Light my fire(place)

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I think I mentioned here, a couple times, that we've been quietly on the lookout for a salvaged mantle to come live with us in Gilbertsville. We love fireplaces-- our Binghamton house has a nice one that we drink wine beside in wintertime-- and so adding a fireplace to Gilbertsville has been quietly in the works. We think one would look just perfect in the Great Room, along this wall. But, you know, you can't just drive to Target and come home with the perfect salvaged mantle. It has to be the right size and style, and, of course, the right price. So, I was sniffing around a little, keeping fingers crossed and putting feelers out to a friend who volunteers with house deconstruction.

And then I spotted this guy hanging out on Craigslist:

I ran it by Patrick, he said, "Looks cool," so I happily moved on to the next phase: going to visit. Yesterday evening, we met at a very dilapidated downtown apartment building to have a look. There are six mantles in the building, and all are for sale. The one we ended up making an offer on is similar to this, with a different insert (which we'll probably be scrapping anyway), and a pretty beautiful faux-wood finish. The mantles are actually made of slate, and (naturally) crazy heavy. But, we have a standing date on Thursday involving a burly husband, a burly father-in-law, and an F-150. Hopefully cursing, bruises, and frustration will not be part of our date, but you never can tell when dealing with dilapidated houses and century-old mantles.

I will be standing back, and taking pictures of the action. Because, you know, documentation is an important part of the job, too.

What about you? Have you made any good scores on Craigslist lately?