'Antiques Roadshow' seller's 'heart thumps' after expert tells him value of his $4.99 Goodwill item

"Antiques Roadshow" among other shows such as "Pawn Stars" is a platform where people come with expectations of getting the best value for family heirlooms and artifacts found in attics and basements. But despite that a high valuation catches most people off guard, and their reactions make for emotional and hilarious moments on TV. A thrift shopper from Indianapolis had to calm his heart down after getting a stunning valuation for his $4.99 vase. The guest who purchased an old vase from a Goodwill store brought the item on the PBS show during its Indianapolis visit. After expert, David Rago took a closer look, he found it to be a rare Overbeck Vase that commanded a six-figure value. 

Talking about the vase, the guest shared that he and his wife were shopping at a local Goodwill store when they came across the beautiful vase."I saw it sitting on the shelf and thought, 'Aw, it's so beautiful'," he said. Looking at the quality of the vase and the markings on it the guest estimated that it could be of value. "And I thought, 'Well, I don't know who it is but for $4.99, I'm going to buy it," he told the expert.

Rago then took over to examine the vase closely. He revealed that the markings "OBK" at the bottom signified that the vase was from an Indianapolis company called Overbeck Pottery. The company run by four sisters created some of the greatest works of art of the time. He added that they produced artworks in different periods and the most significant one was created around their late teens and early 1920s. "Arts and crafts influence and this falls into that power alley," the expert added.

He further explained that the vase features a conventionalized design which is an "arts and crafts period design technique that uses a geometric distillation of the original design." Pointing at the design of the vase, the expert said that it has also got the same repeated pattern five or six times around the vase.  

"You've got a running man in a striped suit but behind him is a big pink sun, which is shining through a tree," the expert showed. 

He pointed out that the depiction is of a tree, as the branches could be seen running by the guy. Here the leaves are shown as triangles. "So they've conventionalized a tree there with the bare geometric minimum," Rago noted. 

Coming to the value of the vase, Rago said that it could be of great importance.  "It's such a great example of their work. It's colorful; it's matte-painted, it's hand-thrown, it's tooled, it fired very well," he added.

He further added that the vase marked a technical achievement as it is fired evenly on all sides. Looking at the marvelous creation, the expert says that at an auction, the vase could be valued anywhere between $50,000 and $100,000.

"I can't believe that," the guest exclaimed after hearing the number. "I mean, it's a seriously, seriously good piece of Overbeck. It's got everything it's got to have, this one's got it, Rago added. He then asked the guest how much did he buy it for, to which the guest said it was just $4.99.

"Feel my heart thumping," the guest said tapping on his chest.

In the end, the guest and the expert celebrated with a fist bump.