ONE shopper’s thrift store haul has left her significantly richer than expected.
The antiques fan noticed a detail that revealed the true value of her purchase.
In a Reddit post, the unnamed poster showed off the old-style plate they found for $18 apiece.
The plates featured an intricately painted flower border as well as a country scene in the center.
Painted mainly in a dark pink to purple color, the decorative plate appeared to be a mass-produced item.
However, upon closer inspection, the buyer spotted a design element that instantly sold her on the plate.
The Reddit user revealed that the entirety of the artwork had been hand-painted onto the ceramic canvas.
“It is hand-painted with a scene of people communing over alcohol,” the buyer explained.
“At first I thought that was a crazy color of transferware, but then I realized they were hand-painted. Very cool,” one person commented.
The original poster revealed that they purchased 12 of the plates and was able to identify the artist who created them as E. Duc.
“Purple ware is super rare, [it] predates blue and white,” the Redditor explained.
Upon further research, they confirmed the items were made in Tournai in the 18th century.
The shopper explained that circa 1760, the Belgian city belonged to France at the time.
They described the item as a “rare and exquisite antique plate” and a “stunning piece of history.”
The thrifter decided to sell what they could and keep whatever was left from the dozen.
In the eBay description for the item, they described the plate as having a “vibrant shade of purple.”
It’s actually hard to gauge what to price it because the numbers can be so high.
Unnamed Reddit poster
After paying $18 for each plate, they were able to charge $80 once they confirmed the age of the dishes.
“It’s actually hard to gauge what to price it because the numbers can be so high,” they explained in the original Reddit post.
“Some places are selling plates at $300 a piece, some for $1,000. I think mine are lower quality than those.”
In the eBay listing, the shopper provided close-up shots of the handpainted detailing as well as a look at the underside of the plates.
“There is wear and crazing on the piece that shows its age, and small chips,” they informed potential buyers.
They pointed out that the antique plates would make a “unique addition to any collection.”
One impressed Reddit user described the plates as “striking.”
