Question about Garden Gazing Globes

I have several cheap gazing globes in my garden. It seems as if the cheaper they were the sooner they lose that great metallic shine, and I'm left with a plain colored glass sphere. Does anyone know of anything that can be used to make them shiny again? I'm thinking there might be some sort of paint you can swirl around inside the globe itself, but have no idea what.
I really don't want to do the mosaic/broken dishes/broken tile routine on them; I love the metallic sheen. Short of buying much more expensive globes, is there anything I can do?

Do you have pictures? I'm not even sure what a gazing globe is.

I've seen some absolutely gorgeous ones at Hobby Lobby, but haven't purchased them for that exact reason! If anyone has the solution, I might be tempted to get one!

Edit: I did a quick little search about re-silvering, and found this link:
http://www.cowtown.net/mikefirth/mirror.htm
Not only does it sound expensive and time consuming, it also sounds like it has the potential to be dangerous. I'd probably just opt to buy another one!

Pretty...
I've never seen them in water before!

I don't have any pics, but I do have 1 globe that I purchased at Hobby Lobby 2 years ago (1/2 price). It's not exactly a silvery/shiny surface---more of a pottery than glass globe. I left it out all winter and it looks just as good as it did when I bought it.

Edit: I did a quick little search about re-silvering, and found this link:
http://www.cowtown.net/mikefirth/mirror.htm
Not only does it sound expensive and time consuming, it also sounds like it has the potential to be dangerous

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That's kind of what I thought. I assumed, tho, that the cheap $10 globes from WalMart weren't silvered inside. That's probably why they didn't hold their shine very well.
I also have quite a few large plastic Christmas balls, the bigger the better, that I've used instead of buying glass globes. When they lose their shine and color, I'm going to use some metallic spray paint on them.

Hmmm. Never heard of them. What is their purpose in a garden?

Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

Hmmm. Never heard of them. What is their purpose in a garden?

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Gazing balls are set to reflect the garden and/or scenery and usually changed each season. My family has had the same gazing balls for 7 years now, they are glass/metallic blown.

Hmmm. Never heard of them. What is their purpose in a garden?

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Originally, I believe gazing globes were meant to scare away witches----seriously. The folklore changed and they were said to scare away birds.
Now, they're just pretty ornaments to enhance your garden.

i've heard of a lot of people buying used bowling balls in second-hand stores and using them as gazing globes.

Originally Posted by goonie

i've heard of a lot of people buying used bowling balls in second-hand stores and using them as gazing globes.

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Do they put them next to the flowers inside of a tire?
That was bad, Im sorry! *hangs head and runs away*

Have you checked Martha Stewart's website? She has ideas for almost anything.

Originally Posted by libby74

Originally, I believe gazing globes were meant to scare away witches----seriously. The folklore changed and they were said to scare away birds.
Now, they're just pretty ornaments to enhance your garden.

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Really? That is interesting since Witches (Wiccans) use gazing balls for divination. Clear ones though, crystal, though metalic may work.

Originally Posted by libby74
Originally, I believe gazing globes were meant to scare away witches----seriously. The folklore changed and they were said to scare away birds.
Now, they're just pretty ornaments to enhance your garden.

Really? That is interesting since Witches (Wiccans) use gazing balls for divination. Clear ones though, crystal, though metalic may work.

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In the Victorian era, people hung small glass globes in their windows to ward off witches. They usually had an ornate metal filigree hanging system. Today they're somwhat pricey, altho you can buy repoductions on ebay. (and I do have a crystal ball in my bedroom)

i've heard of a lot of people buying used bowling balls in second-hand stores and using them as gazing globes.

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I found a purple and white swirly design bowling ball that's sitting in the garden next to some coral bells.

Have you checked Martha Stewart's website? She has ideas for almost anything.

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Good idea; if Martha can't do it, nobody can.

Originally Posted by libby74

Good idea; if Martha can't do it, nobody can.

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You mean "If Martha's staff can't do it, nobody can", right?

[QUOTEYou mean "If Martha's staff can't do it, nobody can", right?
][/quote]

What, you mean Martha does come up with all those ideas on her own?!