What made you start collecting?

[Rory]

Heya Gooheads! 

I wanted to start this thread to learn more about this community, to share my experiences, and hear more about those who found themselves collecting lava lamps. I'd be thrilled if you shared your story either by pming or by posting to this thread. 

I think I'm pretty young as collectors go. I started collecting last year when I was 20 years old. My sister and I attended the same college, and when I was an inexperienced freshman she gave me was a lava lamp she bought off eBay. She said it had helped her calm down in the midst of finals. I used it faithfully and it really helped during the most stressful times! Around this time last year my sister suddenly passed away from a ruptured brain aneurysm. She was 23 years old. Not two days after she died, the lamp she gave me broke. I was devastated, and determined to look for a way to repair it. I stumbled upon this website, and after reading through some of the forums and the lava library I was hooked. Now my collection is over 30 lamps, and every time I look at one I think of my sister. I'm very thankful for the OozingGoo, as it represents something my sister was very passionate about: communitas, or shared personal experiences with a community. 

Cheer,

Rory

[Mr Lava Lava]

Was looking for parts to restore my first lava lamp that had stopped flowing & had a hard piece of wax at the top that never remelted. Found a second hand lamp online that was different to anything I’d seen & found one on eBay that stated what it was & that it’s rare/collectable. Decided to try collecting these Australian Volcano (lava) Lamps & have been searching for them ever since.

[Keith]

As I've posted before:

The ever-changing interplay of motion and color.  The steady, patient rise to the top, a brief rest then back down for a rest at the bottom.  Light and glowing underneath with a shadow at the top, shading from dark to light, and light to dark.  Blobs meeting and separating, joining and departing, sharing the warmth of the moment with each other.  The ebb and flow of life displayed in a myriad of colors, shapes and sizes.

[Claude J]

I needed a new addiction to replace the old ones. :)

I joke, (halfway truth)

Was always looking for something that would give my creative talents a test, give me the endorphin kick I need to survive (when I acquired a new lamp), and keep me focused on a hobby that is something unique. 

Main hobby of garden railroad is on hold until a property is obtained to do the permanent setup.

It started out with a cheap  lava lamp that needed work. I found this website and discovered the infinite world of lava 

300+ lamps later ,..? (Damn,.. I discovered I'm a completest collector)

I'll probably have to own stock in the electric company, install solar/wind generation, and a couple sub-panels just to run them all at the same time when I move,..

[Adam]

Strictly speaking, I don't collect lava lamps specifically.  I collect mid-century modern, including space age lamps, artwork, and furniture, psychedelic motion lamps, and, of course, lava lamps.  The mid-century collection has kind of lent itself to a small side collection of lava lamps.  When it comes to the more recent models I consider myself to be more of an opportunistic collector.  If it's at a yard sale or flea market for a couple bucks, I'll get it.  I got my first lava lamp when I was a kid in the late 90s and started collecting MCM right out of high school.  I find a lava lamp's motion soothing, and I find the bright colors and futuristic look of the lava lamps and other MCM furnishings to be a reminder of, what I believe to be a more creative and, to some degree, a simpler time in our history even though there was crazy stuff happening then too.

[kero48]

I used to have lava lamps in the 90's. After that I had none until I went to my local flea market and found an older bob marley lava lamp. After that I got back into it, it's that simple.

I don't collect per say but I do have several now so I guess you can consider that a small collection lol. I am more found of glitter so the only lava lamp I have that I kept as lava is a very nice aristocrat that I use almost every day.

[Modulo '70]

My friend Paul back at he start of the millenium when he would show me this newish website he had discovered, dedicated to everything to do with the lava lamp. I was hooked immediately.

[Callum Carr]

I've always been interested in retro furniture and technology including old clocks and radios so I bought a lava lamp as I thought that it matched the era of my interest.

I bought my first lamp about two years ago which is a white Mathmos Jet. I properly started collecting by chance a couple of months later when I found a Crestworth Astro Nordic on Gumtree for £6! I didn't know much about it at the time but it sparked an interest in the history of the lamps. Two Years on, I have nearly 30 lamps! It's been a bit of an addiction for me to try to find the best deals on the rarest lamps although I have slowed down on buying them now. 

My Dad got into collecting shortly after me, as my purchases recaptured his interest although, he had already owned a couple of Mathmos lamps for a number of years. He's a member of the forum (Nick) and you might know of him as he bought a Crestworth Rocket/Princess a couple of months ago 

[Magnus Axelsson]

In the early 90:s I bought a Telstar and an extra bottle in a lampstore in my Town. There was a Lunar that was on and I thougt WOW I would like to have one some time when I can afford it. Later that store closed and I forgot about lavalamps I still had my Telstar... A couple of years ago my wife saw a Lunar for sale in Stockholm for a very reasonable price and she rememberd that I Always had wanted one so she bought it for me. It was cloudy but I fixed it and polished it and bought some extra bottles from Mathmos. I started looking after Lunars and have found and bought two more. I also have one Fluidium and some chinese lamp. I have also made some own lamps from scratch since I found we have Triclorethylene at my work :)