Why Can't I Score Great Deals?!

So, I have been living in my new house for almost a year now, and at the same time, planning my wedding. Needless to say, when you have 2 financial burdens like these coinciding at the same time, one will have less attention paid to it than the other. My house has fallen victim. Yes, we have painted walls, but we have little to no decor on them. All of the $10 Monet and Van Gogh prints that we had hanging on our apartment walls in cheap picture frames now live in our basement. They just don't seem worthy of our new "grown-up" house. So, we are being picky and selective in what we choose to hang on our new walls.

That being said, I have quickly embraced the world of thrift store shopping and bargain-hunting, but it seems like all of my friends are the ones who tell me about "great" finds or treasures they have acquired. Whenever I go in search of these gems, there are none to be had!

So, naturally, I wasn't surprised to find out that, once again, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time! The painting above was donated to a Goodwill Store in Maryland, and was about to be slapped with a $20 price tag, when one of the Goodwill employees gave it a further glance, and after research and an appraisal, found out they had acquired an original painting by French impressionist Edouard-Leon Cortes. The painting, 'Marche aux fleurs', or 'Flower Market,' fetched $40,600 at auction!!!!! The former owner who DONATED the garage sale looking painting to Goodwill is probably hyperventilating in a paper bag right now.

Now, don't get me wrong, the painting is somewhat lovely, but I'm sure I would have breezed right by in the store without giving it a second glance. I could have snagged it for a twenty, sold it and furnished and decorated my ENTIRE house with the score.

I just don't have that kind of luck! Well, I'm off to sign up for a summer school course now...
"Identifying Rare French Impressionist Paintings: 101"