Hi ! Lamp prices seem to be dropping. I have been out there for the last two months selling at antique and collector's fairs and to day York car boot and no one is buying any of the pressure stuff. Mention blow lamps and all around you are on the floor dying with laughter and to day various dealers looked at my pile of camp stoves and same answer as previous fairs. " they look great all cleaned and polished and can't fault them and definitely cheap enough but nobody wants them any more " not at any price ?? As for lamps ? each fair I go to these days , most lamps are still there at end of day there is just not the immediate rush to buy the lamps. ! And the prices stall holders expect for their lamps and stoves is hilarious no one wants to pay that money any more !! Definitely a declining market if not for the lamps and stoves then its the collectors themselves ?? mick
Wait until the cooler weather of autumn arrives. It seems to shift folks sensibilities to see the merits of warm light
Send them to South Africa. With the current regular scheduled power outages here there is a lot of demand and a shortage of pressure lamps. Almost impossible to find new or second hand.
Last week a Tilley floodlight (think FL6) was sold online (Catawiki) for 385€. It looked like it was never used and came with tripod. I didn't bid on it as it is way over my budget (I'd LOVE to have one though!!!). There's an electrocuted heater on now (ending this evening) 55€ at the mo. As a buyer one must add another 9% costs plus of course postage cost. What do you think of these prices? Buyers and sellers are mainly Dutch & Flemish, so all in all a much smaller market than the UK. Best regards, Wim
If there was no ebay and people tried to get rid of lamps in the real world at local sales and so forth prices would be much reduced me and mick was at a steam fair few years back plenty of lamp types there It was a struggle to get 85 for donuts and 50 for handlamps that's the real term values or is it? pete
Prices are dropping for nice good condition vintage stoves too. Known rarities can still fetch a good price but it seems to be the later stuff that's commanding high prices. Prices are so low for some great stove outfits with great tins I'm almost tempted to double up some of my items. It's great for new collectors, maybe not so great for folk looking to cash in their collections or families of deceased collectors doing the same, or Mick! I posted re this on CCS recently: http://classiccampstoves.com/threads/great-time-to-be-a-collector-buying-on-ebay.30194/
The answer's simple, Mick - just polish 'em to ***k and you'll get hundreds for 'em. Just check eBay any day and check out 676bill for a start, rebral etc., etc. Where's me polishing mop... Got anything nice you'd like to sell me? - cheap, of course.
Well, I haven't seen any lamp prices dropping here. On the contrary; they tend to increase at a constant rate. Before it was mainly the table lamps that were sold for ridiculous money, but lately that also is happening to lanterns. And not just rare models. Even simple Primus 1020 is seldom below 300 kronor (appr. £20) nowadays, and those are still in pretty bad shape. It's tempting to start selling out the duplicates... (Flea markets and farm auctions are still worth visiting, though. It's of course just the online auctions where e.g. S.E. Asians can see the items that bring out these extremely high prices.)
Most of the high rollers in the lamp and stove collecting world have, in the main, been those in the far east - Japan, South Korea, Malaysia etc.. There are obviously exceptions, but in general the upwards pressure, and in some cases silly prices, have been fuelled by collectors in that part of the world. They seem to prefer to purchase their lamps and stoves fully restored and highly polished, which has an effect on the prices realised for unrestored examples; a whole market has developed where people are buying unrestored stuff purely to sell on to far east collectors for high profit when restored/painted/polished. But three factors have hit this market: 1. The Chinese economy has been going down the toilet for some months, a situation reaching crisis levels over the last 48 hours. Many of the far east economies have invested heavily in China, so the whole area catches a cold when China sneezes. Not only have incomes generated through employment dropped, the tradition of individuals and families investing in shares has hit savings and pensions hard. There is simply less money to spend. 2. The situation in China has resulted in a boom for the Dollar, UK Sterling and even the Euro. For residents of the far east, buying on Ebay etc has become much more expensive. 3. The Royal Mail in the UK has tightened it's already restrictive rules on accepting lamps and stoves for it's airmail service. The only way to ship them safely is now via courier companies who have their own dedicated freight aircraft, such as UPS, Fed Ex and DHL. Again, this has significantly increased costs to buyers. Terry
I have recently been working with Roger Price's widow and son trying to work out how and where to flog off his vast collection and prices dropping are not good news there. I have done a recnt trawl through sold stuff on the Bay and Swedish lanterns in average to rough condition are making much less. Mostly around £45 to £60. We have a logistic problem though because there is no way we can shove all of them on the Bay. Just too much boxing and mailing involved. Right now still excavating and sorting but we are not really sure of the best way forward. There are some very valuable lamps but as ever a lot of "common" lamps. One suggenstion has been to use a local auction house and supply the auctioneer with a list of potential bidders and their emails to allow internet and phone bidding from a group of collectors. Not sure how effective that might be. Another idfea was to hold a sale day and invite collectors to and buy or bid for stuff. Anyone got any other ideas? ::Neil::
Neil, You may box and mail the rare and valuable lamps over here..... My first idea is: make batches of one type of origin. So Swedish lamps, German lamps. Or batches by brand. Sell them as a lot. Other idea: get them all to a lamp meeting. And auction them there. Btw : I have not seen prices drop here in Holland.
