Source: WYFF
A $3 purchase at a South Carolina Goodwill store turned into one of the most remarkable thrift-store art discoveries in recent memory. His daughter-in-law later took it to Antiques Roadshow, where appraisers revealed it was a 17th-century Flemish work from around 1650. In March 2012, the painting sold at auction in Massachusetts for $190,000, according to reporting by Mental Floss and Ksl.com. The show’s experts examined the work closely and offered an initial estimate of $20,000 to $30,000, a figure that already dwarfed what Leroy had paid. But the real surprise was when they dated the painting to a Flemish artist from about 1650, putting it in a far older and more important category than anyone had expected. What he had not anticipated was that the canvas itself was more than 300 years old. Leroy’s find is often cited alongside other famous thrift-store discoveries, including a $9.99 painting by abstract artist Ilya Bolotowsky that sold for more than $27,000 at Sotheby’s in 2012.
The buyer, a former antiques dealer identified only by his middle name, Leroy, spotted an oil painting in an antique frame and assumed it might be worth a few hundred dollars. The purchase was driven by instinct rather than certainty. Leroy did not know the artist, the school, or the exact date of the work. He simply recognised that the frame had value and that the painting might be worth investigating further. That curiosity set in motion a chain of events that would far exceed his original expectations. About a year after the purchase, Leroy’s daughter-in-law brought the painting to Antiques Roadshow for appraisal. The valuation showed the painting was from a Flemish school in Amsterdam and dated back to the 17th century. Leroy’s instinct about the frame had been correct, as Flemish artwork was popular in the 1800s and the painting had been framed during that period. The Roadshow appearance gave the painting a public platform and helped establish its provenance. Appraisers could point to stylistic features and historical context that placed the work firmly in the Flemish tradition. That credibility was essential when it came time to bring the painting to auction. These stories fuel the hope that valuable art can still be found in everyday places. Goodwill stores and similar donation centres receive thousands of items each week, and not every donor knows the full history of what they are giving away.