I’ve developed a bit of a bad habit over the past few months, one that I didn’t see coming. But it’s not my fault, really, it’s all my sister’s doing – she sent me the first web link back in the fall and ever since then I’ve been hooked.

Facebook Marketplace is a dangerous place for someone like me who thinks they can revitalize or rejuvenate any old piece of furniture like a desk, table or bookshelf. I spend way too much time browsing the listings looking for hidden gems or dia­monds in the rough. It’s like the world’s largest online garage sale and I’m itching to make a deal. From vintage home decor, old pickup trucks and garden sheds, to tools, antiques and house plants, the vast array of items is dizzying.

I’ve even managed to sell a few items through Marketplace as well, namely an old jigsaw and a circular saw. Nevertheless, my wife still doesn’t think much of the online platform and worries I’ll start accumulating a pile of junk and other people’s unwanted items. She isn’t keen on thrift stores for the same reason.

But one day in early January something unique came across my screen. I was imme­diately hit with a jolt of inspiration when I saw an old wooden surveyor’s tripod avail­able. It stood just under five feet tall and it was only a 15-minute drive from my house. I wanted it. No, I needed it, and I had the perfect project in mind.

I also knew from experience that some­times you can wait and the price (this seller was asking $80) will sometimes drop. It’s a risk, of course, and someone else could potentially swoop in and steal your prize. But I could see the tripod had already been up for a few weeks, so I bookmarked it and crossed my fingers.

About a week later I revisited the listing and saw it was still available, but noticed the price still hadn’t changed. Not wanting to take any chances, I messaged the seller and arranged a time later that morning to pick it up at her small horse farm just out­side of Fergus, Ont.

“Where did you get it?” I asked her when I arrived, noting none of the actual survey­ing equipment was included.

She told me she used to work at the local waste transfer station and some guy brought it in a few years ago, so she snatched it up before it went into the trash. “I was plan­ning on making a lamp but I just never got around to it,” she said.

I smiled back, explaining, “That’s exactly what I’m planning on doing with it. I’ll send you a picture once it’s done.”

She was gracious enough to accept $60 instead of the full $80 and I loaded it into my car and headed home. I immediately got to work modifying the tripod. I drilled a few holes into the brass metal bracket at the top to hold the lamp hardware in place, wired it up (while only shocking myself once) and within an hour it was done.

I noticed we didn’t have any lightbulbs or spare lamp shades around the house, so I cannibalized some from an old lamp in the basement to complete the setup. The tripod lamp now stands prominently in our liv­ing room near the fireplace and is a perfect accent lamp for the home.

I sent a photo to my wife right away, ready to bask in her Marketplace repentance.

“Where did you get that? I like the base but not the shade, but that’s an easy fix,” she texted back, seemingly missing the hint that I had made it. When I told her where it came from, her entire tone changed.

“You made it?!?! It looks awesome!” she replied.

She still thinks Marketplace is a bad idea, but projects like this might be slowly changing her mind. Maybe I’ll start looking for a replacement lamp shade.