New Yorker Throwing Vintage $4K Lamp in Trash Leaves Internet in Disbelief

They say one man's trash is another man's treasure, and that couldn't be more true after a New Yorker apparently threw out a $4,000 lamp.

The internet is in disbelief after someone spotted the vintage item on the sidewalk, in Manhattan, as it seems its true value wasn't known.

Stooping NYC, an Instagram account dedicated to sharing incredible finds on the city streets, shared a snap of the pink floor lamp to its account on Sunday.

The account wrote: "Finally a flower that won't die. In between Lafayette and 3rd ave on 9th !" The post can be seen here.

That image was later reshared to Twitter by @seanieviola, alongside a snap of the listing price.

The 1989 Peter Bliss tulip floor lamp was on sale for $2,835, down from $4,300.

"Someone in NYC threw out this 80's vintage tulip lamp designed by Peter Bliss and I'm about to cry," they captioned it.

The tweet, which can be seen here, racked up nearly 190,000 likes, as people were in shock over the discarded item.

The lamp is hard to track down online, with one site Chairish, which sold out of the light fixture, calling it an "extremely rare find," while 1st Dibs had a red version on sale for £3,500 ($4,171), which had also sold out.

John Thomas wrote: "NYC has the best garbage. Good stuff, furniture just sitting there. You have to grab it while you can. You'll see a guy standing over a chair. He's deciding on whether or not to hump it six blocks and three fights of stairs."

"The fact that someone really threw out this 4000 dollar lamp is insane," _cvnty said.

Kale, like the veggi thought: "I would give my arm for this lamp."

Hello_mab commented: "NYC trash days are the best! Found brand new $200 vacuum cleaner, several bookcases, a coffee table, etc. People just leave all kinds of things right out on sidewalk. Just avoid the summer months cause - bugs."

Sheila Bush commented: "Hopefully someone got it. One man's trash is another man's treasure, for sure, if this is what that lamp is worth."

Irgordon replied: "Imagine being so well off you can buy boutique furniture that cost $2k. Then just throw it out when you're bored of it."

However there was some debate over whether the lamp was original, or a fake, as people compared images looking at the thickness of the stem, all the way to examining stickers on the base for authenticity.

Greg carker said: "Look at how thick the stem is on the street one... and the real one is textured and the pic one is smooth and shorter

"Still a remake look at the neck the leaves (even if broken it should be round) and the tulip none of it is the same," @thatsmeyellin added.

But, sharing images comparing two tags, @seanieviola insisted: "Same tag, it's the real deal."

New York has been in the headlines recently for its soaring rents, seeing tenants squeezed almost to breaking point amid the cost of living crisis.

A recent report from the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development highlighted the acute housing issues facing the city.

They said: "According to the 2021 Housing and Vacancy Survey initial findings, only 4.5 percent of the city's housing supply currently sits vacant, with less than 1 percent of homes available for rent at below $1,500 per month currently available.

"A New Yorker making the city's median income would need to earn twice as much to afford the median asking rent of $2,750, and the level of rent burden and severe rent burden have remained stubbornly high since 2011.

"Additionally, half of the city's renting households spent more than 30 percent of their income on rent, and one in three of those households spent over half of their income on rent."

Newsweek reached out to Stooping NYC and @seanieviola for comment.