NEW YORK, NY.- Jessica Vincent made her way in June through a busy Goodwill thrift store in Hanover County, Virginia, passing VCRs, lamps and glassware commonly sold at big-box retailers. Nothing really caught her eye until she saw an iridescent glass vase.

After doing a lap around the store, she returned to the bottle-shaped vase with red and green swirls. She noticed a small “M” on the bottom that she believed stood for Murano, an island off Venice and the historical home of Italian glassware.

She had a feeling it might be worth something.

There was no price on the vase. Vincent, 43, told herself she’d pay $8.99 and no more. When the cashier rang her up, it was $3.99.

When she returned home from the Goodwill thrift store, she joined Facebook groups for glass identification to learn more about the vase. Some members told her it looked like it was designed by Carlo Scarpa, a renowned Italian architect, and they referred her to Wright Auction House.

She sent photos, and almost right away Richard Wright, president of the auction house, asked if he could call. “The minute I saw the photos I had a really good feeling,” he said.

On Wednesday, the vase was auctioned for $107,100 to an unidentified private art collector in Europe. About $83,500 went to Vincent, and about $23,600 went to Wright Auction House.

Specialists who evaluated the piece determined it was part of the “Pennellate” series that Scarpa designed in the 1940s. It’s unclear how many vases of this kind were made, Wright said.

He said he was most impressed with the pristine condition of the glass.

“If it had a chip — even a small chip — it would have probably sold for under $10,000,” he said. “This was like a winning lottery ticket.”

It was unclear how the vase got to the Goodwill store. A representative at Goodwill Industries could not immediately be reached Sunday.

In January, Vincent, who trains polo horses, bought a farmhouse that was built in 1930. It needs major renovations, and for now, it is being warmed with two space heaters. With her newfound money, she hopes to upgrade her heating system, install a dishwasher and add fencing.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.