A Virginia woman bought a glass vase at Goodwill for $3.99. She thought the glass vase was a regular one, but it turned out to be special. The woman then sold the vase, making a huge profit and becoming rich.
Jessica Vincent loves thrifting. In June 2022, she and her partner, Naza Acosta, went for their normal thrifting after they spent the day training horses. The couple entered a Goodwill store off Route 1 in Hanover County, a familiar spot for them as regular shoppers.
Vincent visits this store, situated near the state’s capital city of Richmond, multiple times each week. Visiting thrift shops is a habit she picked from her mother, who loved going to secondhand stores.
Vincent is also a lover of art, an affection she got from her mom, who was an art teacher. Over the years, she has trained her eyes to spot beautiful things, which is how she landed a rare Italian vase.
In the Goodwill store, Vincent, a dedicated watcher of “Antiques Roadshow,” spotted the glass vase with a twirling pattern of red and green. She told CNN that the moment she picked it up, she knew it had some significant value.
Vincent was also sure the vase was going home with her. So, she checked the mark at the bottom of the vase and saw Murano and Italiano stamped on it. The vase didn’t have a price tag, but Vincent wasn’t worried as she knew she would buy it even if it were expensive. Upon inquiring about its price, she was surprised when the clerk said it cost $3.99. The lucky Vincent bought it immediately.
At home, Vincent posted a picture of the vase in her Facebook groups. Facebook also suggested that she join the private group Murano Glass. Upon posting the vase’s photo in the group, it was recognized as a creation by the esteemed glass company Venini and designed by Carlo Scarpa, who passed away in 1979.
Scarpa designed the vase as part of the Pennellate series in 1942 when she worked as Venini’s creative director. A member of Murano Glass also informed Vincent that the piece was very rare. It was a vase that every collector would love to own were it not for its expense.
Vincent couldn’t believe that she may have just bought a masterpiece. She read about such stories all the time, but she now wondered if she had finally landed what was a thrifter’s equivalent of winning the lottery.
Therefore, she contacted the president of the Wright Auction House in Chicago, Richard Wright, via email. Wright reached out to her via call. Vincent figured out that the vase was special when Wright wanted to communicate via call.
On the call, Wright told her how the vase was rare, especially in the color and form it was in. “I think they only know of one other one in these colors,” she elaborated. Vincent wanted to keep the vase, but she was in need of money. When she learned how valuable the vase was, she didn’t want it to sit out. So, she boxed and wrapped it to prevent it from being damaged in any way.
Vincent was sure that sending the vase back to the art world would be better than having it at her house. “I was stressed having it at my little 1930s farmhouse. And I just bought the farm and everything needs to be fixed. I don’t even have heat,” she added.
Representatives from the Wright Auction House visited Vincent’s residence to examine the vase. They confirmed its authenticity and listed it on their website, pricing it between $30,000 and $50,000. The vase ended up selling at more than double its estimate. It was sold at $107,000, giving Vincent a profit of over $100,000.
Vincent now feels like she saved the vase, and it did the same to her. She already planned to purchase a dishwasher and get her home heated. Being involved with rescue horses, she intended to invest some money in the venture.
A grateful Vincent told CNN that she will always cherish the fact that she owned a Pennellate piece as much as she ended up selling it because she needed the money more than she wanted the glass vase.
