In the News

$9,000 Lithograph Bought for $12 at Milwaukee Goodwill

Posted by Jamie Klinger-Krebs on Dec 12, 2012 10:59:00 AM

calder paintingA Goodwill shopper recently purchased a framed piece of art for $12 at the Goodwill Store & Donation Center on Oakland Avenue only to discover that it was an Alexander Calder print worth $9,000. Now that’s an amazing find!

The piece titled “Red Nose” is a graphic black and white image with a red block of color in the middle, created in 1969. At first, “treasure hunter” Karen Mallet didn’t care for it but upon spotting the Calder signature, she had second thoughts. Calder died in 1976 and left behind a legacy of mostly mobiles and sculptures. However, he did spend part of his career painting.

Mallet’s amazing find was reported by national media outlets – both print and broadcast. “Goodwill trains its employees to spot donated items of great value but once in a while, if things slip through and a customer benefits, we are happy for them,” said Cheryl Lightholder, Manager of Communications for Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin and Metropolitan Chicago. Mallet said the piece has “grown on her” and she plans to keep it.

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