China Grande

[Bridget T]

So, assuming the stars align and I could find a mostly clear one, are they worth getting?  I would really like one of the bigger lamps, but I really don't like the flow in my smaller china lamps.

Should I just accept that I will have to goo kit it to get flow I like?

I'm loving having my 32s out and running on the weekends, and think a larger one would only add to the joy.

Opinions?

[Gwen Williams]

I have one that I love and one that I am less fond of, they are kinda hit or miss.  Your best bet is to look for a giant, same size, black base and cap. Far harder to find, but better quality

[Jennifer]

Hi. Well, grande and giant lavas seem to be my obsession. I am, by no means, an expert, but I can tell you of my own experience...
I have four giants and two grandes.
Believe it or not, one of my grandes has almost the same flow pattern as my favorite giant! It's a purple with yellow wax and I absolutely love it!!! The other grande I have flows more like a typical china lamp, but there is more room to roam in these larger styles, so even a china made globe has the potential to flow more than blob. Hope that makes sense.

Also, one of my giants was fairly cloudy when I first brought it home. It's been about two weeks or so and it flows nice and clear now. Then again,it's a giant and not a grande. Both my grandes were clear from the minute I plugged them in.

On a side note, I also have a grande blue glitter lamp. It's very slow moving, but I love it too!

[Mattmos]

I have four Grandes myself, and purchased all four between December and February from Ebay. Not one lamp was cloudy. I was told that you have a better chance of having a non-cloudy lamp, if shipped during the cold season. I will say this, you may want to stay away from Amazon when purchasing Grandes. I've heard/seen many people give Amazon bad feedback for cloudy lamps. Lamps so cloudy they are milky white.  

[Erin]

It's a crap shoot. I've had one Grande and it came cloudy. I'd say you have a 25% chance of getting a mostly-clear one. If you must have one, keep your eye on eBay - you'll see them for around $65 shipped sometimes from www-sonicelectronix-com - or direct_glow . GooKits are hit and miss for some of us, but generally they are liked by many people here. However. they haven't been for sale on eBay for awhile, so I don't know when they'll be selling them again. 

[Erin]

Oh, I have one Giant, too. Same Jennifer - came slightly hazy, but it's clearing with use. Giants are > Grandes, if you can find one (they're pretty rare).

[Bridget T]

I'd love to find a Giant, but until then am willing to settle with a grande.

I live in Texas, so I might be waiting until cooler weather to try and order one.  I may check out Spencers to see if they have any that were shipped in colder weather, who knows, I might get lucky.

[Jennifer]

Well, I may have just gotten lucky, but I found all of mine on Craig's List - except the glitter one ( that was direct glow). I know there are many many flakes to sift through before you find someone dependable, but I like being able to see pictures before I throw down that much money. I also like to see them in person before I decide if they are really worth it. I got my first one at the beginning of this summer, and the last two about three weeks ago, so I was able to get six giants and grandes each a different color combo within three months. In fact, there is a blue-yellow for $60 and a purple-yellow for $40 on my local CL right now. The purple-yellow belongs to a crazy person, but the blue-yellow guy seems mostly normal. :)

[Jennifer]

Oh! And one of my GIANTS was by far the least expensive of the lot! Keep your eyes open... Ya never know what might pop up:). Good luck!

[Bridget T]

I have a saved search on CL for lava lamps in general, but Houston doesn't seem to have a lot of them.  I might have to add surrounding college towns to get a better selection.

I will keep looking however, I might get lucky eventually.

[Alex Kilpatrick]

I got an email from the gookit people that they were on vacation, and would be back on eBay soon.

[David Valle]

Globe wise how much thicker is the Giants then the Grandes? I have a Grande and the glass sounds pretty thin to me. I'd like to go with a Giant globe if it's thicker.