Lava Lite called me today!!! They plan on bringing back production to the USA :D

Caught me totally off guard but I spoke to a very nice guy, Asher. He was calling in response to one my e-mails I had sent them a few moths ago about how much I dislike their current product line. We spoke for about 20 minutes before he had to go. I thoroughly voiced my opinions on why I haven't bought a lava product since 2005. First thing I said was, you guys sold so many lamps in the 90s for a reason. He agreed and said they have plans to re-launch the Midnight, Silver Streak, Elek-trick, and Safari Series in 2013. He said he has been trying very hard to get production back to the USA since last year. He said things are looking good and hopefully they will begin production here in the first half of 2013.

I told him that myself and MANY OTHERS would gladly pay the $50 price for a premium product again. I also mentioned that they need to bring back more color combinations and give their customers more choices. He said he they are working on that again. They have plans to bring back MOST of the 90s product line I told him that its a shame I can't go into a store and buy a lava lamp that flows properly. He said the current (2012) China lamps can ALMOST match the USA ones. I said by no means will I ever buy one of those again and I buy from eBay. He begged me not to buy from eBay, and I said then you know what you guys need to do.

Finally, he asked me to send him pictures of what I'd like to see. I sent him pictures of all the 90s boxes I have (Midnight, Elek-trik, Lava Classics, Silver Streak, Midnight Centurues)

He offered to make me a 90s Enchantress with yellow liquid and red lava to prove they can still replicate the 90s formula. I said sure, but we'll see.

He also said that he was fired back in 2002 when production began overseas and was just recently hired back. Said he worked in the Chicago factory in the 70s, 80s, and 90s.

I'm taking all of this with a huge grain of salt but it means progress. Perhaps all of us unhappy lava collectors finally got through to them throughout the years. I sure hope so. I'll update this thread if I hear back from him.

PLEASE EVERYONE - E-MAIL THEM AND SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS!!! Perhaps next year we'll have a quality product again.

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Permalink Reply by Cowmatian on October 16, 2013 at 7:48pm

I'm starting to think production will never return (I'm still hoping though). I think that the only hope of new high quality lamps will be from mathmos, if they are ever available in the USA. I emailed lights.com (which currently carries the Telstar) as mathmos instructed me to when I emailed them about buying an astro in the USA. Lights.com told me that they might not ever get the astro, and if they did it wouldn't be available for a few months. I think mathmos would renew the publics interest in lava lamps (current lava lites aren't that nice to look at). I think if lava lite's heritage series would just have the bottles filled in the USA with their 90s formula, it would be a great way to get things back on track. I would like to see the whole thing be american made (how mathmos is fully made in the uk), but realistically I think it would be easier for them to ease back into USA manufacturing. The heritage series was just delayed, may be they are filling the bottles here. I'm really hoping but I doubt that's the reason.

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Permalink Reply by Rodrigo on October 16, 2013 at 7:55pm

I doubt the reason for the delay is USA filling, I read on that other threat about the heritage series that LL had sent someone to china to oversee the filling of the bottles.

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Permalink Reply by Cowmatian on October 16, 2013 at 8:10pm

Well, hopefully they will be nice. I still wish they wouldn't call them "heritage" lamps if they are being made anywhere but the US, lava lite's home country. What thread was that posted on? I couldn't find it, but I'd like to see more about the heritage series!