Want to add another vintage lamp to my collection (Edit: No longer looking)

[Jonas Clark-Elliott]

I haven't been actively collecting for a while, for a good reason. Anything I find on eBay is over my budget or getting lots of bids. I just lost one of my dream lamps, a rainbow Glitter Graphics, to a sniper. I NEVER see anything truly vintage in the Seattle area; in shops and thrift stores, all I run into are knockoff Chinese "Peace Lamp" and wavy-globe types, lots of globeless 20oz. and 8oz. bases, and the very occasional (say, one every two years or so) red Century or Aristocrat priced around $125 or so. I'm not looking to hop back into active collecting, but several years with no vintage lamps is getting to me.

My one seeming break, last year, was at an estate sale; the Craigslist ad showed a squiggle music box which appeared to be the rare Century color yellow/blue-green. Got there, huge line, giving out numbers. Someone with an earlier number bought it for $35!! It was indeed a yellow/blue-green, and she said she collects lava lamps and listed several rare items she has. Gave her my contact info just to chat, and info about OG (she didn't know about the site), and never heard back. I'm quite certain I'll never locate a music box lamp I can afford, ever again.

What I'd really like is to add one more fairly good lamp to my collection. Something I can not just stand among my others, but put in its own spot. Trouble is, most of the ones I'm still after are worth far more than my budget. Does anyone have any of the following available, and if so, at what price? Any of the following Lava Lites, any color, as long as the lava flows and they're not terribly cloudy:

-- Consort or Capri lava

-- Astro Lava Lite (Consort with brass coil around base) traded mine a while ago and am missing it dearly

-- Savoy/Continental

-- Aladdins Lamp (These two, I'm sure I can't afford-- the Aladdin is for my mom, she wants one badly)

-- "Elegant" Enchantress (need not be 'mist') with or without planter

-- Continental (70s oval lamp)

Some glitters do interest me:

-- Confetti (flared base) GemLite, black/blue or black/pink

-- Brass small-globe Florence Art glitter lamp, any color (another that'd go to my mom!)

-- MasterCrafters single-tube brown plastic glitter clock ("Magic Lite")

-- Glitter Graphics rainbow-and-clouds

-- French glitter, trumpet-shaped base and spherical globe (empty globe or low liquid is fine)

My budget is typically under $80. I know all of these usually go for much more than that, but it can't hurt to ask.

[Jonas Clark-Elliott]

It sounds as though the answer is probably "no," but it couldn't hurt to ask. I don't really have duplicates of anything worth trading-- I'm sure nobody really is desperate for a Harley-Davidson Vandor lamp, or at least, not enough to offer much that's vintage.

[Knight]

Hey Jonas! I just posted an Enchantress on eBay that you might be interested in, but it also may be out of our preferred price range but i also have two other lamps up right now that may interest you. Give it a look! http://www.ebay.com/itm/181921925453?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&...

[Jonas Clark-Elliott]

It was, sadly, for now, but if it sticks around a while, maybe.

[andy ross]

Hi Jonas, please forgive me asking slightly off-topic?

It looks like one of you're the ranking experts on Fantasia Glitter Graphics, I've picked up a couple of (easy) ones recently, including a Poverty Sucks that is fresh as a daisy to look at, but has sadly only got half its fill...

("Poverty sort of half-sucks" doesn't quite play right...)

Do you know, please?, if it's possible to remove the bottle, and then top up the fluid?

(I'm in UK, but I think Kirk et al could send the necessary if it can be done...)

Hope you can help - will wait to hear, kind regards, Andy

[Jonas Clark-Elliott]

Andy, yes, ask Kirk. His "fast" formula is what you want, and you won't want to top it off, but rather empty and refill. Glitter too, I'd suggest, as sometimes the old glitter will lose its silvering one the lamp is put back into active use. The biggest glitter pieces he has will give you maximum sparkle. I cannot advise you on how to access the globe in a Glitter Graphics lamp, I only own one and I've never tried to take it apart, but it might be *glued* together.

Re: the main topic of the thread, I guess the answer is 'no.' Found one collector who had an Aladdin and Continental for trade and wanted some things I had; he just quit responding. There's a beautiful blue/green Consort near me for $50 on OfferUp; having no OfferUp buying history may be why the seller never responded to me. Found a Craigslist listing, also local, for "Lava lamp, Mathmos, does not work, $5," seller never responded, ad is still up.

It's December, I have some money to spend, but I cannot find a lamp.

[Jonas Clark-Elliott]

Update: Money no longer available. I am NOT looking for another lamp.