A thrift store find turned into a windfall for an Ohio woman after a painting she purchased for $2.99 was auctioned for $2,875.
Marissa Alcorn, a Dayton resident, and her fiancé had stopped at a Goodwill store after dinner when she noticed an intriguing frame on a cart brought out by a store employee, WDTN reported on Wednesday.
Alcorn said she thought it was an “awful painting” but decided to buy it due to its low price.
While loading the painting into her car, she noticed something unusual. “It had a little plaque at the bottom of the frame,” said Alcorn, according to WDTN. “Out of curiosity, I type in the name and find out it was Johann Berthelsen.”
Berthelsen, an American impressionist who died in 1972, is known for works that often sell for thousands of dollars.
“My first thought was: ‘This isn’t real,’” said Alcorn, according to WDTN. “It’s probably just a fake.”
Encouraged by members of a free art appraisal group on Facebook, Alcorn had the painting authenticated at Cincinnati auction house Caza Sikes. Experts confirmed it was indeed a Berthelsen work titled “Chapel, St. Patrick’s Church.”
The painting sold for $2,875 on Feb. 19, according to the auction house website.
Alcorn said she plans to use the money for her upcoming wedding.
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