Melbourne Salvos op shopper stunned as $8 item turns out to be ‘rare’ Bitossi Ceramiche piece worth hundreds
An eagle-eyed bargain hunter was stunned when she found a rare ceramic item worth hundreds of dollars at her local store for a fraction of the price
Laura Feeger came across the $8 cat-shaped item, designed by luxury Italian ceramics company Bitossi Ceramiche, at a Salvation Army store in Melbourneon Tuesday.
Bitossi Ceramiche, a company founded in Florence in the north Italy designs dozens of handmade ceramic objects in 1867 that can be purchased for several hundred dollars.
Many items from the designer range have a price tag of over $1,000.
A store fan chose a rare ceramic piece in the shape of a cat at Salvos (photo)
Mrs. Feeger, who found the object on a shelf next to some old coffee mugs, was left in disbelief.
“I turned around and saw the cat staring back at me and I felt like I was floating towards it,” she said Yahoo.
‘I picked it up and was in shock. I collect Bitossi and recognized the patterns used, but had never seen this shaped cat before.’
Ms Feeger detailed her find on social media, catching the attention of equally astounded bargain hunters.
“I’ve never seen this style before, damn nice find Laura,” one person wrote.
The rare object is a ceramic piece designed by luxury ceramic designer Bitossi Ceramiche
The valuable item (photo) was on sale at Salvos for just $8
Others were not convinced it was a Bitossi Ceramiche and speculated it could be a replica.
“Doesn’t look like Bitossi to me,” one person wrote.
Ms. Feeger took the item to a collector familiar with Bitossi products who confirmed that the ceramic was indeed genuine.
“Initially I thought there was a chance this wasn’t real, but thanks to confirmation from probably the most knowledgeable Bitossi collector in the world… I was able to confirm its authenticity,” she said.
The collector told her the product could be worth between $500 and $1,000.
Mrs. Feeger has decided to keep the treasured item for the time being.
She said the cat, a rare piece that comes in different colors and designs, could have been made in the late 1960s or 1970s.
