2010.06.18 Three Favorites

Here’s a picture of what are currently my three favorite lamps. I’ll detail them from left to right.

1. The Aladdin was sold to me by our very own Bohdan on eBay, May 15, 2010. It came with a red/clear globe but I chose to use a white/blue globe for the picture. As best as he knows the lamp was made in 1976. The white/blue globe was purchased on eBay with the Carlisle base pictured on the far right.
2. The Century pictured here is probably my favorite lamp of all. It was manufactured in September 1981. It has been featured before but it is simply one of my all time favorites. It’s brutally clear. I bought it from Galaxy_9 on January 11, 2010 in an eBay auction. Thanks for the lamp buddy!
3. The Carlisle base pictured here goes with the white/blue globe pictured on top of the Aladdin. It was manufactured in September 1976. I bought it on eBay from member ‘willowtree1990’ on June 15, 2010. I fell in love with this Carlisle when I first laid eyes on it. You might think the globe pictured with the Carlisle base has appeared in a couple of pics I have posted before. Not the case. The one I bought earlier was manufactured in February 1976. The globe pictured here is exactly the same color, mint/pale blue. It was manufactured in June 1974 and came with a Planter base I purchased from eBay member ‘sharkgal’. This globe is as clear as tap water and the flow is fantastic over a wide range of dimmer settings.

If your like the way the bases shine on these lamps I’ll tell you what I use. I am currently using Blue Magic metal polish cream. It can be purchased at some auto parts stores and I also think it can be found at Wal-Mart in some towns. I have also used Maas metal polish. I bought that at a Walgreen’s pharmacy. Both polishes work great, give a lasting shine with good protection from oxidation and won’t harm the original gold tone finish. There are two downsides to the Blue Magic. 1. The ingredients separate over time and have to be occasionally remixed with a Popsicle stick to regain the creamy texture. 2. It also has a rather strong chemical smell justifying its use in a well ventilated area.

I treat the electric cord and on/off switch with two products. I first use Meguiar’s #39 professional heavy duty vinyl cleaner. It’s removes embedded grime and dead rubber. I follow up with Megiuar’s #40 professional vinyl & rubber cleaner/conditioner. Finally, I wipe it dry with a paper towel. Don’t forget to run the cleaning rag in the grooves of the zip cord. A lot of trash accumulates in that area. The rubber appears to be a bit more supple after treating it in this way. I think that over the years it will prevent your having to replace the cord.

The globe glass is cleaned with a product called Bio-Clean. It’s a blue paste with a bit of abrasive in it. It cleans off most anything on the glass, giving it a nice sparkling finish. It’s typically used to clean scummy shower glass. The other thing it does is remove the sharp edges of any scratches that may be in the glass from abuse. That helps to hide the scratches. The glass is very smooth and clean when you are done. It rinses clean with tap water and doesn’t have an offensive smell. After rinsing and drying the globe I use a good glass cleaner with a microfiber towel to pick up anything the water rinse may have left behind. Make sure not to get the Bio-Clean on a screw top since it can remove the gold finish. I simply use a rag with mild soap and water to clean screw top caps. Try your best to avoid getting water under the cap since there is most likely a round self-adhesive sticker in there that has the date and model info for your globe/base. Also, it’s not a good idea to remove the cap. That would only serve to introduce evaporation of the liquid, and ruin its vintage authenticity. Contact crlaurence at 800-421-6144 to find the product locally if you wish to use it.

Hope you enjoyed the picture and info!!

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Comment by LavaMeister on June 21, 2010 at 8:07am: Hi Alpha Centauri:
Thanks for the thumbs up! Folks should take a look at your goodies as well. I don't see any junk in your collection. LOL!

Comment by LavaMeister on June 21, 2010 at 8:05am: Hi Blind Faith:
If the economy keeps going downhill nothing is going to have any value except precious metals, food and guns. I have a small collection of about a dozen lamps. I'm very particular about what I get. I just can't tolerate a cloudy lamp. If you have some you don't particularly care for I'd say sell them. There are so many newbies out there that would love to have anything vintage to get their collection started. I think the good we do for others comes back to us.

Comment by LavaMeister on June 21, 2010 at 7:58am: Hi Jonas:
I'm honored that you would like my pic enough to save it. I did put some time into catching the right flow to make it a memorable pic. You just have to be patient and take a whole lot of pics to choose from. The Enchantress pictured to the left is one of two that I bought in 1987. It would look great with these lamps but I'm a bit shy about putting it on display right now. One of the two was trashed in an accident. They were my first lamps and I'll have to wait until there is a safe place to put them all out. I'd really be heartbroken if my last original lamp got messed up. I'm keeping my eyes open but money is tight right now. I still haven't found a job yet and the payment on my Mustang is a monster to keep up with. In due time I'll have what I want.

Comment by Modulo '70 on June 21, 2010 at 5:35am: Really, really nice!

Comment by Jonas Clark-Elliott on June 21, 2010 at 12:21am: Beautiful. I'm saving this photo. If you had to add to it, I'd say an Aristocrat, an Enchantress and (when you find one) a Saturna, in the same color combo. Maybe a Consort...? The Aladdin 500, Saturns 400 and Carlisle 300 were shown on only one catalog page I have seen, all together in a group.

Comment by LavaMeister on June 19, 2010 at 6:51pm: Thanks Blind Faith. I took around 60 photos and looked at them all before I settled in on this one. It's hard to catch all three lamps doing something interesting at the same time. I had a great still of the Aladdin in one photo but the other two lamps just weren't behaving for me. This was the best photo of them all after weighing the options.

Comment by Susan on June 19, 2010 at 11:53am: Brilliant right-up too, very interesting :)

Comment by LavaMeister on June 19, 2010 at 11:11am: Appreciate it Bohdan. Thanks for taking such good care of your collection so that we can all benefit from your generosity. You have offered some truly striking lamps on eBay. I know it hasn't been easy to part with some of them. You can bet the Aladdin won't be sold again as long as I am alive. Take care my friend!

Comment by LavaMeister on June 19, 2010 at 10:32am: Appreciate your noticing the pic LampHead. Is it possible to have too many gorgeous lamps? NOT!! Here's to wishing you well on your search for the perfect lamps.

Comment by LavaMeister on June 19, 2010 at 10:29am: Thanks for the comments Susan. The Aladdin is relatively rare, especially in excellent condition. It was at the top of my list of lamps that I must have. I'm still looking for a Saturna, the one that has the UFO shaped base. After that I'll look for a vintage Aristocrat, probably a black/gold squiggle. I'm such a lamp snob. LOL! I just love a beautiful, classic, clear lamp!