Like Us on Facebook

‘Oh, that thing? You can have it for five bucks.’

A man who discovered an Andy Warhol drawing at a rummage sale in Las Vegas is selling his unique piece for $1.9 million on eBay. 

Andy Fields, 49, picked up what experts are calling a previously unknown work by Warhol, drawn when he was just 10 or 11-years-old, for less than $5. The pencil and graphite pop art piece dates back to the 1930s and features a portrait of American entertainer Rudy Vallee with bright red lips and a checkered background.

So why is this classic work available on eBay? As it turns out, the piece has not been officially validated as a Warhol original.

The drawing was never validated by the now defunct Warhol Authentication Board, which formerly approved Warhol works. This left Fields with the mission to seek out a stamp of approval from professionals.

“I’ve had experts from Sotheby’s and Bonhams who are convinced it is original, without a shadow of doubt,” Fields writes on the eBay listing. “Since submitting it to the Authentication Board I have done extensive research to prove beyond all reasonable doubt that it is genuine.”

One thing that is questionable with the work is its signature—Andy Warhol. The pop artist did not change his name from Warhola to Warhol until 1949. Fields believes there’s a simple explanation for the signature.

“The way the experts have explained it is that Warhol never used to sign his early work… When he gave work away many years later it is highly likely he would have been asked to sign it.” 

He also added:

“I think it is an incredibly important work which redefines the work of one of the most famous artists of the last 100 years. When I first found it I sent it to The Andy Warhol Authentication Board who wrote their unique number in the lower left corner. They sent it back to me saying they did not have enough evidence to support the fact it could be real.”

“I think it’s important to note that when they have the slightest doubt about a piece they simply stamp ‘denied’ on it in red letters. This was not the case with this picture. I am just sad that the Board is no longer authenticating works of Warhol.”

The Andy Warhol Vallee portrait is up for bid until Aug. 7.