My best yard sale find ever.

[Vinca]

This is a Roadshow-worthy story. I stopped at a yard sale kind of late in the morning the Saturday before last and spotted a large abstract painting for $10 and decided to buy it. The guy tells me he bought it directly from the artist in 1985 and that the artist, who is Moroccan, is very well known. Yeah, sure, I thought. As if someone would sell a well known artist's painting for $10. But I bought it anyway, because for some weird reason I liked it. So I got home, put "Mohamed Drissi" into "the Google" and to my astonishment, it turns out he is well known. In fact, there's an entire museum with his name on it. I found one sale for $18,000 so I sent a picture to a gallery in Morocco and they said it's one of Drissi's best works. They quoted $8,000 to $12,000, but I think they were setting me up for a sale and I'm hanging onto it for awhile. I'm still stunned that someone would sell a painting like that for $10. It actually looked as if it had been in storage in a barn or something, too. I had to vacuum sawdust and mouse droppings off it. Honest!


Edited to add another little tidbit I picked up from another dealer last weekend. Apparently someone in my area made a million dollar find of a Russian painting over the summer! It's so exciting to know this kind of thing is still out there.

[Longhorn]

1. Oh, my!

What an amazing story! I hope all works out with securing your windfall! That's not just luck but skill on your part. I wonder how many people had passed up on that painting by the time you saw it! Way to go! :yourock:

[yy4me]

2. And that my dear is why we all still get in the car and hit every

yard sale, junk shop, thrift shop we can find. Personally, I'm looking for a Faberge egg but I will take an original of the Declaration of Independence--maybe an original printed Gutenberg Bible, a signed Paul Revere silver tankard. No point in thinking small, one the bug is in your system, no turning back.

I did find a cute old brass frame the other day.

Congrats, perseverance pays off.

[Vinca]

4. LOL - I've been looking for a Faberge egg, too. Seriously.

Did you know Faberge made tiny eggs that are worn as pendants? I figure that would be the easiest to find. They also made Santa figures that are unidentified except for some Russian writing on the bottom. I look for those, too. You never know.

[sandnsea]

3. Oh that is fabulous!!

I would still be picking myself up off the floor if that happened to me.

Congratulations!

:bounce:

[sufrommich]

5. Congratulations Vinca!

You've got a real eye for hidden treasures. :thumbsup:

[mopinko]

6. take good care of it.

buy it a good cleaning if you can afford it. if is was covered with dust and mouse droppings, it is in need.
great job, tho. i love thrift shop art, and am always looking for that big thing. i always buy paintings that talk to me.

[eleny]

7. Good for you, Vinca!

And what an interesting painting it is. Yes, it's odd. But it's intriguing and I can see why you purchased it.

It's a thrill to know someone who picked up an amazing find. Congrats!

[eleny]

8. P.S. Did you see this You Tube video of his work

It's in French, so I don't know what's being said. But paintings are shown.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2l1TRadRs9o

[Vinca]

9. I did see that - thanks! In fact, a name of one of the people being

interviewed is how I found the gallery I contacted.