Oozing Goo - The Lava Lamp Syndicate

It has been a while since I posted any goodies like this, but I have not been cast away from the grace of Lava Lite I assure you. Here is their newest product that will be coming to stores soon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddhFLhgdKUE&feature=youtu.be

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Do you have any research to back up your claims? I am lucky in that I am aware of some things going on at Lava Lite that the others here don't know about. Any and all of my claims are backed up by what I have been told by Dale. The financial success of Lava Lite in the past years does not agree with your claims. In fact Lava Lite is doing a lot better than it was a few years ago in financial matters. Be careful not to paint the entire market with your own feelings toward a product. Lava Lite's main consumer is not the collector that already has so many lamps that they have grown tired with the shape.

Al Chemysto said:

The competitors MAY have in the past wanted to emulate the shape to create consumer confusion more than anything not because consumers DEMAND the shape.

The main reason I don't have more lava lamps is because there isn't a whole lot of variation or innovation. Once I get a collusus my collection will be done and I won't see much more point in buying more of the same shape and colors. I like lava lite brand because they are the most accessible and the other attempts other companies make at emulating the iconic style are lame IMO.

 

I'm looking for new novelty, not just minor variations of a classic forumla which is why I'm far more excited for my and others' experimentations in modding than the "new flavor of the month"


I'd be curious to see what their buy rate is beyond the first lamp a consumer pruchases. I worked at one of the few stores that actually stocked lamps on their shelves here in Chicago in the 90s. Prior to the electric colors people occasionally bought the 32oz and  52 oz lamps. We might have sold 2 or 3 a month. Then when lava went "electric" we got a HUGE bounce in sales for awhile and then sales fizzled again. People would buy maybe one lamp for themselves and love it until it stopped working or they just "grew up". Maybe these same customers bought another as a gift. But what we never saw was people buying them in bulk or continually buying the new models as they came out. I think over time people just looked at the lamps like "been there done that". So even as new colors came out it was all pretty "meh".

 

Now I walk into spencers and lava lamps are but one of MANY options to choose from. Gadgets and devices that are interactive and with options that let you customize them are competing for shelf space. I just don't see minor changes in colors and shapes as anything to get excited about.

 

So WHO is lava lite's main consumer?

Autumn said:

Do you have any research to back up your claims? I am lucky in that I am aware of some things going on at Lava Lite that the others here don't know about. Any and all of my claims are backed up by what I have been told by Dale. The financial success of Lava Lite in the past years does not agree with your claims. In fact Lava Lite is doing a lot better than it was a few years ago in financial matters. Be careful not to paint the entire market with your own feelings toward a product. Lava Lite's main consumer is not the collector that already has so many lamps that they have grown tired with the shape.

Al Chemysto said:

The competitors MAY have in the past wanted to emulate the shape to create consumer confusion more than anything not because consumers DEMAND the shape.

The main reason I don't have more lava lamps is because there isn't a whole lot of variation or innovation. Once I get a collusus my collection will be done and I won't see much more point in buying more of the same shape and colors. I like lava lite brand because they are the most accessible and the other attempts other companies make at emulating the iconic style are lame IMO.

 

I'm looking for new novelty, not just minor variations of a classic forumla which is why I'm far more excited for my and others' experimentations in modding than the "new flavor of the month"

  I can't think of much that hasn't changed, evolved, diversified.  I would think interior design/decor trends would be right up there behind car trends and fashion trends when it comes to having demanding consumers.  We may love their original shape, but face the facts-WE WANT VARIETY.  Coke and McDonald's and everybody else have all diversified, all offer options out the ying-yang.  That's one reason we aren't tired of them; another is probably the fact they aren't sitting in our living room, bed room, or lining the dedicated shelves inside our homes day in, day out.

Whatever reason LL gives as to why they stodgingly stay stuck in the mud with their O.N.E. shape option, doesn't matter really.  We, the consumers, the ones with the money THEY want, have our own pretty good ideas about why we can't get what we want.  I certainly don't think it's too far-fetched to imagine a day when a quality chemist and a quality, innovative designer decide to get together, and snatch away the consumers who have been starved out and let down by LL. 

And it won't even be that hard to do.

LL is their own worst enemy-they're a one-trick pony.  A colicky, predictable one-trick pony who's well-worn path is in danger of becoming a RUT. 

I think LL has bigger fish to fry other then worrying about the shape of their lamps. Plus I dont want them to change their iconic shape, its been this way since the 60's ? What they need to do its fix the dam formula and come up with WAY BETTER designs. Its a complete joke right now.

Mostly younger people or parents of young people who buy for their kids. New generations of younger people cycle through the phases of buying a lamp or two and then usually don't buy another lamp. What is old and tired to you is new and interesting to new consumers.

Al Chemysto said:


I'd be curious to see what their buy rate is beyond the first lamp a consumer pruchases. I worked at one of the few stores that actually stocked lamps on their shelves here in Chicago in the 90s. Prior to the electric colors people occasionally bought the 32oz and  52 oz lamps. We might have sold 2 or 3 a month. Then when lava went "electric" we got a HUGE bounce in sales for awhile and then sales fizzled again. People would buy maybe one lamp for themselves and love it until it stopped working or they just "grew up". Maybe these same customers bought another as a gift. But what we never saw was people buying them in bulk or continually buying the new models as they came out. I think over time people just looked at the lamps like "been there done that". So even as new colors came out it was all pretty "meh".

 

Now I walk into spencers and lava lamps are but one of MANY options to choose from. Gadgets and devices that are interactive and with options that let you customize them are competing for shelf space. I just don't see minor changes in colors and shapes as anything to get excited about.

 

So WHO is lava lite's main consumer?

The shape is the biggest issue for me either but how about some new features? I think Mathmos has a color changing lamp for instance. Keep the iconic shape if they must but do something, ANYTHING than just change paint jobs.

i think the shape is fine.  i would really like to see some retro-looking lamps from the 80's and 90's.  bring back the aristocrat base and focus on QUALITY.  

autumn - if you can pass one thing on, even just in conversation, a grande using the new neon wax colors (yellow, green, purple) would be awesome.

Watermelon grande!

Bring back the "electrics" I say! And larger versions of them!

Blue grande

All the discussion about variety of shapes is fine and could enhance sales.  But one reason the design hasn't changed is that it WORKS.  Have you ever had wax stuck at the top of a classic lava lamp?  It releases pretty easily when cooled.  How about a cylinder?  Stuck wax is very hard to get it to the bottom.  The classic shape allows the wax to fall without blockage while other shapes may trap the wax.  Also the shape of the bottom allows a larger wax reservoir and seems to focus the heat more thoroughly.  Can it be done with other shapes? Of course, look at the Fluidium.  That is also a great shape.  But for the most part when people think Lava they think of the classic shape.

Oh and this lamp?  Not too impressed.  I would by it maybe but not be heartbroke if i don't.

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