By Finding a great steal at a thrift shop is an amazing feeling! But the excitement is amplified even more when the item you snatched up turns out to be worth a lot more than you paid for it. That was the case for an Ohio woman who was drawn to a pretty gold frame at Goodwill—and discovered it was an original work of art. Keep reading to learn more about how her $3 painting purchase ended up being auctioned for thousands!
How she discovered the Goodwill painting’s true value
A last-minute stop at a Goodwill store led to quite the find for Oakwood, Ohio native Marisa Alcorn. But the incredible purchase almost didn’t happen! According to The U.S. Sun, she and fiancé Aaron Headlee were about to leave when the owner brought some new items out into the shop.
The item that caught her eye? A painting in an intricate gold frame, being sold for only $2.90.
Alcorn took to TikTok to share more about the unique purchase. “I picked up this painting strictly for the frame, but after I got into the car and realized it was an actual painting and not a print, I decided to do some research,” she shared in the video.
Upon closer inspection, she discovered a plaque at the bottom of the frame with the name “Johann Berthelsen.” A quick Google search revealed he was a famous American Impressionist painter.
What the Goodwill painting sold for
After realizing the painting may be worth far more than the $3 she spent, Alcorn posted a photo of it on a free art appraisal page on Facebook. The response was positive, and it convinced her to contact experts for a proper appraisal.
She and Headlee took it to the Caza Sikes Art Gallery in Cincinnati, Ohio, where one appraiser said the art would most likely sell for the $3,000-$5,000 range. As a result, they decided to leave it there so the painting could be included in an upcoming auction.
In an update video on TikTok, Alcon shared that it sold for $2,300. The money they got to keep after paying the commission fee will be going towards their wedding.
Though it may not have earned top dollar, the entire ordeal (and cheap thrift store price tag) certainly made it worthwhile in her eyes!
“Looking back at the whole experience it’s honestly kind of crazy,” Alcorn said, according to The U.S. Sun. “The fact that this beautiful famous painting was sitting on the bottom of a cart in a not-so-great thrift store and has now been shipped to its new owner who will cherish it is a great ending.”
Other famous thrift store art finds
Surprisingly, it’s not as uncommon as you may think to find famous art at a thrift shop. Your cheap purchase could actually be worth big bucks!
Here are some recent examples of valuable art being found at second-hand shops:
- In 2023, a $4 thrift store purchase was determined to be an original N.C. Wyeth piece known as Ramona. It sold for $191,000.
- Last year, a painting bought at a Goodwill store turned out to be a bluebonnet oil painting done by Texan Impressionist Julian Onderdonk in 1921. Though it had a starting auction price of $30,000, it sold for $112,500.
- A 2022 article shared a story of how an art collector stumbled upon a Roman bust at Goodwill, and bought it for $34.99. It was determined to be a missing ancient bust that had belonged to King Ludwig I of Bavaria (who lived from 1786 to 1868). Though she didn’t get to keep the sculpture due to ownership issues, the woman did receive an undisclosed finder’s fee.
- In June 2021, a rare David Bowie portrait (painted in neo-expressionist style) sold for $87,000. It was originally purchased for $4 at a Canadian donation center.
