Lava Q&A - A fun thread :)

[Erin]

Since the forums are a little slow lately, I thought I'd have some fun with some lava Q&A. Feel free to answer any and all questions! Remember, this is to be a *fun* thread!

1. What's your all-time favorite, must-have lamp? And, do you own one?

2. What's "the one that got away"? You know, that really awesome lamp you forgot to bid on on eBay (or got outbid *on*), or something you passed over at a garage sale that you're kicking yourself now for not buying.

3. Favorite lava lamp base? Least favorite?

4. Favorite color combo?

5. Every break one of your favorite lamps? Ever sell one you regret selling?

6. What's the most you've paid for a lamp (shipping included)?

7. If you could steal anyone here's lamp collection, whose would you snag?

8. What determines a lamp collector vs. lamp hoarder?

Feel free to add questions of your own! :)

[Erin]

Excellent additional questions Blind Faith! So cool to read your answers. :) Here's my answers:

1. What's your all-time favorite, must-have lamp? And, do you own one?
-- Consort or one of those wall-mounted glitter/lavas. And no, do not own.

2. What's "the one that got away"? You know, that really awesome lamp you forgot to bid on on eBay (or got outbid *on*), or something you passed over at a garage sale that you're kicking yourself now for not buying.
-- Hmm, a 70s Fantasia glitter lamp in excellent shape. Sold by a member here on eBay.

3. Favorite lava lamp base? Least favorite?
-- Favorite: Carlisle. Least: Icon series, animal print series, resins.

4. Favorite color combo?
-- I have a sneaking suspicion it would be a red/white, but I don't own one yet. So of the ones I own, orange/white.

5. Every break one of your favorite lamps? Ever sell one you regret selling?
-- Not yet. Not sold anything.

6. What's the most you've paid for a lamp (shipping included)?
-- $112 - French glitter (most of the cost was the shipping).

7. If you could steal anyone here's lamp collection, whose would you snag?
-- Wizard of Ooze - he has some awesome glitter lamps.

8. What determines a lamp collector vs. lamp hoarder?
-- I agree with your answer, Blind Faith! Hoarder = buys every lamp in sight.

9. What got you started or your passion?
-- Oddly, nothing. One day I just thought "I want a lava lamp". As soon as I got my first one, I quickly got many more. It was really just a wild hair up my butt thing that has turned into a full-blown hobby/collection.

10. What's a lamp that you always dreamed of finding thirfting or on eBay?
-- Vintage glitter of just about any kind. Or a Consort. Or an Empress.

11. What's your rarest lamp either by finding on eBay or a lamp that never got produced commercially?
-- I don't think I have anything too rare. Rarest for me is my French glitter(s). I've only been collecting for four months!

[Autumn]

1. Tie. blue/yellow giant or a clear blue base pyramid with a red/blue globe I have a giant in the mail but I dont have a pyramid in that color combo.

2. I saw a 32oz purple glitter globe for $2 at a flea market and didnt pick it up because at the time I thought "glitters are dumb".

3. Midnight century. Royal.

4. Blue/yellow

5. No. No.

6. $190 for my kenny prototype

7. Whoever has an imperial.

8. Hoarders buy anything, even if its trash.

[Diin]

well, here goes. this should be fun :) haha

1. What's your all-time favorite, must-have lamp? And, do you own one?
- my all time favorite lamp is the Aristocrat Decorator or the music box lamp, no i do not

2. What's "the one that got away"? You know, that really awesome lamp you forgot to bid on on eBay (or got outbid *on*), or something you passed over at a garage sale that you're kicking yourself now for not buying.
- the one that got away was a consort, pretty much mint condition

3. Favorite lava lamp base? Least favorite?
- my favorite bases are the icon series, swirls, planters, wizard, and coach lantern. least favorite plain silver.

