Looking for a non-liquid motion lamp... Anyone got one? Revolving multicolor beacon.

[Jonas Clark-Elliott]

I'm hunting for an unusual lamp. Here's the background: An antiques dealer on Vashon Island, WA, who ran a shop called "Oberon's Wonderful Store", had one of these for years. When I was a kid, I pestered him about it until he sold it to me. Also, a house on Vashon had one inside a miniature lighthouse in their yard, and another house near Seattle hung one outside every Christmas season. A restaurant in Pike Place Market, the famous Athenian Inn, had five of these hanging outside. They gradually fell apart over the years and were finally removed, but no one seems to know what happened to them. Another local antiques shop, The Daily Planet, has one, but they don't use it and yet won't sell it - it collects dust in the window.

The item itself: Comprised of two hemispherical ends, bottom and top, made of metal, separated by a clear glass or plastic cylinder, the entire lamp is around 10" tall by 5" diameter. Within is a metal box, affixed to a motor inside one of the hemispheres. This box revolves around a central light bulb, and has four round holes, one per side, with circular glass fresnel (focusing) lenses set in them - red, blue, green, yellow. On top is a metal post with a loop or ring for hanging. I have found an old ad for the Swiss Golden Beacon which shows it with a matching hanging bracket. I believe these lamps to be from the 1960s or 70s, possibly earlier or later. See attached ad photo, a scan of an ad once sold by Cardcow, an online vintage-ad site.

Variants: The basic model was apparently called a "Swiss Golden Beacon", and was marked Swiss Harmony, Chicago (Swiss Harmony also made, or at least sold, those square, lantern-shaped brass-and-glass liquor decanters contAining a wind-up music box which plays "Little Brown Jug" or "How Dry I Am" when picked up - around here, those are a frequent sight in thrift stores) I have seen the Swiss Golden Beacon with a crackled gold finish on the hemispheres, and also marked "Swiss Golden Beacon - Manufactured by A. A. Holes Corp". Mine, which fell apart many years ago and went I-don't-know-where, was marked "Eternal Guest Light - Swiss Harmony". Daily Planet's has a triangular box with only three lenses, and a blue-green "hammertone" metallic finish. Those outside The Athenian at Pike Place Market had a cylindrical glass fresnel lens (think of a "jelly jar" porch light) that was colored in four stripes, alternating red, clear, blue-green, clear. I know they had glass inner cylinders because, for many years, one of the lights' cylinders was sitting inside, shattered. And further, the current maker of those tiny chain-hung light-up barber poles says the company they bought the product from (the former manufacturer, that is) made a limited run of three-lens type with chromed hemispheres, and had one left (but wouldn't sell it) a few years ago.

If anyone has: seen these, knows anything about these, has other brands or model names for these, knows of other variants of these, or has any of these... Please let me know!

By the way, the ad says "Golden Swiss Beacon" but marked lamps seem to say "Swiss Golden Beacon". The ad does not mention a manufacturer. I poked around on the US Patent Office search for a while, but found nothing - maybe someone who's better versed in searching the site can locate a patent or design patent?
~ Jonas

[Jonas Clark-Elliott]

Okay, update - turns out *she* IS interested! And an OG reader, apparently (OG Reader? Is he related to OG Readmore?) The Beacon in question is a polished copper Model 160, colors red-blue-tuquoise-amber, in great working order. I'm excited... Have offered to either buy or trade.

[Jonas Clark-Elliott]

Another update: Price may be too high for me right now. May be able to get it next month or so...not sure. Money tight here. Have made a counteroffer, but I'll completely understand if I cut too low.

If anyone else wants the one on eBay - and is willing to pay the $95 BIN - grab it. It's one of the rarer units of the Swiss Golden Beacon type (there are some non-Swiss Harmony beacons that are rarer) and is in perfect shape - nice bright wrinklepaint finish, a rare Model 170 of the weather-resistant type with domed outer lens, rubber gasket rings, and thick cord with rubber seal. The only other 170s I've seen are this same model in poor shape and missing the bottom cover, and a polished copper one which, while it had the thick cord/seal, was missing the outer lens so I have no idea if it, too, came with the special domed, rubber-sealed type.

A note on models: Model 160 has been seen in polished copper or textured/wrinklepaint gold or copper, all with a wrinklepaint inner carriage, and Model 160-3 and Model 160-5 (no idea what the difference is) are a metallic green finish. I've also seen a Model 160-5 in polished goldtone.

