When a woman saw a colorful vase at a thrift store, the only thought she had was how beautiful it was. She bought it for only $3.99 without any idea of its real value.
43-year-old Jessica Vincent loves thrifting and exploring bargain shops. It is a tradition that has been passed on by her mother, which she continues to do.
For her, it’s more than just thrifting but a treasure hunt. She enjoys the thrill of finding rare items and saving money is just a bonus.
Recently, her thrifting journey took an unexpected turn when she found a rare vase at a Goodwill in Virginia. She went there with her partner, Naza Acosta after a day of training horses.
She started examining the shelves when a colorful vase caught her eye. Amidst the clutter of candles, measuring cups, and other trinkets was an old vase with a unique shape. It has red and green streaks with “Murano” and “Italia” markings on its base.
The vase piqued Vincent’s interest so she brought it home for $3.99. “I bought it thinking it would look beautiful in my house somewhere,” said Vincent. “I definitely didn’t buy it thinking, ‘Oh, I’m going to sell this.’”
Though she bought the colorful vase as a mere decoration, her curious self could not help but investigate further. She wanted to know about the missing word on the markings.
After posting on a glassware Facebook group, she learned that the missing word was “Venini,” a popular name in Italian glassmaking.
However, that was not the end of revelations about the glass. One member claimed that the vase was created by Carlo Scarpa for Venini in 1942.
It was made as a part of the “Pennellate” series. It turned out that it was not just an ordinary vase but a collector’s dream made by one of the most renowned designers.
To verify the vase’s authenticity, experts visited Jessica’s home in Virginia. Richard Wright, founder of the Wright Auction House, recognized the vase and confirmed its authenticity and rarity.
“It was basically a duet between Carlo Scarpa and a master blower who had to physically translate (Scarpa’s) drawings,” Wright said.
“You have to keep rotating this vase the entire time or it’ll slump off the pipe. While at the same time you’re applying these delicate brushes of color that have this absolute lightness to them,” he added.
Vincent could not believe her luck in finding such a rare piece of design. Among all the trinkets in the thrift shop, she found the most valuable one. “I always felt like I had a good eye,” said Vincent. “But I’m really surprised that nobody picked it up before I did.”
She was in awe while watching the experts examine the vase. “Just the look on their faces,” Vincent recollected. “It was incredible to have experts who handle very important pieces of glass who were very excited for my little thrift-store vase.”
On December 13, the colorful vase was sold through the Wright Auction House for $107, 100. It was bought by a top collector from Europe.
Vincent said she is not “independently wealthy” so most of the money will go to installing an HVAC system into her farmhouse. Currently, she is only using space heaters to warm the place.
“My little 1930s farmhouse is not the right showcase for something so spectacular,” Vincent said. ”It would also make me super nervous to have it in my house. It’s a lot of responsibility when you find out how much something is worth.”
Though Vincent has developed quite an attachment to the vase, she knew it belongs to a place where it could be more appreciated. It was a difficult decision for her but she hopes that one day, the vase will be in a museum where everyone can admire its beauty.
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