Howdy, good folks, Howe Weird here, and Pip has started inspecting every picture frame in my hallway like we might be one dusty signature away from retirement. I admire the optimism, but today’s treasure tale sets a mighty high bar.
According to UPI, a painting bought for just $30 at a Michigan estate sale is now expected to bring between $150,000 and $250,000 at auction. The artwork, titled Alderman Merriam’s Shells, was confirmed as a lost work by Chicago surrealist Gertrude Abercrombie. That is what I call a bargain doing a backflip.
The buyer noticed a name and date in the corner: “Abercrombie, ’51.” That little clue was enough to make the treasure hunter wonder if the painting might be more than a pretty estate-sale find. Later, they spotted a photo of the same painting in its original frame at a Gertrude Abercrombie exhibition in Milwaukee. Pip says that is the art-world version of finding a family photo in a detective novel.
Art historian Susan Weininger of Roosevelt University examined the painting and authenticated it as a 1951 work by Abercrombie. Experts traced the painting’s path back to John Reynolds, a Kalamazoo doctor, who reportedly received it in exchange for a medical procedure in 1952. It stayed with the family for about 75 years before landing at that estate sale table.
Now it is headed to auction, where it could fetch a price that would make any garage-sale shopper check the trunk twice. Of course, most old paintings are just old paintings. But every now and then, the dusty one in the corner has a secret.
If you enjoy treasure hunting, a simple magnifying glass and some art storage sleeves can help you inspect and protect finds. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Pip says he is now charging admission to look at his refrigerator drawings. I told him we should wait for authentication.
Original source: UPI — https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/09/18/painting-estate-sale-Gertrude-Abercrombie/3931789753677