So today, I went to Goodwill, and bought a lamp - a big, impressive bronze desk lamp. I could, of course, simply have bought a brand-new, mass-produced, Chinese-made thing from Target, but that's not my way - I wanted something impressive, premium-looking, and I refuse to pay retail.
So I bought it for $15, along with two pillows for $2.50 each, and dragged it home. It was heavy, a good 10-15 pounds. The shade got slightly off-centered, and I'll have to adjust it back into place later.
I expected cleaning it off would be a simple, superficial polish, so I got out some paper towels and Q-tips and a bottle of rubbing alcohol. But swabbing away at the bronze, I was surprised as sheets and sheets of this brown gook kept soiling towel after towel.
Initially, I had thought part of the
upper section of the lamp was painted brown. It wasn't paint - it was a thick coating of...soot?
Regardless, I kept at it.
After a good hour, I managed to polish it into a reasonably presentable condition. It will require further work, of course.
It may seem strange that I am so pleased with this small thing. I enjoy getting the very best, piece by piece, from obscure locales. It's more rewarding than just opening a box from the retailer.
I'm very pleased with how it looks in my room. Now I need to acquire a bookshelf, a new table, and some bookends. Nothing but the best, at pennies on the dollar, of course.
So my question remains: what is that gook? Cigarette smoke built up over decades?
It was horrible to clean =P
Mine was a brand new, hand-painted, and only $5.
