Shock as man buys $9,000 stained glass windows worth $750,000

A local antiques collector has been left shocked upon discovering his latest Facebook Marketplace find was worth more than half a million dollars.

This Facebook Marketplace find turned out to be worth $750,000. Picture: Google Maps / Freeman's

A local antiques collector has been blown away by an incredible second-hand purchase, as he discovered the $9000 stained glass windows he picked up online were worth more than half a million dollars.

American antiques collector Paul Brown typically collects historical knick-knacks like vintage signs and bottles, but he stumbled upon his most lucrative find yet in an unexpected place.

Mr Brown, 56, spotted two rose windows — named for their multi-coloured glass petals in the shape of a rose — cracked and covered in years of dust and grime, listed on Facebook Marketplace.

The beautiful windows were salvaged from this West Philadelphia church. Picture: Google Maps

An appraisal uncovered that they were Tiffany. Picture: Freeman's

The windows were listed at a West Philadelphia church that was in the process of being demolished. A worker asked Mr Brown if he wanted to pick them up before tradies “sledgehammered them out”.

When Mr Brown bought the grime-covered windows at the church last year, paying $US6000 ($A9000), he never expected they would be from cult glassmaker Tiffany.

The windows are expected to fetch up to $US250,000 ($A380,000) each when they hit the auction block later this week, according to experts at Freeman’s Auctions.

It was difficult to tell the value of the windows before they could be cleaned of grime. Picture: Google Maps / Freeman's

They have since been valued at up to $A380,000 each. Picture: Freeman‘s

The experts believe the windows were likely commissioned from Tiffany Studios, famous for its stained glass windows and lamps, in about 1905. The workshop, founded by Louis Comfort Tiffany in 1878, made stained glass windows for churches across America thanks to donations from wealthy benefactors.

The pair of round windows feature a classic rose design, with panes of yellow and green glass at the centre branching out into a kaleidoscope of purples and blues. The centre of one window contains an image of a golden crown, representing Christ, while the other holds a white dove, representing the Holy Spirit.

“The intricacy of these works is stunning, and it’s meaningful to bring to market pieces that have such a deep, meaningful history in Philadelphia,” head of Freeman’s design department Tim Andreadis said in a statement.

Both windows are being offered with their glass set into a custom wood frame. Regardless of the price they fetch, it is almost certain to be far higher than what Mr Brown paid for them, even considering removal costs and a $50,000 conservation fee.

Originally published as Shock as man buys $9,000 stained glass windows worth $750,000