The thing that keeps me from being just a hoarder or reckless spender is my ability to be focused in my searches - know exactly what I need and only search for that thing. I also only consider postings that come with photos - the amount of things with cameras on them these days, there's really no excuse to not have a photo, unless it's not worth photographing.
My purchases so far have been mostly tools, and all of them have been necessary for the jobs I've worked on.
Then came this bookcase:
I saw it, it had a pretty crappy, fuzzy photo (not that the above is much better), but the dimensions were 104" x 60", and it was listed at only $40. FORTY DOLLARS. I couldn't pass it up. I was torn. I tried to put it out of my mind. Then Nina emailed me the link, saying "you're the only person with a house this would fit in." She's right. I have to at least see it. I emailed the poster, and she replied that there were a couple people interested, but she'd let me know if they passed on it. I got a call the next day that the interested parties had in fact passed on it, having not realized how large 8' really is. I was thrilled.
That day, I went on my lunch break to see it and possibly purchase it. On the northwest side of Grand Rapids, the piece was sitting in a driveway in a small neighborhood, and already from the car I could tell it was spectacular. Talking with the owner, she said it was in the house when they purchased it 50 years ago - a built in bookcase, likely built when the house was built about 100 years ago. It's solid wood, with some small nail holes, lightly distressed in some spots from actual wear and tear - not from a guy in a factory with a sanding block and nail punch. Was she missing a zero on the price? Nope. I handed her $40, and told her I'd try to figure out how to get it home - it's way too large for any vehicle I own or have access to.
She called back later that afternoon to tell me that her son would deliver it to me for $20. This is just incredible. Sure enough, at 10pm, a pickup truck pulled up to the house, with a completely tarped and shrinkwrapped bookcase. The guy used to work for a moving company, and didn't want it to get wet. For $20, he professionally moved a bookcase I got for $40. This was the best purchase I've made so far.
It truly is a handmade, one of a kind bookcase, and although there's only a couple spots it will fit, it'll be fun deciding on the placement within the house.
