house where Vincent decided to sell the vase estimated that it would sell for between $30,000 and $50,000, but when it went to auction at the high-end Wright Auction House, things got real. Thanks to its rarity, its historical significance, and Scarpa’s reputation, this Goodwill find turned into a six-figure sensation, raking in a mind-blowing $107,100 at auction.
The Artistic Eye Behind the Discovery
Vincent’s tale isn’t just about the money she got from her discovery, but also about the skill of seeing the potential value in seemingly mundane items. She found her treasure in a Goodwill bargain bin and took it to the auction house, reminding us all to keep our eyes peeled for hidden gems in the most random places.
She suspected that the vase was special, and that suspicion was confirmed when she shared it with a Murano glass Facebook group. Sara Blumberg, a glass expert at Wright, gave credit to Vincent for seeing the potential in something most people would overlook. It’s not every day you find something this special at Goodwill, after all. Vincent is using the money from her find to renovate a farmhouse.