One option could be to put them on Ebay individually, maybe in batches of 10 or 12, and make them "collection only". A buyer who has the chance to win more than one lamp will be more willing to travel to collect them. Alternatively, use an auction house that features live bidding via the internet and advertise the event on CPL and CCS. Any packing and shipping is then a separate arrangement between the buyer and the auction house. Terry
Much the same as Trojandog. The best items could be individually listed on ebay and posted. The routine lamps could be batched in suitable numbers and marked for collection only - the logic being that someone is more likely travel for a batch than a single lamp (and it reduces the number of callers). Instructing an auctioneer does not overcome the problem of collecting/mailing; it would save the laborious process of listing on the web but the lamps would need moving to the auction room. I sold 30 or so nothing-special lamps in a few weeks in 2014 - and it does take time and effort. Ian
Hi Neil ! Now you have entered my world ! Incredable as it may seem three times I have been asked to sell private collections off for the owners, the last being Bryan's collection in Hendon , London . It was about this time of the year I was asked to go to London and give Olive his wife some ideas on how to get rid of the lot ! I suggested the only way was for me to take the lot home and go down the route of Autojumble sales pitch . Starting at the top Great Dorset autojumble fantastic to go to but down side £400 pounds for a pitch plus vat ! call it £500 plus fuel and caravan to survive in for five days etc !! Overheads very expensive I know been there three time with Len and Renata !! It starts this time next week. 2nd is Lord montigue of Builie auto jumble just south of new forest but again very expensive !! in three weeks time ! The first place I went to was Darley Dale transport weekend just north of Matlock , Derbyshire.Early September !! I was told I could have a pitch for £40 but I was the only auto jumble there and it may be awful ! It was so awful I don't think !!! as I made over a thousand pounds. Twice I have used this rally as a means of off loading lamps. I had a big pile of lamps £5 each !Looking knackered ! The £10 pile ! The £20 pile. And anything any good on my market traders stand for £85 each that included three do nut lamps . I got wiped out in two days and 12 hand tilley lamps and you have to remember you are there to sell not take home as this was the first 210 lamps I brought back up from London !! There was a lot more lamps to follow !! Other collectors on this site will tell you about my sales pitches at traction and vintage rallies. mick
Hi ! Neil as you live near to Kettering they have a big rally there later in September and well worth having a sales pitch there. I had the usual £5 pile , £10 pile , £20 pile and £85 pile. I only had twelve foot frontage so all lamps in piles on tarps with sign in middle of pile giving the price ! Ian Ashton was helping me and could not believe the stampede of collectors actually fighting over the lamps !! Don't ask how much I made but it made the thousand pounds two weeks before look very tame ! Remember I was there to sell ! Yes I could get more on ebay but sod that for a laugh it would be impossible ! Going for autojumbles is easyier but hard work .Also everyone at the rally wanted lamps and after dark it was fantastic to see so many caravans with tilley lamps every where ! all lit up ! Newark James ask's ? Its "Runway Monday " held on a Monday at Newark. 7th of September one day only taken over from Swinderby as gravel extraction is going on , on the former aircraft runway ! Its £60 for the day if casual. 7 am till 4 pm Book in advance and its £45 Its maybe worth ago in September or the next is November ! Its just one day.On Newark show ground carpark. Theres Newark Antique and collectors Fairs IACF and also Arthurswallowfairs . com up at Lincoln but sales pitches at both well over £100 Neil just the other side of the M1 from your house there used to be an Antique and Collectors drive in Fair every so often but that's long gone . Try Kettering vintage rally ! mick
Sounds like a plan but I will not be doing the selling. Graham Price is managing the disposal. I am really only giving him advice on what wants selling individually because of the rareity or value. Part of the problem is sheer numbers. We are not talking a couple of hundred lamps here. I have yet to get into the loft but from memory of what was there ten years ago I reckon on perhaps 1,000 lamps. Add to that they are all well over 100 miles from me. I could not begin to move that many and quite frankly I no longer have the stamina for such an enterprise. I will pass on your info though and suggest it is a route with merit. If he does decide to hold a sale then I can assist with some idea of values and also advertise the sale here so that all the serious collectors are aware. One rally that might be worth looking at is the Lister Petter at North Nibley. Thebother option might be an even on the Royal Bath Showground. I think there are vintage events there that will accept a selling stand. All very helpful and thanks. ::Neil::