4. Favorite color combo?
- this is a tough one to decide.blue/green, purple/yellow or white.

5. Every break one of your favorite lamps? Ever sell one you regret selling?
- havent broken any, havent sold any

6. What's the most you've paid for a lamp (shipping included)?
- 110 US

7. If you could steal anyone here's lamp collection, whose would you snag?
- i wouldnt steal anyones collection. just a few lamps. like Bohdan or Lamphead :P

8. What determines a lamp collector vs. lamp hoarder
lamp hoarder will go out of their way to get every single lamp, whether the quality is shitty or not. a collector will inspect the lamps before he/she buys

[Jonas Clark-Elliott]

1. Must-have? There are a few I'm determined to find: Imperial, Continental/Savoy, triple-globe Florence Art, French sphere glitter with flared base.

2. Hmm. A guy in a Seattle shop once told me he saw a "big lava lamp" in a thrift store over on the coast. His description matched the Imperial. I was 14. I got my family to drive me over there, a good two-hour trip each way. The shop was closed for the next week - still full of stuff - while the owners went on vacation. I didn't write down a store name or get a phone number. I wish I had.

3. Favorite lamp base? It varies. The Mediterranean is super-cool, as is the Astro with its spiral band. Least favorite? Modern resins. All of them. I like it when the base, whether simple or elaborate, is decorated or designed to aid in its fitting in with decor. The resins seem to separate them clearly: "Here you have a Lava Lite. Here you have the grim reaper. No relation." The icons are my one exception, as they're ceramic and remind me of the nifty bong bases. I think they do help them fit a decor.

4. I like white/blue, especially in a gold Aristocrat. That's the lamp I take on trips to decorate my hotel room.

5. Never broken a lamp. I regret trading my Astro (Lava Lite, spiral band on base, new owner shined it all up beautifully), but I do love the lamp I got in exchange, a copper Crestworth Astro with box.

6. I once paid $125 for a 1966 white squiggle Aristocrat w/ squiggle cap, with box and instructions. The instructions were my first introduction to an awesome idea (wait, "cordless, non-electric model"?? I had SEEN the lamp in a brochure scan Lava sent me years before, but that had no description). The date 12-25-66 was handwritten on the instructions.

7. A few lamps from Craig, a few from Bryin, a few from Wizard of Ooze. WoO has a mind-blowing collection of awesome 50s and 60s mod items, and Bryin has more of the same but in a different direction.

8. I'm a collector. I buy what I like. If I bought every lamp I found that was affordable, I'd have about 50 Chinese junk Lava Lites from thrift stores.

9. If you could put any vintage lamp in any places into any sort of vintage 60s or 70s business - club, restaurant, theater, model, etc. - what would you put, where? Here's my dream scenario:

1960s music/supper club. Red/clear Imperial in the tall, narrow window by the door. You walk in, and there's a red/clear Executive on the hostess stand. Two Centuries stand on tables by the restrooms - orange/yellow by womens, green/blue by mens. Stairs lead down, and there's a red/clear Princess at the landing. Downstairs, every table has a Continental, in mixed colors. Every lower level booth has either a Consort or a Princess, alternating, various colors. Upper booths have the same, but Regency (metal cap) and Empress. On stage is a green/blue Imperial. No set "lava theme", they're just incidentally all there as part of the decor.

10. What's the most oddball or bizarre lamp you have, that was actually made that way? I have a French oval glitter, most of you probably know the type, oval case with a tall oval 'window' in each side to show the bottle... except this one has a case made of sturdy glazed ceramic. The clay itself seems to be dark green (or underglazed green) since the glaze hasn't covered in a few spots, exposing rough green clay. The glaze itself is a spotty, mottled forest green, with swirls of very dark green and lots of blotches of a milky, dark celadon color. It looks, honestly, like moss and pond scum. Glitter is thin shreds, clear liquid, multicolors painted under bottle. Foam pad strips glued to the inside surface, unscrew two long screws on the sides and first the unit bottom plate/light socket/bottle supports slide out the bottom, followed by the bottle.

[Ford Prefect - NPNG]

1. What's your all-time favorite, must-have lamp? And, do you own one?

- Realistically, Lunars, and yes, i have two!
- Unrealistically - a Princess *sigh* like thats ever going to happen!

2. What's "the one that got away"? You know, that really awesome lamp you forgot to bid on on eBay (or got outbid *on*), or something you passed over at a garage sale that you're kicking yourself now for not buying.

