2 Jars Purchased for Just $25 at a Thrift Store Are Actually Worth More Than $60,000

If you're a collector, there are few feelings that quite compare to finding something truly rare at an antique or thrift store. But can you imagine scoring something that's more than 300 years old? That was the reality for one thrift store patron who walked out of a London charity shop with a pair of ceramic jars that turned out to be from the 18th century.

The rare jars were purchased for a mere $25 and are currently up for auction at Roseberys London, where they're expected to go for upwards of $62,700. The 4.5-inch-tall ceramic jars are from the Qing Dynasty and feature two imperial Chinese doucai lotus and chrysanthemum heads, interspersed with leafy lotus meanders. Doucai is a porcelain painting technique used in the Ming dynasty where designs were outlined in blue before being glazed, CNN reports.

The seller of the jars, who has chosen to remain anonymous, is an avid collector of ceramic objects. They purchased the jars last year without knowing their value. When they researched the inscription found on the bottom of one of the jars, they realized the potential rarity of the porcelain. The seller then took the jars to Roseberys for inspection, according to CNN.

A pair of jars with the same design sold at Sotheby's London in 2021 and fetched more than $350,000. In 2013, another pair sold at Christie's Hong Kong for $782,000. The set currently up for auction is slated to sell for much less due to small hairlines on each jar and the absence of lids.