Man, is Craigslist fun. I think of it as being on an expedition in deep dark Africa where we're hunting an elusive legendary creature of some kind - you know the kind that no one has ever seen but people whisper about it around the fire.
But the creature I'm hunting doesn't run very fast but it IS exciting (or at least I think so). I'm talking about old house parts. Our $1400 house is missing two fireplace mantels - one in the downstairs parlor and the other in the master bedroom. I want them to be authentic for the time period of the house and what better place to find them than Craigslist?
The hunt has been ongoing since we bought the house last August. And Craigslist was a source of entertainment for me on the many evenings that I spent flat on my bad back on the sofa with the heating pad. Antique mantels just don't get posted that often and, when they do, they're often $800 and above. I have all the time in the world to be patient, and it finally paid off when I saw an ad for a tiger oak mantel for just $350.
A nice gentleman named John, who was an old house restorer like us, had sold his home (it was on the National Register, no less!) and was moving to Palm Springs. He'd collected a basement and carriage house full of old house jewels from some of the many houses that had been torn down in the neighborhood and needed them gone ASAP. A quick phone call and we knew we had to go see the mantel, as it was the perfect dimensions to fit in the $1400 house's parlor.
The oak mantel has been stripped and sanded, but a light stain and polyurethane will be bring out the beauty of the wood. The mirror is obviously old and some of the silvering is off of it but I like it, so I probably won't replace it.
A nice gentleman named John, who was an old house restorer like us, had sold his home (it was on the National Register, no less!) and was moving to Palm Springs. He'd collected a basement and carriage house full of old house jewels from some of the many houses that had been torn down in the neighborhood and needed them gone ASAP. A quick phone call and we knew we had to go see the mantel, as it was the perfect dimensions to fit in the $1400 house's parlor.
The oak mantel has been stripped and sanded, but a light stain and polyurethane will be bring out the beauty of the wood. The mirror is obviously old and some of the silvering is off of it but I like it, so I probably won't replace it.
On the way out, we passed the mantel on the left, which is solid cherry and DROP DEAD GORGEOUS. I thought I had seen the listing for it at $1800 but he informed me that he needed to get rid of it and would take $400. Screeeeeeeccchhhhh....hold the phones! WHAT?! I immediately told him we would take it as well.
It's in perfect condition and the new mirror had been removed to prevent it from getting broken. Since it's a little smaller than the oak one, it will be beautiful in the master bedroom. I can't believe we just found both mantels for $750, which is what I had budgeted for just one!
Now if only that guy would drop the price on that mounted buffalo head. I mean...who *doesn't* need one of those!?
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Oh my gosh, both are BEAUTIFUL. And all I've bought this year on Craigslist was a Cricut machine!
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