- There was a Russian glitter that was called a 'cosmos' it was in really bad condition but the design was so cool. It went for a snip and i was well prepared to bid more but i was at work and missed the ending of the sale! I even emailed the buyer (in the days before everything went private) and said if he ever wanted to sell then i would have it!
Here is a pic of a lava restored version (not the one i bid on)
http://oozinggoo.ning.com/photo/1566398:Photo:32345?context=user and i am insanely jealous! of Galaxy 9. If anyone knows of this lamp, PLEASE let me know!

3. Favorite lava lamp base? Least favorite?

- Favourite - 'Jet' style. sleek and retro. also love the Lunar, but the clean lines of the jet do it for me.
- Least favourite are the astro/astro baby type. they are fine, just a bit commonplace. I do have some astrobabies but i prefer telstars for those bottles.

4. Favorite color combo?
- practically anything with clear liquid, or coloured liquid with white wax. i love blue, orange and red the most. Least favourite is green

5. Every break one of your favorite lamps? Ever sell one you regret selling?
- Not yet! (to both questions)

6. What's the most you've paid for a lamp (shipping included)?
- £450 plus about £50 in petrol. for my second Lunar. the first one needed a friend! If i had lots of money I would pay alot of money for the right lamp

7. If you could steal anyone here's lamp collection, whose would you snag?
- Bohdan's obviously!! also would like to snag that Cosmos i mentioned earlier ;)

8. What determines a lamp collector vs. lamp hoarder?
- for me, i think a collector obtains the best examples of a design they can. they tend to collect a particular make, or will for example only collect vintage lamps etc.
- a horder would maybe tend to buy whatever came along, as opposed to having a strict set of standards, but thats just a generalisation!

Great questions! sorry for rambling on :)

[Ford Prefect - NPNG]

oops, forgot to add:-

9. What got you started or your passion?
- bought a jet that was faulty, found this site and saw all the wonderful lamps people have! i've always loved lava but finding a group of people who share your interest really helps (or makes it worse!) from then on i was consumed with lava envy!

10. What's a lamp that you always dreamed of finding thirfting or on eBay?
- well if i'm going to dream.... a Mathmos Giant or Fireball

11. What's your rarest lamp either by finding on eBay or a lamp that never got produced commercially?
- picked up a cute little french(?) lamp on ebay. simple design, kind of like a jet. not very much money. have been shown a picture of one in the same range but not seen one for sale before or since. I love the shape and would never sell it. is one of only two lamps i own that isnt a mathmos! I changed the liquid as it was like milk, but it is the original wax.
http://oozinggoo.ning.com/photo/1566398:Photo:52953?context=user

[Erin]

I love this thread! Great answers everyone!

[Jonas Clark-Elliott]

To Lucy's no. 9:

I saw 'em in movies, on TV, and in stores. I was a pipe collector first, and at maybe age 7 or 8, I went into the local mall's Tinder Box tobacconist (back when Tinder Box stores had an "Olde English" decor, dimly lit with hanging lamps with dark ruby student lamp shades) to stare at their antique pipes in the glass case, and on top of the corner case there was always a pair of Midnights or Enchantresses - I forget which - one red/yellow, one white/blue. Eventually in 1989 I begged my mother to buy me one, and at Joker's Wild (a Spender Gifts-like store in Bellevue Square, Bellevue, WA - we didn't have Spencer Gifts in Washington until the early 90s) she bought me a red/yellow Enchantress. I found a murky, cloudy, scummy Century at an antiques show for $15 a few months later, picked up the Coach Lantern I fawned over from the side of the Enchantress box as soon as I saw one for sale, bought a white/blue Midnight from Wireless (a catalog for fans of vintage radio) and a red/yellow Aristocrat from BEST (formerly Jafco, similar to Service Merchandise), and by 1991 I had five lamps, and had sent away to Lava-Simplex Internationale for a catalog (saw my first one in a Bellevue games shop in 1990 and copied down the address) and, by '92, had been sent photocopies of 1960s and 1970s catalogs by Haggerty. And off I went. I was drawing my own ideas of catalogs right from 1988 or 1989.

