Oozing Goo - The Lava Lamp Syndicate

Trust me: if you're nuts about lamps so rare, no model name is known, THIS IS YOUR THREAD!

Today's story: What do a trip to Lava World in 1998 and a weird-looking lamp have in common?

The time: summer, 1998. The place: Chicago, Illinois. The protagonist: Me.

I visited Lava World. I may have told about this before, but for those who haven't heard, this was what Lava World was like c. late-90s. Walking into the plain building's lobby, one saw a door on the left (offices), a staircase going straight ahead and up (offices) and, to the right of the stairs, a secretary's counter with a Magma Time clock on it. The secretary was answering phones non-stop. To the right was a sitting area, and a low shelf along the far right wall loaded with about 40 working Lava Lites, all new, with the newest colors down front. (I bought a red/blue!) Through double doors at the back, you could occasionally catch glimpses of a warehouse-like space, with forklifts carrying stacks of pallets full of Midnight bases.

They were VERY busy - so busy, in fact, that I had to make an appointment and return a few hours later - though that let me go on a lava hunt (hello, Coachlite!) When I returned, they pulled out all the old catalogs they had. They didn't have much; I was told that, whenever an exec retired, they'd take something with them. Among what they had, though, were three issues of the Lava Liter, which was an in-company newsletter begun in 1966 when 14 new models joined the one original Lava Lite. "We're sitting on top of the world!" touted the headline, beside which sat a cartoony man in an office chair atop a globe. The header even showed a b/w line drawing of a Century along with two more 52-oz lamps in oddball bases - prototypes, maybe? One had a base that had a rocket booster-like faceted design; the other was a wide bowl or tray speckled with maple leaves. Nifty stuff! They made photocopies for me, but they were very, very dark.

That leads to today: Thanks to Deb for the link. Has anybody seen this? Wondered if it's homemade? Either way, it's cool, no?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/350788411727?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_...

...well, wonder no more, and pull out your pocketbooks. The 52-oz pictured in the header of the Lava Liter, issue 1, 1966, which I've described as resembling a rocket booster? Never, EVER pictured in any known catalog? It certainly isn't in the 1965 leaflet, and it isn't among the 14 new models of 1966! Yeah? Yeah. You're lookin' at it. Ceramic. Yes, ceramic.

To whoever gets this, I bow to your awesomeness. And please ask the seller where/how they got it. You think the Executive is rare? This is as rare as a Menorah Prayer Lite or a Blues Magoos Psyche-De-Lite: "rare" doesn't begin to describe it!

Photo added by Erin:

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Fireball is a better description anyway.  I really like the way they're shaped.  I think that is my favorite so far, and that little spaceship one Erin has.   You need more, 15 is not enough.  lol

P.S.  I didn't look at the box, I was reading the seller's description, sorry. 
 
Kirk said:

It's actually Fireball, Libby.  Look at the pictures - the box is clearly marked, "Fireball - 1107."  Not to worry - I will give these beauties the proper love and attention they deserve.  :>)  How many?  I think it's 15+.

Please let me know what color wheel is in those! As far as I've ever known, that casing is the FireFLY model.

Very nice! Ive never like fiber optics much myself. But Jim's cosmos Is way way cool 
 
Kirk said:

Libby - the seller originally wanted twice as much for these - http://www.ebay.com/itm/140975296750?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_....

Libby - no problem.  I didn't notice at first either.

Jonas - I bet it's the same as the Firefly, but I'll confirm and let you know as soon as they arrive.  Thanks for keeping up with all the Fantasias!

Thanks, Trevor.  I want the Cosmos, too.  Maybe one of these days...

Metallica man Trevor said:

Very nice! Ive never like fiber optics much myself. But Jim's cosmos Is way way cool 
 
Kirk said:

Libby - the seller originally wanted twice as much for these - http://www.ebay.com/itm/140975296750?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_....

Well, that actually went for less than I thought it world! I expected near or past the thousand mark.

To whoever got it, congrats, please post more photos here!

Jonas, I don't know who got it, but it was not anyone on OG.  I thought it would go for more too.
 
Jonas Clark-Elliott said:

Well, that actually went for less than I thought it world! I expected near or past the thousand mark.

To whoever got it, congrats, please post more photos here!

I gave it a little boost.  I know I said it's ugly, but hey, it's rare!

How does anybody know it wasn't an OG member?

If he's an OG member, he's not active or I don't know his username here. 


I bid on it, too, but obviously lost. I think it's ugly, too! 


I saved all the pics of it so we'll at least have a record of this lamp, but I don't think we'll ever see it again. 

Jonas Clark-Elliott said:

How does anybody know it wasn't an OG member?

I KNOW who got it. I've sold to him before. I do not think he's a member here. 

It was a neat lamp, but more interesting as rarity than for its design. 

Truer words were never spoken, Erin, but I did love the color of the liquid and lava.  It was just the lamp design that didn't do much for me.  

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