Uncovering Hidden Gems: How Nancy Cavaliere Found Picasso Plates in Thrift Stores and Turned Them into Thousands
Rummaging through the shirts and dresses in the local charity shop, Nancy Cavaliere, 37, is enjoying spending a quiet thirty-minutes shopping. Just as second-hand fan Nancy decides to head back to work, the mum-of-one takes one final look at the homeware section.
In amongst the usual bric-à-brac, she spots four black plates with white lines and a pop of turquoise priced at £1.99 each. Knowing she can use the plates for a fun dinner party, Nancy grabs her bargain find and takes them to the till. She didn’t know it at the time, but the human resources coordinator was buying crockery that would change her life forever.
From Pennies to Thousands of Pounds
Nancy admits she has plenty of charity shop wins in her arsenal. “I’ve bought vintage Gucci, Oscar De La Renta Alexander McQueen clothing for pennies and turned them into thousands of pounds,” she says. “I am proof you can find hidden treasure in the thrift store or at the charity shop. It’s not an urban myth, it’s reality.”
Human resources coordinator, Nancy lives in New York City with her husband Alex, 37, a businessman, and three-year-old daughter, Chiara. Nancy was born in Campania, Italy. When she was seven years old her family immigrated to New York in 1984 where she discovered a knack for bargain hunting.
Putting in the Hours
Nancy has spent hundreds of hours looking in second hand stores and thrift shops all over New York. “You have to put in the work to find amazing pieces,” she says. “You never know what you will stumble across at the bottom of a box or at the back of a shelf. It’s often the most unusual looking item that is worth the most amount of money. Often when you least expect to make a discovery you make the find of your life. It’s about patience and persistence.”
That’s how in August 2018 Nancy discovered her Picasso plates. “When I spotted the plates, I just loved the colours. They looked different and unusual and they were in perfect condition. I turned one plate over and spotted an indentation in the ceramic which read Picasso. I didn’t think anything of it. I was standing in a thrift store in New York. I never imagined I’d find ‘a Picasso’ next to some glasses from Ikea and used Walmart cutlery.”
Trusting Her Gut Instinct
It was only when Nancy was walking back to work did she wonder if her thrift shop find might actually be linked to the famous painter. “I got a weird feeling in my stomach. I had a friend who worked in antiques, so I texted her about the plates,” she explains. “She told me they probably were fake. Luckily, she did however suggest I should contact an auction house in New York that specialises in Picasso’s work – ‘just in case’ they were real.”
Nancy called Sotheby Auction House in New York and spoke with the department that specialised in Picasso’s work. She recalls: “I sent them pictures and videos of the plates. Then they asked me to bring one in so they could examine it. When they told me my crockery set that cost less than £8 were in fact four real and original Picasso ceramic plates I was stunned. I couldn’t believe it. To this day I still feel waves of emotion about the thrift shop find.”
Pablo Picasso is considered one of the most influential artists of the 20th century and is a co-founder of the cubits’s movement. According to experts Picasso created 633 different ceramic editions between 1947 and 1971 which would include 50 to 300 pieces each. During his lifetime Picasso produced a total of 3500 unique pieces of ceramic pottery including Nancy’s thrift store plates as well as his famous artworks. Nancy’s plates were four of one hundred pieces created by Pablo Picasso called Service Visage Noir. “I remember thinking when I paid £1.99 for each plate in 2018, they couldn’t be real Picasso’s when I thought he’d never done ceramics. I am glad I was wrong,” she says.
A Life-Changing Sum
Nancy decided to sell three of the plates at auction. “I dropped the plates off to the auction house for safekeeping,” she says. “They valued them at around £4,000 each for the auction catalogue. I then had to wait four months for the Picasso auction as they are held only two a year.”
In December 2022, Nancy watched the three plates sell at auction on a live feed on her computer at work. “I was sweating, and my phone was buzzing with messages from friends and family. I had no idea what was going to happen,” she recalls.
The plates were sold individually, and the first one sold for £6,388. “I burst into tears. It was overwhelming and exhilarating,” she admits. Nancy admits when the second plate sold for £10,000, she could hardly speak. “When the last plate went for £12,777, I almost collapsed. “I rang my family and sobbed down the phone. It didn’t feel real.”
Nancy invested the money into the stock market to get the best return on her auction windfall. “It’s a nest egg for my husband and myself. It will also help pay for my daughter’s university fees,” she says. Nancy has hung onto her fourth plate. “The fourth plate is extra special. It actually has Picasso’s signature on it. It’s being kept for my daughter,” she says. Nancy says she has no idea how the Picasso ceramic plates ended up in her local thrift store. “I ask myself that question a lot,” she admits.
Nancy’s Nine Treasure Hunting Tips
- Look for unusual and different items
- Know when you charity and thrift shops get new stock in
- Visit shops regularly
- Look at items which are hidden away
- Use Google to check an item’s value in-store
- Buy what you like – not what you think will make you big bucks
- Be patient
- Remember often it’s a small or most simple-looking item which is worth the most amount of money
- If you think you have an item of value check with experts or auction houses
“My guess is whoever dropped them off didn’t realise what they were. I like to think that the plates’ very first owner bought them from Picasso himself. I think many unusual items like these plates often get lost when people pass away. Sometimes family members don’t realise what their significance is. It’s why I still spend hours each week searching in second-hand shops.”
Nancy is now planning on taking her bargain hunting overseas. “I am planning to visit Britain soon and I can’t wait to see what’s hidden away in Britain’s famous charity stores,” she says. She regularly shares her thrift shop finds on social media and went viral when posted about her Picasso Plate Auction. Nancy has now launched a design business decorating homes Casa Cavaliere and workspaces in the US with second-hand items, upcycled furniture and antiques she has thrifted. “My advice to anyone is to hunt around. Look at the bottom of charity shop boxes. Often, it’s simple looking items that are worth the most. Every time I go shopping it’s a treasure hunt. It’s why I love thrift stores and charity shops so much. You can make and find history just by spending a few quid.”