Hi Neil ! Simon Johns and I have been to Roger's long time back , it was two days after xmas and snowing . There were lamps everywhere the loft space was a shrine to Tilley the back garden was a grave yard for FL6's and just out side , next to back door would you believe his IL37 looking very complete with its maroon reflector !! Just waiting for some one to hop over the back wall and help themselves to it !! Radstock was close to M5 I think so not far from Malvern Three Counties show ground. Look on internet for B2B Flea and collectors fairs. One day events only ! Next event 31st Aug. Bank holiday mon . Very well attended by lots of buyers and collectors just like ( Mathew ) Sept 20 Oct 11 dec 12 Car £35 Car with trailer £45 Its the only way to shift a lot of common lamps . Pile them high and sell them cheap. Forget ebay that's great for good collectable lamps but your average storm lamps ? Mick
Neil, it sounds to be an almost impossible, time-consuming task. Obviously Mick has been through this a number of times and has given valuable advice. The largest sum of money could be obtained by selling the lanterns off individually on eBay or to specialist collectors over a long time period - but that would take years. Selling in batches is a possibility but will not attract as much money as selling individually. The various fairs that Mick has mentioned seems the best idea. But the reason I am replying to this post is because it is something that I and many 'older' collectors must have thought of. Basically, what happens to my collection when I am pushing up the daisies? Families will be in the same situation that Roger's widow is in. Over on CCS the ageing, but still very active Bryan Miller (kaw550red) had the same thoughts about his extensive stove collection. He decided to take things into his own hands and sold off his collection gradually on eBay. I think it took him two to three years. By doing so he recouped a lot of money - far in excess of his initial outlay. He photographed most of his stoves and scanned documentation and so he still contributes to the CCS forums. Is this something that us 'elder' collectors should do? Do we just leave our collections for our families to sort out or do we do something about it while we are still here? Because of the difficulties when we are no longer here, will our collections be scrapped? At this moment I have no answer, but it is food for thought.
Obviously the problem of what to do with my 'collection' is tiny compared with what Neil faces. Do I sell them now and enjoy the proceeds which would mean a lamp free home for however long? Or do I enjoy them for as long as I have and leave my sons to dispose of them - they assure me that all my lamps and my other 'rubbish' will go to the tip! If I only knew the when and where in advance then I could plan ahead.
For the original subject of the topic... I don't know how high prices have been but some lanterns are selling in UK with quite good price. Just yesterday I picked up a brass Optimus 1200 lantern with perfect original Optimus glass globe for 30 eur (~25£(?)). Although it has two very very minor dents on tank (which don't bother me.) If some one wants to get rid of Optimus stoves I am willing to buy them. Specially those that I don't have yet.
Very nice! I have been trying to pick up a decent(ish) 1200 for a while with no success, so well done! Been trying to get hold of other Petromax lanterns too, hzving given up on the 1200 - they are all going for rather high prices at the moment
This auction was deleted by mod. from my post on 2.9.2015 because it was still live on that time: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/131593164352?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT Final prize for a brass Optimus 1200 without glass was 122 £ . Same lamp here with glass 25 eur. Although hand has corroded a bit more.
There have been some very oddly high prices paid for some lamps on eBay in Australia recently, especially 'Pork Pie' X246s and, strangely a beat-up Kayen that was way over the odds. Tony
Those are quite good prices for lanterns. Maybe there is no reason to pay money to pension fund. Looks that at least here it would be better to buy lanterns and sell them abroad when (nowadays IF) I retire. Although here the payments to the pension fund are obligatory and deducted from salary because that pension fund hires all old politicians to a parasite position on funds administration to suck very high salary and benefits. Then they tell to us that maybe we don't have money to pay pensions on future...
Prices are getting high in NZ as well. Especially on trademe. Most buyers have been Asian. Some of who on sell back in their home country. You still get a good find every now and then if your quick, but it's becoming less. If only we could all work together and stop buying for a while, so to bring prices down...
Dont you hate it when this happens? I wanted it so bad! 1442002597-bazonkers238B_opt_opt.png I have never seen one for sale on the bay so this was a surprise.
Think I was lucky when I found my virgin 238B for ahum, say, a lot less than this one went for! Best regards, Wim
