REDDIT users discussed their most valuable finds, including a famous art book worth $1,200.
On the r/antiques Reddit community, a user shared his incredible discovery, which is also an important piece of history.
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“What’s the most valuable thing you’ve ever found at Goodwill?” asked the person who started the wire.
“Maybe that,” one person responded, with images from a rare art book.
O copy of of forty-seven facsimile drawings by American artists was a little worn, but it had all the artwork.
The book, which features a collection of sketches, was sold in 1918 to benefit American artist soldiers and their dependents during the First World War.
read more about economics discoveries
A copy of the book is stored at the Library of Congress and a digital copy is Available for anyone to see.
An inscription on the first page reads: “This unique collection of drawings was contributed to the “American Artists’ War Emergency Fund” by forty-seven American artists to be disposed of for the benefit of this fund.”
It was initially sold for US$5, which is equivalent to US$111.55 today when calculating inflation.
“I bought it at the dumpsters for 37 cents,” the Reddit user wrote.
Goodwill checkouts often sell items by weight rather than setting the price for each product.
“Some others online in worse condition are priced from $800 to $1,200,” they added.
Online bookseller Abe Books has two copies of the book, one costs $400 and another for US$1,115. The most expensive is first impression.
ARTWORK
It may be hard to believe, but this isn’t the first time a famous work of art has been found in a thrift store.
Photographer Paul Beaty was in a Salvation Army store in 2016 when he noticed two famous paintings were for sale.
He only had $300 to his name, but spent $220 on the enormous paintings measuring three feet wide and four feet high.
They were original to Warner Sallman’s 1940 painting The Head of Christ.
“I walked in and I couldn’t believe something like this would happen at the Salvation Army,” Beaty told the Chicago-based PBS affiliate. WTTW.
The paintings were displayed in the Salvation Army’s main buildings and were mistaken for store stock during an office move.
“We regret the oversight that led to the purchase of a donated piece of art at a thrift store,” a Salvation Army spokesperson told the news outlet.
“We would love for the gift to be returned to our collection.”
But that’s not what Beatty did.
How to identify valuable items at the thrift store
Everyone reads these stories of savers making big savings and even profits from their rare finds, but how do they know what to look for?
A shopping expert has revealed what you should look for when you’re at thrift stores to save money.
Jeanel Alvarado Head of Retail says kitchenware is an important thing to look out for, as retailers will use similar materials, colors and patterns, but thrift stores will have unique objects that can add personality to your kitchen.
Thrift stores are a gold mine for purchasing pieces for your home and you can even find new items with a generous discount applied.
“I would rather thrift kitchen and tableware items from a thrift store than a dollar store for value and function,” Alvarado explained to Yahoo.
“However, thrift stores often receive donated items from other businesses, so you may be able to find a better quality item that is still in its original packaging.”
Instead, he spent two years trying to find a buyer and ended up selling the paintings for $100,000 for the oil painting and $35,000 for the chalk depiction.
“No original Warner Sallman (piece) was ever sold, so a lot of people didn’t think it was worth that much,” Beaty explained.
“That defines the value of what an original Warner Sallman is worth now.”
A Goodwill shopper found a famous piece of wall art for just $25 that’s worth $1,000.
Also, see the martini lamp to watch out for; worth up to $900.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
