Coachlite question

[Christy]

Hello all,

I have a question for you.  I have two American versions of the Coachlite.  One is the copper colored one with the "fill plug" on the right with red lava.  The other one is the golden colored one with the greenish blue lava.  I haven't seen many in that color.

Which one would be worth the most?  I am contemplating selling one of them, but I want to keep the rarer of the two.

I've attached photos, but the one of the red lamp isn't very good and it's not flowing, but it flows marvelously once it's warm.

Thank you in advance for any replies!

Christy

[Gwen Williams]

Your red one is first or 2nd generation your blue one is 3rd generation since it doesn't have the fill cap.  I would keep the red one myself.  If you do offer one for sale consider putting it here first, I am sure it can be guaranteed a good home.

[Christy]

Thank you both for your responses.  I kind of thought the red one was the rarer of the two, but I really like the color of the blue-green one, too, because it's pretty for one, and because you don't see it very often! =) 

I will definitely list the blue one on here if I decide to part with it.  I am SO sick of idiots on eBay!! >:-/

[Christy]

Yes, I did know that.  I've done that in the past.  =)

[Christy]

I have a Consort with red lava that I will be selling, too... =)

[Mr MaGoo]

First dibbs on the consort pls if that sale comes to happen Christy. :)
If you choose to sell consort, just message me Christy, that is of course, no one else was given first dibbs. Thanks so much!

[lava luva ~ Tiffany]

id be interested in the blue/green coachlite if your going to part with it and no one else has already laid clame :)

[Jonas Clark-Elliott]

Definitely head that Consort over to Mr. MaGoo, he loves 'em. Not that I blame him.

Might be repeating what others have said, but I'll weigh in anyway: The first Lava Coach Lanterns sold in the US, what we call Gen. 1, were very likely made by Crestworth in the UK, as they're identical to a Crestworth Astro Lantern; the handle is in three pieces, sides screw into the base and top folds. They've got that cap where you add imaginary kerosene. Gleaming, mirror-polished anodized copper finish (no one but Crestworth did the bright copper so well). We suspect the metalwork was done in the UK and shipped here, then finished with USA electricals and a Lava Lite globe. These are mucho rare, and absolutely gorgeous.

Gen. 2 was, I suspect, Lava's attempt to copy the Crestworth lantern. The cap was spun out of one, not two, pieces; the cap and base resemble Gen. 3 except for having a fill cap. The handle arrangement is very similar to Gen. 1. Finish on these was a pale copper lacquer over aluminum, which (like Century bases of that time, lacquered gold over aluminum) tended to fade to silver. The handle was a very red copper finish. Gen. 2a has an all-over red copper finish.

Gen. 3 is your blue-green one, made from the mid-1970s until 1990 or 91. In the 70s, this came in red/clear, orange/yellow (really red/yellow) and green/blue (which was slowly being altered to cream/blue). In the early 80s, colors switched to "red/yellow" (what they'd been calling orange/yellow) and "white/blue) (what they'd been calling green/blue) but the Coachlite was the only lamp to retail red/clear - and from then on, that's the ONLY color it came in. About a year before it was discontinued, they added white/blue to its list.

Yours is probably a 70s green/blue, an uncommon color in Coaches, as is white/blue. As both colors were similar, only way to tell is to tilt the globe (when cold), look up inside the cap, and check the date sticker. Your Gen. 1 may or may not be dated the same way. Your Gen. 3 might also be stamped on the felt bottom; some had a date, others had only "Model 6000."

[Christy]

Thank you SO much for this info, Jonas! =)

[Gwen Williams]

Gen 3 since it has no fill cap

[tweavs]

So will someone look at these three and tell me what Gen.

 

[Gwen Williams]

a Gen 3 and two Gen 2's, though the one to the left may be hiding it's fill plug

[Gwen Williams]

my mistake, it does not show well in the shine for my screen, it is most likely a Gen 1 then since it has the bright copper without the fade to silver. Or since you have a ton of Mathmos, it is a Mathmos whom I believe only had one generation.