A Salvador Dali etching that was anonymously donated to Goodwill fetched $ 21,005 in an online auction , the nonprofit said Tuesday . The money will fund 12 scholarships to provide job training to people with disabilities and disadvantages , said Amanda Bedell , spokeswoman for Goodwill Industries in Tacoma , Washington . The buyer , identified only as an East Coast man by Goodwill , said that he and his wife are interested in Dali 's work . `` We saw the Dali on the news and thought it would be a great way to add to our collection while supporting a great cause , '' he said in a statement . `` We donate to Goodwill all the time and are very happy that our purchase is helping those in need . '' Earlier this month , an anonymous donor dropped off the framed Dali piece at the Goodwill facility in Federal Way , Washington . The work by the master surrealist is a colored etching , and the framed piece even features the familiar Dali motif of a melting watch placed on the wrist of a pointing hand . Its title is `` Reflection '' or `` Reflections , '' from `` The Cycles of Life Suite , '' and the art is signed by Dali and numbered `` 126/150 . '' The work is also labeled as an `` etching and photolithography from collage . '' Goodwill auctioned the art on its website , and bidding ended Monday night . Goodwill does n't know who the donor is . He or she managed to sneak away during a busy time at the drop-off facility , the organization said . But the donor kept intact the back of the frame , which contained an envelope with a certificate of authenticity and registration number from a defunct gallery in North Hollywood , California . An appraiser retained by Goodwill also confirmed the authenticity of the Dali , and the charitable organization also ensured the art had not been stolen , Bedell said . The nonprofit provides employment and training programs to people with disabilities and disadvantages , and the group sells donated goods in more than 2,600 stores . Goodwill held on to the Dali for a week in case someone claimed it had been donated accidentally , Bedell said . `` We do n't know the background of what the circumstances were , '' Bedell said of the donation . `` It 's a steady stream of people coming in . It 's not necessarily documented what every person comes in with . '' About 74 million people in the United States and Canada donate annually to Goodwill , Bedell said . Most donated goods are sold at Goodwill stores , but prizes such as the Dali are auctioned online to maximize their value , said Shea Munroe , who works for Goodwill 's online department in Federal Way . The Dali was the highlight of Munroe 's past six years of working for the nonprofit , in addition to her two years of service in the 1970s , she said . But the Dali piece is not the most prized art auctioned by Goodwill : A Frank Weston Benson oil painting , dated 1924 and also donated anonymously , was sold online by Goodwill in 2006 for $ 165,002 .
Sold ! A Salvador Dali etching raises $ 21,005 in a Goodwill online auction . The etching was anonymously donated to Goodwill in Federal Way , Washington . The couple who bought it say they like master surrealist Dali -- and helping Goodwill . Score: 7