This dear little parasol has been my most expensive aquisition yet, though well worth it in my opinion. It has many of the features I'd been looking for in a parasol, plus that beautiful lace overlay that is in surprisingly good condition. Unfortunately, the actual cover fabric will need to be replaced; it has several significant tears that someone tried to mend at some point and only made them worse. Also, the lining is completely gone and will need to be replaced. While I'm at it, I may also refinish the wood as there are a few scratches that could stand to be sanded down and such.
The mechanism itself seems a bit fragile, but works properly. The hinges at the center and at the top are a bit wobbly, so it needs a bit of care when in use and definitely shouldn't be used on a windy day. (As I'll probably only be using this for stuff like Dickens Fair, there's no worries.)
While I'm delighted with every aspect of this parasol, the real surprise was the tilt-top. It wasn't mentioned in the auction at all, but I felt justified in paying the high asking price simply because of the lace. It certainly makes me feel a little better, though, to know that I got more out of the deal than I'd bargained (or failed to bargain) for.
