Salvador Dali etching nets $21,000 for Puget Sound Goodwill
Nov 20, 2012, 7:23 AM | Updated: 12:11 pm
A Salvador Dali etching anonymously donated to the Federal Way Goodwill has sold for $21,005, far above what at least one expert thought it would go for.
Bidding closed for the online auction Monday night, after starting several weeks ago with a reserve of $999. Dylan Lippert, e-sales manager with Tacoma Goodwill, which oversees the Federal Way store, told KIRO Radio the etching simply showed up one day along with other stuff at the Federal Way donation station.
“There’s really nothing special about the donation, which really has us shocked,” said Lippert. “It wasn’t donated with a lot of fanfare.”
The etching, titled “Reflection,” is No. 126 of 150 original pieces and part of Dali’s “Cycle of Life Suite.”
Dali expert Robert Varner, owner of the Doubletake Gallery in Minnesota, told KIRO Radio the “book price” or estimated value was approximately $10,000 for the piece and he didn’t expect it to fetch so much.
But Lippert says the price steadily climbed over the past week as the story of the anonymous donation got national media attention. By late Monday afternoon, the etching had received 149 bids and had been seen by more than 100,000 viewers, Lippert told The News Tribune.
“It’s surprising to me. Talk about a humbling experience. Every once in a while something like this reminds us of how important what we do is,” Lippert said. “This is funding 10 scholarships for people with disabilities and barriers to employment. Just this one item will fund another 10 people. As of last week, there wasn’t funding for that. It’s amazing.”
While some might wonder if the etching is authentic, a Puyallup fine arts specialist verified it before the auction closed.
“It’s the real thing,” appraiser Donald Dunnigan told the News Tribune. “It’s not a fake.”
Goodwill officials say they would love to meet the anonymous donor to thank them and make sure they know the impact of their donation.
“Whoever donated that probably had no idea they would do so much good. It’s an incredible gift,” said Terry Hayes, Tacoma Goodwill CEO.
