Easy come, easy go! New Hampshire couple is forced to cancel dream vacation after $190,000 buyer of $4 painting they found in thrift store pulls out of the purchase

A New Hampshire couple’s dreams came true when they bought a painting they bought for $4 at a thrift store for a whopping $191,000, but their dreams were crushed when the buyer backed out.

Tracy Donahue, 56, of Hudson, New Hampshire, was shopping for a picture frame at her local Savers thrift store in 2017 when she came across a rare treasure.

Donahue thought she had simply bought an old painting for $4 at a thrift store, but was shocked to discover it was a work by iconic American painter and illustrator NC Wyeth.

She and her husband Tom Donahue, 58, felt like they had won the lottery when they sold the valuable painting at Bonhams auction house for a whopping $191,000.

The couple was so excited that they began planning how they were going to use their new-found fortune, but eventually it became clear that the buyer would not go through with their purchase.

The couple was so excited that they started planning how they were going to spend their new fortune, but eventually it became clear that the buyer would not go through with their purchase (photo: the NC Wyeth painting)

One of the luxuries the couple was looking forward to was a trip to Germany to visit their son – and they also planned to spend the money on bills.

The Donahues lived a modest lifestyle in their New Hampshire home, rarely splurging on extravagant luxuries or expensive adventures.

“Luckily we didn’t spend a dime up front,” Tracy Donahue told The New York Times. “Maybe we went out to dinner once or twice, which wasn’t the case. So it is not the case that you actually lose money. But it meant so much.”

She even called the buyer’s neglect her “biggest disappointment ever,” saying, “We are devastated.” I’ve never come this close to, you know, hoping for anything.”

The painting sold at auction in September for $191,000, after the auctioneer opened the bidding at $150,000 and someone immediately bid.

There were no higher bids after the first bid – and the painting was solid to paddle 6073, with the buyer’s premium increasing the cost to $191,000.

Auction houses have taken steps to pre-screen their bidders for high-value items, but occasionally sales are canceled.

The sale appears final when the hammer falls, but in some cases bidders withdraw afterwards.

Bonhams’ website states that to be authorized to bid, buyers must register for an account and provide the necessary documents.

The Donaehues were told in September that they would be paid within 35 days, but by mid-October they became concerned and called Bonhams. They claimed that the auction house was frustratingly unresponsive and didn’t seem to care.

Ultimately, Bonhams sent the couple an eight-page contract proposing that — if the Donahues could retain an attorney — they would receive an award of $132,750.

But the pair found these conditions unsatisfactory, so they picked up their painting instead.

Wyeth was known for paintings and illustrations such as Treasure Island and Portrait of a Farmer. His later works have fetched millions of dollars at auction

Auction house expert Kathleen Leland explained that the artist used a “specific type of artist board – Weber ‘Renaissance’ panels, distinguished by their red backing and extensive labels

The Donahues could keep the item as a family heirloom. “We didn’t have the money before, and we don’t have it now,” Tracy Donahue said. “Right now it’s worth four dollars and a cardboard box.”

Tracy Donahue discovered the value of her painting when she shared the work on a Facebook group called ‘Things Found in Walls’ and people started leaving interesting comments.

Many told the painter’s owner that the piece could be an NC Wyeth and advised her to visit the Brandywine Museum of Art at Chadds Ford and Wyeth curator Lauren Lewis.

Lewis drove to Maine and immediately became excited upon seeing the painting.

The woman then took the painting to Bonham’s, where experts confirmed its likely provenance thanks to the style, back panel and type of frame, all of which matched Wyeth’s work.

Auction house expert Kathleen Leland explained that the artist used a “specific type of artist board – Weber ‘Renaissance’ panels, distinguished by their red backs and extensive labels,” as reported by art blog Hyperallergic.

The painting depicts a merciless foster mother, Senora Gonzaga Moreno, and an orphan, Ramona.