Someone Stole My Lucky Charm!!

I am always amazed at people's generosity and, conversely, their propensity for stealing things!  For the most part, I've only experienced the good side of people...but every once in awhile - I see the ugly underside of humankind.

My company, besides doing decorative painting and design, also does home staging. Yesterday, I had to de-stage a home that sold very quickly despite it being the dead of winter.  In the home, I had placed the first item I ever bought for my staging business...the Coco lamp.

The surviving twin!

This lamp has always been my lucky charm.  Whenever I've placed it in a home for sale - the home sold quickly. I'm sure that there were many other reasons why the homes sold fast...but I do know that most people coming into homes I've staged have wanted to buy everything in the home.  Maybe that should have given me an idea that people coveted my staging inventory - but I never thought someone would actually steal a fairly large item like this!! How does somone walk out of a house with this tucked under their arm? Someone must have noticed, don't you think?

Back in 2008, I had an inkling that I wanted to enter the staging business, so I started to buy things for this new enterprise.  This was the first thing I purchased.  It sat for a while in my garage...but soon I was staging vacant homes - bringing in my other purchases from Ebay, craigslist and some high end estate sales.  I had to do everything on a budget - but I think that my purchases were very wise and so in a few short years, I had enough inventory to furnish 6 or 7 homes. 

In a $3.5 million home, the Coco lamps helped sell it in 3 1/2 weeks

Many home staging companies rotate their inventory every year or so and buy new - but I tend to keep my pieces around for as long as I can (especially when the pieces help to sell the home quickly). I would rather revamp them with paint, different fabrics - pile on different pillows and throws - rather than sell the items and purchase new.

Here they are in a more modest home - that sold in less than 7 weeks

What I loved about these lamps was that I could place them in an expensive home, a little cottage or a mid-priced property.  I could put them in a living room, sitting room, Master Bedroom or an entryway on a console.  That's what I look for in an accessory - how many places can I use it?

If anyone knows where I might be able to purchase this lamp, I would love to know.  I have looked on Ebay countless times (because I've wanted to buy several pairs of these lamps) - but to no avail. I don't think it's being made anymore.  There are some numbers on the bottom - it says
Cat# CL2148. Date May, 2008. It was made in China. There's also a bar code - and maybe if I go to my lighting store, they can look it up.  The homeseller, a real estate investor, has offered to pay me for my loss. So - I hope that I can replace it!

But - the blogosphere is an amazing place...so I am asking my blog readers if they know how/where I can buy another one, I would appreciate hearing from you!  I have a wonderful designer friend here on Long Island looking for me as well.  She's a fantastic researcher...so hopefully she will come through for me.

I would also love to hear from some other home stagers and realtors on how they make sure that the contents of their listings are not stolen.  I have insurance - so I am safe there. But when something meaningful is stolen...there's no insurance that will help you with that!