Mary Lawler found the vase for her mum in a charity shop and paid ￡8.50 for it (Image: Lockdales)

       A vase that a woman bought for ￡8.50 from a charity shop has sold for ￡3,400 after being used as an "occasional doorstop".

       The vase - believed to be linked to the Chinese Ming Dynasty - belonged to Amanda Lawler after her daughter Mary bought it for her in a charity shop in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, in 2020.

       Mrs Lawler said the vase was used as a doorstop and was almost thrown away when she moved house - unaware of its value.

       The piece sold at Lockdales Auctioneers near Ipswich on Thursday for ￡3,400.

       Mrs Lawler kept the vase in her "downstairs loo", saying she later saw an "identical" one on the BBC's Antiques Roadshow, valued up to ￡10,000.

       The piece sold at Lockdales Auctioneers near Ipswich on Thursday for ￡3,400.

       The piece sold at Lockdales Auctioneers near Ipswich on Thursday for ￡3,400.

       Mrs Lawler kept the vase in her "downstairs loo", saying she later saw an "identical" one on the BBC's Antiques Roadshow, valued up to ￡10,000.

       Mrs Lawler kept the vase in her "downstairs loo", saying she later saw an "identical" one on the BBC's Antiques Roadshow, valued up to ￡10,000.

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       The vase sold for ￡3,400 (Image: Lockdales)

       Mrs Lawler said she had tasked her daughter with finding an ornament for the downstairs loo and was pleased when she found the vase in the shop with an asking price of ￡8.50.

       However, she had suggested her daughter try "offering a fiver for it... which she would not do as it was a charity shop".

       "It just sat in the corner of the downstairs loo for quite a while," Mrs Lawler said.

       The programme's specialist Lars Tharp had valued a similar vase on the show at between ￡5,000 and ￡10,000.

       Mrs Lawler said she had tasked her daughter with finding an ornament for the downstairs loo and was pleased when she found the vase in the shop with an asking price of ￡8.50.

       However, she had suggested her daughter try "offering a fiver for it... which she would not do as it was a charity shop".

       Mrs Lawler said she had tasked her daughter with finding an ornament for the downstairs loo and was pleased when she found the vase in the shop with an asking price of ￡8.50.

       However, she had suggested her daughter try "offering a fiver for it... which she would not do as it was a charity shop".

       "It just sat in the corner of the downstairs loo for quite a while," Mrs Lawler said.

       The programme's specialist Lars Tharp had valued a similar vase on the show at between ￡5,000 and ￡10,000.

       "It just sat in the corner of the downstairs loo for quite a while," Mrs Lawler said.

       The programme's specialist Lars Tharp had valued a similar vase on the show at between ￡5,000 and ￡10,000.

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       "I looked at the pictures and thought, that looks very much like our vase," Mrs Lawler said. After taking it to auctioneers Lockdales, their specialise Liza Machan agreed that it was similar.

       "It was one of those 'I'm just going to sit down for a little bit' moments," said Mrs Lawler.

       Ms Machan said: "The vase had the provenance of having an identical one on the Antiques Roadshow - and to an extent we were relying on the provenance of the BBC programme."

       She said it seemed likely the Essex vase was one of a pair that had been donated to charity but split up, as they were both purchased from shops for a similar price - less than ￡10 each. "There was a lot of interest in it pre-auction," Ms Machan said.

       "I looked at the pictures and thought, that looks very much like our vase," Mrs Lawler said. After taking it to auctioneers Lockdales, their specialise Liza Machan agreed that it was similar.

       "I looked at the pictures and thought, that looks very much like our vase," Mrs Lawler said. After taking it to auctioneers Lockdales, their specialise Liza Machan agreed that it was similar.

       "It was one of those 'I'm just going to sit down for a little bit' moments," said Mrs Lawler.

       "It was one of those 'I'm just going to sit down for a little bit' moments," said Mrs Lawler.

       Ms Machan said: "The vase had the provenance of having an identical one on the Antiques Roadshow - and to an extent we were relying on the provenance of the BBC programme."

       She said it seemed likely the Essex vase was one of a pair that had been donated to charity but split up, as they were both purchased from shops for a similar price - less than ￡10 each. "There was a lot of interest in it pre-auction," Ms Machan said.

       Ms Machan said: "The vase had the provenance of having an identical one on the Antiques Roadshow - and to an extent we were relying on the provenance of the BBC programme."

       She said it seemed likely the Essex vase was one of a pair that had been donated to charity but split up, as they were both purchased from shops for a similar price - less than ￡10 each. "There was a lot of interest in it pre-auction," Ms Machan said.

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       It was put into auction at a guide price of between ￡3,000 and ￡4,000 - before selling for ￡3,400.

       The vase is believed to have been bought by a private collector.

       Mrs Lawler said as her daughter Mary had found it and paid for it, she was likely to get the "lion's share" of the sale price.

       Her daughter's old VW Golf car needed some work, and she said the money would be used to do it up.

       It was put into auction at a guide price of between ￡3,000 and ￡4,000 - before selling for ￡3,400.

       The vase is believed to have been bought by a private collector.

       Mrs Lawler said as her daughter Mary had found it and paid for it, she was likely to get the "lion's share" of the sale price.

       It was put into auction at a guide price of between ￡3,000 and ￡4,000 - before selling for ￡3,400.

       The vase is believed to have been bought by a private collector.

       Mrs Lawler said as her daughter Mary had found it and paid for it, she was likely to get the "lion's share" of the sale price.

       Her daughter's old VW Golf car needed some work, and she said the money would be used to do it up.

       Her daughter's old VW Golf car needed some work, and she said the money would be used to do it up.

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