An online community for people who love old houses.
Show off your best eBay find.
As I sit here looking on eBay for push plates for a swinging door in my home, I wondered what treasures have YOU found on eBay for your old house?
My most unusual purchase was the iron fence that now graces an area of my back yard. Luckily, you are able to search by distance, so I found one that worked for me, two hours away.(pictures on my photo page)
I have also purchased two light fixtures, two old wood office chairs (found only 15 minutes away!), postcards of my city "back in the day" and a few decorating doodads appropriate to the era.
So what did you find?
My most unusual purchase was the iron fence that now graces an area of my back yard. Luckily, you are able to search by distance, so I found one that worked for me, two hours away.(pictures on my photo page)
I have also purchased two light fixtures, two old wood office chairs (found only 15 minutes away!), postcards of my city "back in the day" and a few decorating doodads appropriate to the era.
So what did you find?
Views: 106
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Craig Phillips / B & C Emporium on -
? are you looking for fancy push plates or plainer ones? as we have several on our web site http://www.b-c-e.biz
Craig Phillips
B & C Emporium
-
Permalink Reply by Kim Zunino on -
I found a 1926 American Standard wall-mount sink on eBay, which matches the upstairs bathroom fixtures in my 1892 home. A previous owner had replaced the sink with a cheap vanity, but never patched up the wall where the sink was mounted so I knew the basic outline of it. I sent a picture of the wall-mount toilet and claw-foot tub to an architectual salvage company, and they pointed me in the right direction. I paid more than the price of the sink to have it shipped from NC, but I love it!!
I also got a bunch of old Lowell postcards, which I'll frame and hang in my home.
-
Permalink Reply by William J. White on -
My best finds on Ebay (so far) has been old issues of Old House Journal. I've also bought two cast sculptures in a classical style which are perfect in an Italianate house.
-
Permalink Reply by Martin on -
So far, I have found some matching 3.5 x 3.5 hinges that I have not been able to find anywhere else due to the pattern. Hopefully I can find some LARGE doors but no luck so far :(
-
Permalink Reply by William J. White on
-
Last winter I was wouking on the foyer and upstairs hall and after looking at hundreds of papers on the internet, I found one on EBAY. It may not be authentic for an Italianate house in a small town, but the satin sheen would have made the impressed any victorian...And just $20 per double roll.
-
Permalink Reply by Charles J on -
Almost my entire kitchen and bathroom comes from eBay as well as our bed, dining room furniture, and a few other choice pieces. The kitchen cabinets were from a late 1800s store interior. Both sinks were eBay finds, as were the faucets, stove hood, and other items. The cast iron vanity we use for the half bath sink came from eBay, as did the toilet, faucets and antique Staffordshire sink. The light fixtures came from a local salvage yard. Of course, the cabinets and vanity needed some work, but the contractors (in the kitchen) did a great job adapting the cabinets and my wife transformed the rusty cast iron vanity with some patience, elbow grease, and paint. We figure we saved about $20,000.00 on both rooms (kitchen and bath). Plus we sold quite a bit of the previous fixtures and pre-fab cabinets on eBay too. Of course, this was a few years ago when eBay was bigger and better, but there are still major finds and great deals to be found. (Our best eBay purchase was a set of 11 oil paintings...but that's a story still in progress and we're not ready to tell it yet...) Please see our journal page for photos of the rooms.
http://www.myoldhouseonline.com/profile/CharlesJ
Charles
http://RestorationFabricsandTrims.com
http://OldHouseInteriors.net
-
Permalink Reply by Rick Udelhofen on -
My Italianate has gutta percha door knobs, rosettes and keyhole covers - some were not usable - I check Ebay daily and over several years have found only 4 doorknobs - 2 with rosettes. Cost a lot more than brass but are exact matches for mine.
I have also purchased postcards with photos of Bloomington, WI where I live - from all over the country - one was actually written by the original owner of this house.
Ebay is fun but I wonder how much of the old house salvage items are stolen.
Rick
-
Permalink Reply by Donald Mitchell on -
Neat subject. I like to browse the architectural and garden catagory and have found many bargains that I couldn`t touch at a flea market that were also great quality. One of my first buys was a set of eight black porcelian doorknobs in great shape and enough to do the rear four rooms of our house, all for under $10. We also found a restored Gas/Electric chandilier for the peacock parlor that due to a misspelling ours was the only bid. Saved several hundreds on that one.
- Attachments:
-
-
Peacock Chandilier.JPG, 23 KB -
IM003740.JPG, 51 KB
-
-
Permalink Reply by Phil on -
That is a fine 3 down, 3 up chandelier. A few years ago, I got a 3 up, already converted to electricity, and with silver plated leaf detail for $90 because of a similar seller error. I felt a little bad about that, but I have made some mistakes too, so they all sort of cancel out.
-
Permalink Reply by Andy Streenz on -
I found my french doors on eBay. The front door of my house used to have beautiful double doors in 1/4 sawn oak with full leaded beveled cut glass. I found a set from a place in York, PA that will fit without having to do much modification. The door and side lites that is currently serving as my front door was installed circa 1930 and isn't in keeping with the style of the house.
I also found the lock plates I needed for my vestibule door on eBay. They came from a seller, of all places, in AUSTRALIA! I knew they were a hard-to-find pattern, but I sure didn't expect to find them down under.
-
Permalink Reply by Phil on
-
I just bought this converted gas light for use as a front porch light, or if it looks funny there on one of my landings. Either way, I am pretty enthused for it to arrive:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l25...
-
Permalink Reply by Andy Streenz on
-
Nice find, Phil. You really scored one there. Simple, yet elegant.
© 2012 Created by Community Host.
Old Houses | Restoration Products | Report an Issue | Terms of Service
