A collector in Austin told me my vintage lamp was a reproduction and I was gutted

I picked up this lamp at a garage sale for $40 and thought it was a real 1950s piece. A guy named Pete at the antique mall took one look and pointed out the switch was too new and the base had a seam from a mold. He showed me how the wiring was modern plastic instead of cloth. Now I always flip things over and check the parts before I buy.

2 comments

2 Comments

brian3031mo agoTop Commenter

Did Pete actually own a matching authentic piece he was trying to upsell you on? I've seen dealers do that to steer you toward their own stock.

the_wendy1mo ago

Nah I see it different honestly. Pete didn't have anything on him that day, he was just talking about a friend's collection and what he'd seen sell at auction. I've met dealers who do that whole "I've got one in the back" move and Pete's not that type. He was real casual about it, even said he'd help me find one if I wanted to look online together. The whole thing felt more like a collector geeking out than a sales pitch, you know?