A note about lenses:peter T's posted folder says that lenses were available in red, blue, green, yellow and clear. If Swiss Beacons are like my Eternal Guest Light, the lenses are removable, though (again, if they're the same) difficult to get back into place. So far on eBay I have seen some variants: Besides red-blue-green-yellow, I have seen red-blue-turquoise-yellow, and red-blue-green-clear. As well, "yellow" varies - some are yellow, some are golden amber. So while these may have been just variances produced over time (the turq. lenses are a lighter sea-blue - the green lenses are VERY green) there are technically seven distinct colors out there: red, blue, green, turquoise, amber, yellow and clear. But all I've seen have at least three of the standard four: red-blue-green-yellow. I have only seen amber-or-yellow-or-clear, green-or-turquoise.

[Jonas Clark-Elliott]

Update again: She made an offer of $50. I made an offer of $30, and suggested that I might have higher funds next month. She did not respond, but placed the lamp on eBay with a starting bid of $9.99, and it's getting bid on.

As she noted that her funds, too, are quite low, this was the best route for her, and for once I hope the lamp DOES skyrocket. In this case, that would be good.

I'll keep looking. Thanks for offering to me first, though!

[Michael Eberlein]

I just sold mine with the BIN of $95. To me that shows that the lamps have a higher value than what seems to be indicated in the discussions. Maybe the $50 might have been a good deal after all.

[Jonas Clark-Elliott]

That may very well be true, but I'm not claiming they're not worth that - only that I'm hunting for one at a price under $50.

There is at least one eBay user who finds them to be worth upwards of $200 at times.

[Kris]

Just be patient. May take longer than you want, but it will come around for you. At least, this is how it works for me. If I am patient, items I am looking for have a habit of just showing up and me being able to get them for a reasonable price. Sometimes a steal. This happened recently. Several times in fact.

Patience is key when it comes to finding something you want.

[Michael Eberlein]

This is somewhat true. If you aren't in a hurry for some reason, keep looking for something and HOPEFULLY eventually you will find it at a reasonable price for you. That's how I found the one I just sold. I basically found it somewhere. But on the other hand, sometimes you have to weigh your desire to have something against how long you are willing to wait. If someone can wait a year or so for something to save a few dollars, then I would say they really don't want it that badly and it isn't that much of necessity to have in a collection. So time does have to be a consideration when determining what a reasonable price is. Another thing is sometimes prices go up as things become harder to find. Eventually everyone of these lights will be in someones hands that wants one. I bet these lights were going for little money a couple of years ago. So being patient and waiting is also taking a chance that the seeker may never find one at what they currently want to pay, just another consideration when determining what a reasonable price is. I guess you have to have a certain amount of luck too. So desire, rarity, and luck are the three important things to finding it and determining how long your patience will last.. I just threw this out there for consideration based on my experience.
Good luck, I hope you find one at your price. I think for these lamps, since so little info is out there, and not much of a sales track record, you have a great chance of doing that. Who knows, maybe nobody will bid very high on the one listed on Ebay. I've seen that many times before too.

[Kris]

Well said and very true! :)

[Jonas Clark-Elliott]

Yes, well-said. I WILL note that I am quite eager to get one of these, however there is a third possible factor: not paying higher for one doesn't necessarily mean you're not AS interested - it can also mean lack of funds to do so. As in my case. If I had $95, I may have grabbed yours.

[Michael Eberlein]

I see your point. That adds one additional factor I didn't consider; affordability.

[Peter T]

Hello Everyone.
I know that it has been a long time but I was wondering if there are still anyone out there who would be interested in purchasing a Swiss Golden Beacon. Also I was wondering if anyone has had any luck finding out who the mystery buyer from e-bay is? This is the person named RhoadsScholar who was purchasing every beacon that came around. Do we know who he/she is?

[Jonas Clark-Elliott]

No idea. I droped RoadScholar76 a line through eBay, asking about Beacons. He/she did not reply.

Peter, can you tell me about the beacon you have? I finally found one, but I know someone else now who wants one to replace theirs that broke years ago, and I'm in contact with them. What I'd like to know:
Condition: Has hanging ring, or not? Has bracket, or not? Good cord/plug? Any rust? Is the clear outer sleeve in good shape, i.e. not yellowed, cracked severely, or missing entirely? Does the motor function?

Also: What model? Top will say "Swiss Beacon", or alternately, "Swiss Golden Beacon Model ---". What finish - polished brass, polished copper, satin brass, textured gold, metallic green? And what color lenses? Lenses could be bought separately for changing the colors - I have seen red, blue, turquoise, green, bright yellow, amber, and clear.

And how much do you want for it? I'll relay the info to them. I'm looking for a 2nd one but, now that I have one, I'll help them get one first.