Wish List Item #3... Just in case you have missed my many posts (here, here, and here) about my love obsession with faux bamboo...I LOVE FAUX BAMBOO! I crossed a bamboo chandelier off my wish list a few weeks ago but a vintage bamboo mirror is was still on the list. I say was because I was very lucky to find an amazing mirror on eBay this past weekend, and I have a funny story about it to share with you!
I've wanted some sort of faux bamboo mirror for a while, but ever since I saw this picture in Lonny I've been lusting for an octagonal bamboo mirror (and a campaign dresser but more on that another day).
I still love the pagoda style ones and the Greek key style ones but I really like the shape of this mirror!
Now back to my (long) story about my hunt... I've seen many fellow blogger's find faux bamboo octagon mirrors at tag sales and thrift stores from $8 to $30 so I knew this mirror should be a steal.
Emily Clark's for $25
Green Street's for $8!
Honey & Fitz's for $15
Beau Lifestyle's for $12
So a couple of weeks ago when I saw this one on eBay for $599 or best offer I about fell out on the floor!
I added it to my watch list because I was curious if it would really sell for that price.
After it sat for a week with no takers I thought "what the heck it doesn't hurt to make an offer",
so I made an offer of $100 (what I thought was generous based on the prices above).
The guy not only declined my offer but wrote back this unnecessarily rude response.
"I think you would be better off looking through the trash, your screen name suits you"
I was taken back to say the least because I've never experienced such a rude eBayer!! I contemplated reporting him to eBay but decided to just sit back and enjoy watching his TWO overpriced mirrors not sell. (He has this one for sale too for $699)
Then on Sunday a 'Buy it Now' for this beauty popped up at 1/10th of the rude eBayer's price so I jumped! It has the same dimensions and looks the exact same (carvings and all) as the other one.
I probably shouldn't have, but in my excitement over my new find I e-mailed the rude eBayer back and told him that just wanted to let him know I found the same mirror in the "trash" on eBay at 1/10th of his price. Well that unleashed the dragon... I got not one but two response within the next 5 minutes!
"KEEP PICKING IN THE TRASH. YOU ARE BLOCKED FOR BEING RUDE AND HAVING NO CLASS."
"YOUR MIRROR IS MADE OF PLASTIC: This Gold Antique Bamboo Framed Miror is made of a "Syroco" like Material> The mirror I have is made of hand carved wood and has been totally restored. Some of us have taste and other dont. Enjoy your plastic mirror!!"
The best part of all is the guy doesn't even know what SYROCO is! At first I was little concerned that I had bought a plastic mirror but after a quick Google search I found out that Syroco stands for SYRacuse Ornamental COmpany and is a molded wood technique established by an Austrian Woodcarver to make replicas of original carvings. So maybe his is hand carved and mine was made by a machine, but (correct me if I'm wrong) I don't think that calls for a $500 price difference and his rude comments!
It took everything in me not to respond and educate him on Syroco, but I figured he likes trash talking too much and it would be better to make him stare at his expensive mirrors in silence.
So Wish List item #3 is officially crossed off the list and I'm anxiously awaiting its arrival!
Sorry for such a long and rambling story, I though y'all would get a kick out of it and I just had to share!
PS- If you want a bamboo mirror of your own I've found a few others on the internet.
They aren't as pricey as the one on eBay but still not a steal...
Circa Who, $650 for the pair
Janey's Collection, $325
