An $895 DAISA Planter for $9.99

It’s not every day I find an $875 porcelain planter, but as soon as I saw the ivory door knocker lions, I knew it was worth the $10 price tag.

Let me tell you the story of my bougie office planter.

Yes, I paid $10 for an $875 planter.  To clarify, I had no idea the planter was worth that much.  I just thought it looked cool.

It was the middle of January 2021 and I was in the middle of sourcing materials for our mini kitchen DIY project.  I had found drawer pulls and knobs in stock at a Home Depot about 30 min away.  I was determined to get them right then because I didn’t want to wait for shipping or risk my order would get lost in transit as what seemed to be nearly every package’s fate.  I’d get to Home Depot about 30 min before they closed, so I made a very last minute decision to make the drive.

By the time I got there, the pulls and knobs were out of stock.  Seriously, WHAT WERE THE ODDS that would happen at 8:30pm on a Friday in January?!  I was not happy. I was frustrated and disappointed in myself that I didn’t just purchase online and pick them up in person.  Talk about a lesson learned.

As I walked back to my car, cursing myself out, I remembered that Home Depot shared a parking lot with a Goodwill.  This particular Goodwill is always a hit-or-miss, but after the frustration I was experiencing, a little visual distraction sounded nice.  They too were closing incredibly soon so I knew I’d have to be very quick about my visit.

I walked into Goodwill, right past the carts (there wouldn’t be enough time to possibly find enough items that I’d need a cart) and beelined for homewares.  My first attack would be the lighting section.  There, nestled in a forest of lamps, I spotted a pale box shape item.  As I walked closer, I saw the subtle lions emerging from the face of the box.  Only, I realized it wasn’t a box, it was a planter.

Omg, it’s a lion planter! Mine.

I rotated and fully inspected it to determine what extend I’d be able to use it.  He was fully intact, no cracks, no holes, nothing that would compromise its intended function.  The price?  $9.99.

We were meant to be.

I scooped the planter up with both arms and beelined to the checkout.

We’re going home together.

My little lion spend the night in my car as it was late when I got home.  In the morning I found a safe home for it on a shelf in the garage.  I needed time to find a plant to live inside of it.

I’ll see you soon.

Fast forward four months to a successful Home Depot trip where I scored a monstera on clearance for $13.

I’ve got just the perfect home for you.

I hadn’t really laid eyes on my lion planter since I stowed it several months before.  I brought it into the kitchen to give it a badly needed scrub down.  As I rotated it in the sink I noticed faint markings on the base.  “Made in Spain” and I could faintly make out “DAISA 1985.”  This was the first time I’d ever come across a piece of pottery or porcelain ware that had a date stamped on it.  I typically date a piece by the color and pattern.  After a quick Google image search, I found a pair of “Dasia Lladro Octagonal Decorative Lion Head Planters, Spain.”  They looked EXACTLY like mine!  And then my eyes made their way down the listing.  To my utter shock, they were marked as “SOLD” for $1,700.

No effing way.

I kept going from the listing’s image of the watermark to mine.  Identical.  I don’t think my heart has ever pounded so hard.

Be still my roaring heart.

Today, my monstera lives in its bougie planter making it the bougiest house plant I have. Geraldine (yes, that’s her name) is thriving with her lions, throwing off new chutes, even in winter! On occasion, the power duo will make an appearance in a listing photo.

-Cass.