A year or so ago, I was obsessing about those vintage wire laundry baskets that are collapsible. You know, the ones you see everywhere in Blogland? I loved their industrial look. I watched several go for more than I was willing to pay on eBay. I saw some that were too pricey on Etsy. I tracked down a reproduction basket. They seemed to go for a minimum of $75 (rarely) – more often they were well above $100. Each time I bid on one, I would get my hopes up only to see them dashed as the price climbed on out of my range.

I gave up.

The other day I was looking at Craigs List, as I often do, and I saw a listing for ‘Collapsible Laundry Basket’ for $50. The seller lives in a town about a half hour south of ours. I immediately emailed her but didn’t hear from her right away. I figured I had lost out as it had been listed for several days. Yesterday morning, I got an answer back that it was still available.

I told Don he had to come with me. He did.

Here it is. It still has the Allied tag on it, making it certifiably vintage. It’s quite large. Probably too large for our little cottage which is already crammed full of stuff. And I probably had no business buying it. But…come on…do you blame me?

I love it.

The seller’s name was Claudia. Yesterday was her birthday. She took us on a tour of her gardens. We talked gardening, politics, nesting – she lived in California for years, so did we. She’s talking about inviting us for dinner.

It was meant to be.

In the meantime, I’ve seen that Pottery Barn has a reproduction for $149. There’s a vintage basket listed on Etsy for $190. Moda Home has a reproduction for $90.

I think I got a great deal. It’s the real thing and sturdy as can be. It has the patina I was hoping for.

Now I have to decide what to do with it. For the moment, it will sit on my right when I’m sitting in my blogging chair in the den. I would have photographed it there but it was too dark today. What should I put in it?

Quilts and throws?

Magazines and books?

Or yarn for all my soon-to-be Obsession Scarves?

No sense using it for actual laundry. Our stacked washer and dryer are in a closet in the bathroom. We don’t have a pretty laundry room. But go ahead, ask me how much I want a combination laundry/mud room. Don’t bother, the answer is ‘a lot!’

I’m going to let you guess what option I’m going for at the moment. Maybe you can leave your guess in the comments?

Speaking of Etsy, I listed another scarf today:

That turquoise color, by the way, is a bit more of a teal/turquoise color. Sometimes it’s very hard to capture the subtle changes in these gradient yarns.

Update: Sold Out.

Linking to my pal Brenda’s Tweak it Tuesday.

I have a book review posted today, as well. Just scroll down one post for a chance to win a copy of Things Your Dog Doesn’t Want You to Know. It’s very funny, trust me.