If it really is black bamboo, and it's alive, $10 is an ok price. I agree that it looks rather wimpy, but it should do better in a year or two if you pot it up and keep it watered. I do have a question, though. What kind of black bamboo is this supposed to be? Normally, when someone says "black bamboo," they mean Phyllostachys nigra, which is a running bamboo. There are some clumpers that do have black culms, though. Your pictures are so small I can't really see enough detail to figure out what you've got.

Thanks for the reply, Kudzu. I'm not sure what kind of bamboo it is. The ad just said that it is a slow grower and will not get out of control. Maybe I just assumed that it was a clumping Bamboo. I had planned on putting it in a huge tub about the size of a half barrel. I can probably hold off on that for a couple of years. :-) Maybe a gallon sized container? What do you think?

Yea, a gallon pot looks like it would work; a slightly bigger one would be ok, too. Give it decent light, a little fertilizer, and keep it moist, but not soaked. You may not see much growth for a year or two, when it should start sending up a new shoot or two. Good luck. If you get more involved with bamboo, I can point you to better places online than eBay where you can get a bigger plant, that's clearly identified, from a reputable nursery, and still for a reasonable amount of money.

10 bucks? Not too bad actually. I paid 38 dollars for a p. atrovaginata in a 3 gallon pot, but it was shipped full size (he bent it and it was about 3 1/2 feet tall). I had to take some of the top off, because it was a little stressed out.