Which Astro/s do you own?

A sort of "Show-And-Tell" thread to learn something about the evolution of Astro Lamps.

Maybe it could become helpful when grading Astros.....

There must've been over 2 Million Astros built and sold by now, so I doubt we'll manage to list 'em all ... So let's try anyway. ;D

What's the serialnumber or date-stamp of your Astro and what design is it?
Any specific marks? Like, does it have that little "spot" on the lower end of the letter S in the word "Mathmos" written under the base?
If the wiring is original, what kind is it? (EU? UK?)
Other observations?

Here are mine:

The oldest Astro in my collection is a chrome-base Crestworth. No Serial Number. Did they even use SN back then?
Base has rhombic "C" on plate and a sticker dating it to 9/1/91. Hadn't Granger already taken over Crestworth in 1991? Would THEY have introduced the globes with Crestworth markings and change the design of the base-plate (twice!) before changing the name to mathmos?
Yellow/green globe w/black plastic cap marked with a 3 and a triangle underneath, coil inside. Maybe got re-wired...?

190.575 - My oldest Mathmos Astro. The "standard" aluminium-grey finish with "astro - MATHMOS" plate. Red/blue filling, Crestworth globe, mesh inside. No "Spot"! EU plug.

206.283 - Standard, red/purple Crestworth globe, mesh, spot. EU plug.
245.794 - My very first lavalamp, bought (new) in 1996. Standard, orange/purple Crestworth globe, mesh, spot. EU plug.
257.374 - Standard, green/blue Crestworth globe, mesh, spot. EU plug.
308.535 - Standard, cream/turqoise Crestworth globe, mesh, spot. EU plug.
SN lost - Standard, orange/purple Crestworth globe, mesh, spot. New EU plug, maybe got re-wired...?

SN lost - New design, plastic feet insert, embossed "M Mathmos" sign on base, red print on cap, pink/blue Mathmos globe, coil. EU plug.

1.618.572 - (SN attached to cable!?) The youngest lamp in my collection. Newer Design, plastic feet insert, red print (3 lines) on base. Cream/pink Mathmos globe, coil. EU plug.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Dave on October 9, 2008 at 11:36am

erm just a mathmos astro, a atsro baby and two crestworth astro minis

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Permalink Reply by Purity! on October 9, 2008 at 11:56am

I have a copper crestworth astro, originally orange and something (too old and cloudy to tell) and currently orange/clear... at least until i finish refurbing it.

Base has Crestworth and the patent number on it, and the odd text T200degrees c (degrees is the symbol not text).

Serial number is A 219 447

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Permalink Reply by Novemberchild on October 11, 2008 at 9:54am

Cool thanks!

See, what I wish for to find out (tho it seems to be hopeless) is nothing less than complete facts about production runs and dates.
How many lamps were made of each generation?
When did the changes, also of details in one generation, occur?

Like, it seems(!) that sometime during production of the base with the embossed mathmos logo, they switched to the "raised feet". But can we really be sure of that? What if the few bases with embossed logo but old base-plate that I've seen are custom made? They wouldn't be rare items to hunt for a collection then, would they?

Dang, Mathmos are due to publish their successful history and that of their products, in every detail, in a coffee-table book for collectors.
It's being done for other collectible items (like phones, typewriters, stamps, etc.) - why not for our beloved lavalamps? They're almost 50 years old!