To Lucy's no. 11:
It'd have to be a Princess (wall sconce lamp). As a little kid, I often visited antiques shops in Seattle. I got to know the owners of one, though I never really bought anything there. I did find my first (new, in 1990) Coach Lantern at a shop next door. Around 1992, finding out about my interest in lava lamps (and I had just seen a 1966-67 Lava catalog in photocopy form) the owners told me they bought a pair of wall sconces - Princess model - at an auction in the 70s. I told them I was interested if they ever decided to sell them. Eventually, wife started bugging husband to sell one, and he finally did - I forget the price, but it was about $100. If I ever get the other of this pair, better believe you'll hear from me in the forums! The lamp is red/clear and flows beautifully.

[Bigtex63]

1. What's your all-time favorite, must-have lamp? And, do you own one? I would love to have an imperial

2. What's "the one that got away"? You know, that really awesome lamp you forgot to bid on on eBay (or got outbid *on*), or something you passed over at a garage sale that you're kicking yourself now for not buying. A giant in a thrift shop for $20.00. The base was beat-up, but could have been straightened

3. Favorite lava lamp base? Least favorite? Century is the favorite. Least favorite is the Alladin, it looks like an afterthought

4. Favorite color combo? It varies, but overall probably a red/clear

5. Every break one of your favorite lamps? Ever sell one you regret selling? I broke the first lamp I had as a kid, I was not happy. I have never sold one, but I have given a few away to relatives. No regrets

6. What's the most you've paid for a lamp (shipping included)? $43 including tax (no shipping)

7. If you could steal anyone here's lamp collection, whose would you snag? Who's got an imperial?

8. What determines a lamp collector vs. lamp hoarder? A lamp hoarder would by a $10 lamp for $50 just to keep someone else from getting it. A lamp collector would sell extra lamps cheap just to raise cash for that one special lamp.

. What got you started or your passion? After having just one lamp for several years I found a couple at thrift stores and the bug bit hard ;)

10. What's a lamp that you always dreamed of finding thirfting or on eBay? Red/clear colossus

11. What's your rarest lamp either by finding on eBay or a lamp that never got produced commercially? Enchantress planter at a thrift shop

[Erin]

^ Great answers! Thanks for sharing.

[storm98]

1. What's your all-time favorite, must-have lamp? And, do you own one?
-- I don't have a favorite lamp but I would say my favorite style is the Century.

2. What's "the one that got away"? You know, that really awesome lamp you forgot to bid on on eBay (or got outbid *on*), or something you passed over at a garage sale that you're kicking yourself now for not buying.
-- There was a green/white swirl on eBay several months ago. I had it loaded in IE and got distracted reading another site.

3. Favorite lava lamp base? Least favorite?
-- The Century is my favorite. Least favorite is a toss between royal/aristocrat and icons.
4. Favorite color combo?
-- Vintage clear/red. Best red color ever.

5. Every break one of your favorite lamps? Ever sell one you regret selling?
-- I swapped the fluid from a clear/blue Century to a cloudy red vintage Century to see if the lava worked. The red lava worked but stained the water a light red. Ended up re-filling the clear/blue with 2 32oz's.

6. What's the most you've paid for a lamp (shipping included)?
-- $102.51 was the final auction price. Shipping maybe $10-15 more?

7. If you could steal anyone here's lamp collection, whose would you snag?
-- Dr. What, LampHead, and Chow have awesome Centuries I wouldnt mind owning!

8. What determines a lamp collector vs. lamp hoarder?
-- IMO, a collector knows what they want, waits for the right one to pop up, and will pay good money for it. A hoarder buys any and everything regardless of its condition.

9. What got you started or your passion?
-- Always wanted one, just never got into collecting them until a couple years ago.

10. What's a lamp that you always dreamed of finding thirfting or on eBay?
-- I'd love to add green/white and red/white gold Centuries to my collection. Hell, I'd love to just be able to find a Century in good condition while thrifting. I have only gotten one lamp locally from Craigslist, they are not easy to find here in Minnesota.
11. What's your rarest lamp either by finding on eBay or a lamp that never got produced commercially?
-- Chocolate snake skin