Over the years, stories of thrift shoppers stumbling on high-value and super-cool items have made the headlines. In 2015, Zach Norris found a $35,000 worth of vintage wristwatch while searching for second-hand items. Another thrift shopper, a scrap metal dealer, paid $14,000 for a centuries-old ornate golden egg that later turned out to be valued at a staggering $33 million.
But a recent and similar discovery is making the rounds. At the center of this story is a pizza slice-shaped trinket that seems to be made of pure gold.
Interestingly, as it turned out, the popularity of this discovery had less to do with the item’s value than with the series of twists surrounding its finding.
In the photos of the item which were posted on Reddit by the new owner, the metal looked like a pizza slice made of pure gold. The crusts seemed like it was made of gold and decorated with what looked like silver toppings.
Initially, the owner believed they had struck a massive fortune with the discovery. But on further investigation, the item was found to be nothing close to the “gold slice of pizza” that was earlier thought.
It is actually made of cast metal and had reportedly been sold for $25 in the past. “Yeah, it looks like gold-plated brass. It’s SUPER HEAVY so whatever the base metal is, it is solid,” the user commented.
But just as despair and disappointment were about to set in, a refreshing glimmer of hope appeared. Cast into the metal was the name of the artist who manufactured the piece. Fortunately, it was the top-rated Ted Arnold.
“In person, it is identical to the pictures, and in the second photo I posted, you can see the artist’s name cast into the metal. It’s real!,” the Reddit user announced.
Ted Arnold is popularly described as a Postwar and Contemporary Artist whose works have struck significant cords in the art world. Born in 1949, this gifted artist has created multiple masterpieces, most of which have gone on to attract decent prices (from $15 to $4,000) at auctions.
The only fake thing about the item was its gold status. It is an authentic work of a renowned artist.
Aside from the cast of the artist’s name, the owner had also previously compared the item with pictures of the artist’s work and found it.
According to the Reddit user who posted the photo, one of the artist’s works, Fair Gold Pizzas, was listed not too long ago for $538. Another fake gold artwork he created, this time a fried chicken drumstick, was also recently sold for $539.
From the look of things, the Reddit user still ended up with an impressive bargain. $2 to $500+ is a massive leap whenever they choose to sell. The Reddit user had hinted that the piece of metal won’t be changing hands anytime soon. “I’m going to keep it as a ‘trophy’,” the user declared.
If you haven’t tried thrifting before, you could begin to make plans now. Thrifting is a fun and adventurous experience. Who knows? Luck may just be waiting to smile on you and lead you to the next big discovery.
