Alert – Surprising item found at Goodwill sold for $40k… and helped fund a school in the process

A surprising item donated to a Goodwill store in Maryland went on to sell for $40,000 at auction.

Goodwill takes donations from members of the public and sells them on in their more than 3,300 stores across the country, using the profits for charity. 

While many donate unwanted clothes or books after a clear-out, the occasional rare gem crosses Goodwill’s path.

Recently a rare French painting was spotted while staff were sorting through donations at a location in rural Maryland. 

‘The seller didn’t actually know what it was worth,’ Lisa Rusyniak, CEO of the Baltimore arm of Goodwill, told The Sun. 

An employee told their manager Terri Tonelli that the painting could be worth more than they could price it for on the shop floor.

Tonelli discovered that the painting was by French impressionist Edouard Leon Cortes.

The artwork, titled Marche au fleurs, depicted a bustling Parisian street scene. 

The painting titled Marche au fleurs by French impressionist Edouard Leon Cortes 

‘The hair on the back of my neck was standing up by then,’ Tonelli previously told local news.

The painting was sent to a Goodwill branch in Baltimore to allow local art experts to inspect it. 

After they had confirmed its veracity it was sent on to Sotheby’s auction house in New York to be cleaned and appraised. 

The auction house then sold it on for a staggering $40,600.  

Goodwill used the profit towards setting up the Excel Center in Baltimore. 

The Excel Center is a free high school offering locals over 21 the chance to earn a Maryland Department of Education diploma.

Rusyniak explained that around 80,000 people haven’t completed their high school education in Baltimore and Goodwill is working to help fill the gaps. 

‘We have so much generational poverty here in Baltimore, and we are making a difference at this high school,’ she said.

Lisa Rusyniak, CEO of the Baltimore arm of Goodwill, said unusual items can sometimes turn up 

A surprising item donated to a Goodwill in Maryland went on to sell for $40,600 

There are more than 3,300 Goodwill locations across the country 

‘We opened it two years ago and now we are over enrolled, we have waiting list after waiting list.

‘One of our students brought their mother and grandmother so three generations are attending the school right now. It’s great.’

Rusyniak told The Sun that prices rising as the result of Trump’s tariffs could turn more consumers on to thrifting at Goodwill. 

‘I think more people will get into thrifting that may not have formally been in that space before,’ she explained. 

‘We try to put really good quality items on our sales floor and as prices rise we see customer counts increase.

‘Not only are they supporting our mission, but they are helping us keep our clothes and household goods out of landfill.’