Jessica Vincent made her way in June through a busy Goodwill thrift store in Hanover County, Va., passing VCRs, lamps and glassware commonly sold at big-box retailers.
Nothing really caught her eye until she saw an iridescent glass vase.
After doing a lap around the store, she returned to the bottle-shaped vase with red and green swirls.
She noticed a small “M” on the bottom that she believed stood for Murano, an island off Venice and the historical home of Italian glassware.
She had a feeling it might be worth something.
There was no price on the vase.
Ms. Vincent, 43, told herself she’d pay $8.99 and no more. »