Woman buys two vases for £7 from car boot sale only to find they’re worth £1,200
Once tarnished by an association with poverty, with the support of TV shows like Bargain Hunt, markets and car boot sales are making a comeback.
While thrifting is an art form that it takes a lot to master, stories of finding real-life treasures are not uncommon.
This is exactly what happened to Christine Rehm who spotted iridescent glassware while browsing for souvenirs in Spain five years ago.
The 65-year-old bought two matching vases for £7 and put them in her home she shared with husband Manfred, near Alicante.
After 15 years of living in Spain, the couple moved back to the UK in 2021 and she decided to take the ornaments to an antiques expert for valuation.
To her surprise, Christine discovered they were Art Nouveau Loetz worth at least £1,200.
‘I did not know they were valuable or what they were when I bought them. I liked the style and particularly their colour,’ she said.
‘We have looked after them and kept them behind glass but I am redoing the lounge and thought I would see if they were worth anything. I could not believe it when I found out what they were.’
Valuers told Christine the vases are around 120 years old and are by the renowned European manufacturer.
Known as PG29, they date back to 1900 when Loetz art glass was at its ‘pinnacle of greatness’.
They are now going under the hammer with an expected sale price of between £800-£1,200.
Sarah Williams, senior valuer with Richard Winterton Auctioneers, said: ‘This was during the Art Nouveau period and is the period of manufacture that is most prized by collectors today.
‘The Phaenomen Genre’s main characteristic is the rippled or feathered design on the surface of the object.
‘This was achieved by wrapping hot glass threads around a molten glass base and then the threads were pulled on the surface to create the designs whilst all the materials were still malleable.
‘The technique was patented in 1898.’
The vases will be sold at Richard Winterton Auctioneers in Lichfield on May 2.
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