Educated Shopper: Flea-Market Smarts

Mirror, Mirror

When shopping for that beautiful Venetian glass mirror, make sure to drive a vehicle large enough to carry the piece home, or be prepared to pay the shipping costs. Also, bring a tape measure, bubble wrap, or blanket to protect your fabulous find. A lot of reproductions exist, and you can find a fantastic one for less than $1,000, but for the purist (as is the case with many antiques shoppers), you must be willing to pay much more.