$3 Goodwill painting sells at auction for $190,000

An 81-year-old South Carolina man who goes by "Leroy" recently made a jaw-dropping profit on a painting he found at an Anderson Country Goodwill.

About a year and a half ago, Leroy purchased a $3 framed painting at the thrift store. Because of the frame style, he assumed it was from the 1800s and was likely to fetch up to $100 on eBay.

His daughter-in-law took the painting to Antiques Roadshow. The initial appraisal was far higher than Leroy had estimated, at $20,000 to $30,000.

Last Saturday, the 362-year-old painting sold for a whopping $190,000 at a Massachusetts auction house.

"It's the biggest find I've ever had. It's that one thing you're always looking for. I'd like to get the big one. Well, that was the big one. I can only thank Goodwill for that," he said.

The painting originated from a Flemish school in Amsterdam. Flemish art was popular in the 16th and 17th centuries, WIS News 10 reports, "in which there was attention to detail and bright colors."

Art collectors from five countries were in a fierce bidding was for the prized painting. The winning bid came from a local purchaser.

Leroy plans to share the profits with his son and daughter-in-law.