“One person’s trash is someone else’s treasure.”
We’re all too familiar with this line and know how this is true for most of us who shop at thrift shops, flea markets, or garage sales.
It may not be that big of a treasure, but we can always turn it into something valuable – like refurbishing old furniture, making it look new and stylish, and selling it for a higher price.
Imagine if you find something exciting and later discover it has a high value. Like… thousands of dollars?
It’s like winning the lottery; you couldn’t believe your luck.
This rarely happens to anyone, so when it does, we can’t help but be amazed at their good fortune (and partly wish it was us, too).
A girl was surprised to know the actual value of a sculpture they use as a doorstop.
PBS’s Antiques Roadshow visited the DuMouchelles Gallery in Kansas City, Missouri, and a girl presented the sculpture to the gallery’s appraiser, Ernest DuMouchelle.
The award-winning show takes its audience on an adventure of art and history as they visit auction houses and independent antique collectors to feature rare historical finds.
The girl explained how she got this sculpture which made her story even more amazing!
She said her grandmother bought it for around $15-$20 from a flea market or garage sale in Florida.
The sculpture was of Thetis, a Nereid from Greek mythology.
The young girl said her grandma bought it because she, her sister, and their dad all like Greek mythology.
It was a beautiful and thoughtful gift, yet they did not know its value. Hence, it became their doorstopper.
There were engravings on the sculpture which they thought could help them trace its history, and they searched for Emile Hébert, but all they found was that he was probably a writer, and they doubted that.
They did not know what to make of the other engraved characters: GS, Medaille D’or, and 1867.
After all that information, Mr. DuMouchelle explained everything to the young girl.
He said that they couldn’t find any sculpture-related information about Emile Hébert because the artist’s full name was Pierre-Eugène-Emile Hébert, a known Neoclassical artist.
The sculpture was made of bronze with gold doré inlays on it.
The engraving at the back meant where it came from.
GS was the sculpture’s foundry mark of the manufacturer that casted the sculpture for the artist.
Medaille D’or, which is French for gold medal, meant the sculpture won first place in some art category in France.
Lastly, 1867 was the year it was made.
That said, Mr. DuMouchelle revealed how much the sculpture would cost in an auction.
The gallery appraiser said it could go for between $4,000 – $6,000!
He also advised the girl to have someone professionally restore parts of the painting that had paint on it so it would be valued more.
The young girl was shocked to know the actual value of the sculpture!
“It’s a doorstopper!” she exclaimed with a stunned face because who would have thought a sculpture bought from a garage sale that they used as their doorstopper at home was something worth that much? It’s wild!
This classic appraisal took place in 2002, so the value of the statue increased some over the years.
Watch the video below to see the girl’s priceless reaction, and to find out it’s worth over a decade later!
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