Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Me and my eye

Just crowing for a minute. I was at Goodwill yesterday looking for posters to put in my youngest daughter's room. She wants more "grown-up stuff" to hang on the walls. There were the usual cheesy kitties, big-eyed kids, and Thomas Kincaid rip offs. And a picture, in a tacky frame, covered by grimy plexiglass, surrounded by a hideous brown mat. For some reason I stopped and gave it a second look. There was a signature on it and a series number. So I gave it a third look. Here it is:

It turns out to be a signed lithograph called "Marchande de Fleurs au Perou" by a French artist named Eliane Thiollier. It's not the greatest litho in the world, but considering that I bought it for $2.99 and It's listed on-line as worth over $300, I'm pretty happy. Hello ebay!

13 comments:

a thousand shades of twilight said...

Wow! Congratulations! Nothing beats the thrill of that kind of find..it's truly addictive!

sageweb said...

That is so cool, how lucky! You do have a great eye. I would have probably bought a Hello Kitty Poster instead.

JB said...

We all dream of finding cheap treasures. My last stop at the Salvation Army yielded two 1960's McCoy planters for 6 bucks!

Miss Janey said...

It's beautiful. Great find. MIss J loves it. Is Miss E really Ebaying it?

yellowdoggranny said...

good eye..don't you just love finds like that?...im always buying books for .25cents and reselling them on ebay for $50..when my daughter mojo was about 11(she's 35 now) she had a picture of jim morrison of the doors on her wall, and none of her friends even knew who he was...

Elizabeth said...

Tilight - It is one of the most fun things ever! If I didn't have the pesky husband and kids to keep me in line I could definitely end up as a disheveled old crackpot obsessively trolling junk shops for treasure.

Sage - Nothing wrong with Miss H. Kitty. She's a zillionairess, after all!

JB - Dream and find, apparently. Good for you!

Miss J. - I am really ebaying it. My husband's great uncle was a famous artist, my brother-in-law is a well-known illustrator, I make art myself, and I have four kids who make art and expect it to be displayed. I can't hang it all..... So, as pretty as she is, Mme. Thiollier will take her chances on ebay.

Granny - Oh the books I've found! I have one I got for fifty cents at a library sale that is worth $75 minimum (but I like it too much to sell it). What a feeling, when you come home and find out you've picked a winner!

jason said...

wow...it's like the lottery!
Too bad that Antiques Roadshow isn't around, what a great story it would be for them...and it'd bump up the price even more probably.

Elizabeth said...

I dream of going on Antiques Roadshow!!! I have so many odd treasures from my family's time in South East Asia, as well as my own finds.... Someday.

Willym said...

great eye for art and a bargain ... you want to go shopping Lady?

more cowbell said...

Maybe I should give up the lottery and double my thrift store time ...

Congrats, that's a great find.

Susan said...

What an awesome find! Hmmm. Maybe I'll have to stop at the Goodwill next time I'm thinking of decorating ideas.

WendyB said...

Wow! Great find.

Elizabeth said...

Susan - Honestly, this was rare for Goodwill. I have found some amazing things at Thriftique (in Swissvale). If you're ever over this way, you should check it out!

Wendyb - Thanks, and thanks for stopping by!