mathmos telstar now available in the u.s.

[Arne]

on facebook it sais they are now in stock and shipping. the first 500 will have some sort of numbered certificate.

[Erin]

At $140 a pop, I don't think many of us are interested. :( I think Mathmos has been too little too late, sadly. 

I wish them luck though. 

[Mattmos]

It is sad!! Way too late putting lamps on their US website and somewhat expensive.  
 
Erin said:

At $140 a pop, I don't think many of us are interested. :( I think Mathmos has been too little too late, sadly. 

I wish them luck though. 

[Jim]

Agree - way too expensive.  If its going to be a limited edition, make it truly memorable for that price.  Paying a $30+ premium for a piece of paper?  Its insulting.

[Metallica Man Trevor]

What has taken them so long??? Is it the formula? I know lava had to change the old stuff smelled like kerosine, and the few mathmos lamps I have from the uk smell like jet fuel. Or was it something else? Or just plain laziness? I'm sure it's been talked about

[Tim Gill]

Its not the formular - allthough this has probably changed to make it safer as a key ingreadent in lamps is parafanted wax (hense the oil smell).

I don't really know what has taken them so long - mabie there was a lode of issues with importation documents / leagle issues, sorting out logistics etc.

Also they will have to change and redesign the electronics so they can work in the US - this was probably a factor.

What is the real issue is that they are not importing them in bulk and setting up decent distrobution networks - this is costing more for importation and they are taking the p***** by pushing this cost onto the buyers - this is somthing Mathmos should pay / sort out.

I understand that the cost would be higher at the start beceuse of the convershion rate between pounds to dollers but as its established this could be redused.

At the end of the day Mathmos is really not making things easy for itself - this is just one example.

Metallica man said:

What has taken them so long??? Is it the formula? I know lava had to change the old stuff smelled like kerosine, and the few mathmos lamps I have from the uk smell like jet fuel. Or was it something else? Or just plain laziness? I'm sure it's been talked about

[Erin]

I've watched their marketing efforts over the past year both in the UK and the US. Their US "presence" (if you can even call it that) is HORRIBLE. And their overall... anything... has been very weak. I'm wondering if something is going on, or if they're on the verge of going under. They aren't stocking anything at Electric Planet, or not nearly as much. They never post anything on Facebook. Whenever I wrote them, I could not get a response. All these things combined with a VERY very very late release date in the US (remember, it was promised over a year ago?) leaves many of us uninterested. 

[Aladdin 2 Lava]

They have always been expensive...you pay for what you get..all good things come in time...;)

[Erin]

I am definitely not arguing with the quality of their lamps. I know they're stellar. I'm just far less enthused about their US presence than I was a year ago. 

[Autumn]

Mathmos is struggling to stay in business. Almost no local retail place carries them in the UK. It took almost an extra year just to get one lamp in the USA that costs more than importing the lamp yourself. They have started selling cheap LED stuff made in China to try to support their line of lava lamps, but they charge way too much for it. Charging almost $100 for a an LED lantern or an LED jelly mold for over $40 is fucking insane. That is the kind of stuff you see at novelty light stores for under $40. A lot of the stuff they have made in China that is sold to stores goes directly from China to the store while Mathmos is simply the importer so there is no excuse for their prices. The same is true with Lava Lite's stuff; it comes directly from China. If Mathmos is to survive they need to lower their costs, automate, and rework their entire business model. As it is I don't see Mathmos being here in 2022.

[Jim]

I agree to an extant Aladdin, and I'm more than willing to pay more for a high quality lamp.  If I could run to Spencer's and buy a NIB US made Century for $89 I would.  Hell - we used to pay $55 - $60 for a 32 ounce Silver Streak/Midnight when they were made in the states.

The problem I have is how they priced that Telstar for the US.  $140.  Now run the UK Telstar price through a pounds to dollars converter and you will see the issue.  The US Telstar costs more than $30 more than the UK Telstar.  The only details we have been provided is that its a limited edition and you will get a certificate.  A $30 piece of paper?  Now give me a truly special edition - shout out to the US space program/NASA, anodized in red/white/blue, offer a one of a kind color combo, etc - then I am all over it.

Oh, and on Lamp Lust's site, $140 seems to be a sale price.  They list the original price of the Telstar as $159.

As of 8/22/2012 at 1:30pm CST, a 69 pound Telstar converts to a US price of $109.28. 

Aladdin 2 Lava said:

They have always been expensive...you pay for what you get..all good things come in time...;)

[Aladdin 2 Lava]

£57 for an Astrolamp...thats about half a working mans take home weekly wages here in the yUK...thats no cheap piece of meat....just trying to give a comparison...:)

[Jim]

I hear ya, but based on the Telstar, I sense we would see a price of $125 in the US for that.  I would prefer to purchase the lamp for the price you do ($90.52 USD), not at a premium without much rhyme or reason.

Aladdin 2 Lava said:

£57 for an Astrolamp...thats about half a working mans take home weekly wages here in the yUK...thats no cheap piece of meat....just trying to give a comparison...:)