Leroy considers himself a thrift store connoisseur. Just about everything he owns in his home is from thrift stores, and he goes to a nearby Goodwill about four times a week.
The 81-year-old from Anderson County, SC, enjoys buying and selling items he gets for cheap. A former antiques dealer, he has spent his life looking for that one big find. One day he found an oil painting of what looked to be a massive feast.
He thought the painting might be worth $100 or two on the internet. However, his daughter-in-law had a hunch the painting was worth slightly more. She appeared on the PBS series Antiques Roadshow. The painting was appraised at $20,000 to $30,000.
Leroy believed the painting was from the 1800s but was stunned to discover it was a Flemish work of art from the year 1650. When he brought the painting to an auction house in Massachusetts it sold for a stunning $190,000.
"It's the biggest find I've ever had," said Leroy. "I can only thank Goodwill for that."
The grandfather will split the money with his son and daughter-in-law, and use a portion to renovate his home. This just goes to show, you never know what hidden treasures are tucked away in thrift stores.
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