I found a $7.99 vase at a thrift store by accident – I was right to bet on the design I saw, it sold for $450

THRIFT stores can house some of the most valuable items – as long as you know what to look for.

A man recently found a glass vase at a thrift store that looked identical to others worth hundreds of dollars.

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The thrifty buyer, identified only as Andy, told Newsweek he found the rare find at a Value Village location in Ottawa, Canada.

“I found the vase by chance,” he told the outlet.

“I wouldn’t call myself an ordinary saver, but if I happen to pass by a thrift store and have a few minutes, I’ll stop by.

“I found some great finds like this vase.”

Andy explained that the vase was only $7.99, so he immediately grabbed it.

Upon further inspection, he discovered that the vase looked identical to a version posted on e-commerce site 1stDibs.

In the listing, the vase was attributed to the family of glass artist Angelo Barovier and was listed at US$1,254.65 Canadian dollars – which is equivalent to US$921.

Barovier is a well-known glass artist originally from Venice, Italy.

Original pieces made by him and his family sell for tens of thousands of dollars, with vases similar in size to the one Andy found. auction for between $2,000 and $6,000.

Prices typically vary depending on the condition and rarity of the item.

Andy told Newsweek that he soon took to Reddit to share his incredible discovery, revealing the piece’s potential value.

While dozens of users were excited about the bargain, many questioned the authenticity of the vase.

“This is an imitation,” said one user.

“Um, so THIS isn’t as valuable as you think,” wrote another.

“This is not even close to the same vase,” added a third.

The thrifty shopper said he was surprised by the harsh reactions.

“Some people were really nasty to my review source,” Andy said.

“I didn’t say it was worth $1,200, but I just found a listing somewhere else that showed what someone was asking.”

Although many criticized the post, an antiques dealer also saw value in the vase.

Andy told Newsweek that the dealer contacted him and offered $450 to buy the vase.

Those “same old things” from the 1970s and 1980s that have no value to them have a lot of value to others.

Andyeconomic buyer

“I thought it was a joke, but he asked for my email address and transferred me 50% via email,” he said.

“He came in the late afternoon with the other 50% – coincidentally, he lived about an hour away from me.”

This isn’t the first time highly valuable items have ended up in thrift stores.

The US Sun previously reported on a man who sold an Andy Warhol painting for just $40.

Andy attributed these findings to families unknowingly getting rid of items when cleaning a house.

“That ‘same old thing’ from the 1970s and 1980s that has no value to them has a lot of value to others,” he said.

“That’s my fantasy of how that vase showed up in a Value Village store for $7.99.”