Man Buys Plate for $4.99 at Thrift Store, Then Discovers Its Actual Value

A man’s routine thrift store visit in Illinois turned into a once-in-a-lifetime discovery when a plate he purchased for just $4.99 turned out to be a rare Chinese porcelain worth thousands of dollars.

John Carcerano uncovered the valuable find at a Goodwill store in Evanston, Chicago, in October last year. He nearly missed it, though, as it was tucked under a modern plate.

“I bought a rare 18th century Chinese armorial export plate at a Goodwill for $4.99; it’s worth $5,000,” he told Newsweek.

Carcerano, who runs a one-man carpet cleaning operation, has been buying and selling antiques on the side for 35 years, but a period of illness in 2023 led him to spend more time at local thrift stores.

“I spent more time than I usually do at the Goodwill thrift store in Evanston when I was recuperating from being sick and I didn’t work for eight months,” he said. “I had several surgeries and chemotherapies.”

The lifelong Chicago resident says he’s “back to normal, at least I feel normal.” But during those months of recovery, Carcerano made frequent visits to Goodwill, often spending hours watching for new inventory. “Sometimes I spend a few hours waiting for the carts to come out. I find it’s best to get them when they first come out because by the time they make it to the shelves, most good stuff is gone,” he said.

His incredible thrift store find almost went unnoticed. “The plate was underneath a modern plate and three other people were digging on the cart with me,” he recalled. “When everybody walked away from the cart, including me after we went through it, in the corner of my eye I noticed the plate was underneath a modern one.”

Carcerano had been visiting the same Goodwill for about a year and a half, believing the location’s proximity to a wealthier neighborhood in Chicago’s northern suburbs increased his chances of finding valuable items. “All the workers at the Goodwill in Evanston, they know me well,” he said.

To confirm its authenticity, he did a search online using Google Lens and quickly found proof of its value. “Sometimes it takes some digging, but I did a Google Lens search and found one that had sold exactly like it for $4,400 and I knew within five minutes that I had something valuable. Only two of these have ever sold in the last 50 years of auction history.”

What the Experts Say

According to screenshots of emails that Carcerano shared with Newsweek, the plate was later validated by specialists at major auction houses, including Sotheby’s New York, Bonhams and Leslie Hindman Auctioneers (which is now Freeman’s-Hindman following a 2024 merger). “The guy at Sotheby’s is a Chinese export specialist—he identified it. I sent the plate information and detailed photos to Bonhams, they identified it. I also sent it to Leslie Hindman’s located in Chicago,” Carcerano said.

In the email from a Sotheby’s specialist, the plate was described as a “Chinese export armorial chamfered rectangular platter” from the Qing dynasty’s Qianlong period, dated around 1755. Measuring 14 inches in length, it is “decorated with the arms of Mendes Da Costa” and carries an estimated value between $4,000 and $6,000.

To further validate his find, Carcerano turned to online collector communities. “I put it on five different Chinese antique porcelain Facebook groups and all those groups commented and confirmed what I had, so I knew, and I do know, that this is authentic,” he said. “What makes my plate stand out is the condition—it was never eaten on or used; no scratches, it’s pristine.”

While Carcerano had previously found in thrift stores some silver worth a few hundred dollars and a Japanese print that he sold for $1,500, nothing compared to the plate. His knowledge of Asian antiques, a subject he started studying around 10 years ago, allowed him to immediately recognize its potential value.

“A lot of people don’t know Asian art or porcelain well and it’s very surprising how they don’t even touch that stuff or look at it,” he said. “I have a pretty good education, I could identify it and that’s how I recognized the Chinese export plate.”

His find is poised to be sold at Sotheby’s Judaica auction in New York in June. “As far as I am aware, I don’t think a Chinese export plate with Jewish arms has been offered in a Judaic sale before, therefore I am very excited to be able to work with you to bring this to market,” the Sotheby’s specialist wrote in the email.

Newsweek has contacted Sotheby’s via email for comment.

Carcerano remains confident about the sale’s potential. “At this point, I do plan on getting it to Sotheby’s in New York,” he said, while also considering alternative ways to sell it.

“If I put this online myself and let it sit a little while, I think I would get just as much money as Sotheby’s.” However, he recognizes the advantages of an auction house. “Sotheby’s has a chance of going way over the auction estimate.”

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