Treasure hunt?
There are lucky people. Then there are very lucky people. And then there are those who find rare and extraordinary hidden gems in common-looking items just ‘by chance’. That’s what happened with this man who bought a plate worth a mere $5 only to later realize that he’s actually hit pay dirt! Here’s the shocking revelation that made him go viral on social media in no time.
John Carcerano is a carpet cleaner from Illinois along with being an experienced thrifter. He has been thrifting various items for the past 35 years as a hobby. But in a recent experience, Carcerano’s random thrift store pick turned into a magical discovery. While browsing through some items at a Goodwill store, the man chose a seemingly ordinary plate and purchased it for $4.99. It was later revealed that the object was, in fact, a rare 18th-century Chinese artifact worth over $4,400.
The ‘plate’ was hidden under a modern one when Carcerano spotted it for the first time. The thrifter with substantial experience had an on-the-spot feeling that it was something quite valuable. He immediately pulled his phone out of his pocket and using Google Lens, he tried to check the original prices of the plate online. He found that a similar one had just sold for somewhere around $4,400 and realizing the potential price of his discovery, he immediately picked the object from the thrift store. Later on, he even went on to discover that only 2 of such plates have ever been sold in the last 50 years of auction history.
After purchasing the plate alias the 250-year-old Chinese artifact, Carcerano decided to get his authenticity verified. When he took it to several auction houses in New York, it was confirmed by some experts that the plate belonged to the Qing dynasty’s Qianlong period. Dating back to around 1775, it was a Chinese export armorial chamfered rectangular platter that was never used or eaten on. It was pristine with no scratches and some experts from Chicago even estimated that it should be valued somewhere between $4,000 and $6,000.
Carcerano’s extensive knowledge and experience played a crucial role in this discovery. His keen eye and dedication to the thrifting practice allowed him to uncover a hidden gem worth thousands of dollars.
