Dead Stock late 80’s Stand alone Complete set of 3 Fluorescent Series Lava lamps?

[Dustin Bargsley]

I know this is a lengthy post and for that I apologize, but I need help from all of you OG lava lamp Experts  I bought these a few days ago and I can’t find any information regarding this set. The seller that I bought them from claims that they are a stand alone set of 3 and that they only made them In the colors , green, blue, and orange.  They all have the ultraviolet reactive base and cap.  I thought they were part of the Elek-tric series but the seller claims that they are not. He holds that they are a stand alone set apart from the Elek-tric series and they were made in the late 80’s to early 90’s.  He said he worked for lava lite years ago before they sent manufacturing to China. He said these were all made in Chicago, IL USA.  He listed the green lamp as dead stock, new in the box never used old stock and the orange lamp as dead stock, new in the box and never used old stock.  The blue lamp has been used so it was listed as being used but in excellent condition, which it does appear to be.  I just simply don’t know enough about these lava lamps. If they truly are dead stock, that would mean that their value would skyrocket, right?  Dead stock means that it never went to market, or at least that’s what I always thought and new old stock means that it’s brand new and hasn’t been used but it was originally made a long time ago. If there is anyone that has any input, information, resources etc. please reply to this message. I just need to know exactly what I have here and what it could be worth. If you need any additional information about them in order to assist, just let me know and I’ll try to get what you need. Thanks a lot everyone!  

Also, I don’t know how to use the photo uploader on here very well so the pictures are all over the place, but they are there. Just scroll down below this text to see the pics of the lamps I’m asking about.  

[Keith]

Screw caps were used until 1993 on that size globe (32 oz).  So the sellers memory might be off about the date.  One way to tell is the bottle caps have a code stamped on them, you should be able to decipher the date from that.  If you want to post a picture of the caps we can help.

I'm not an expert on the elektric series but I thought that the flourescent ones were early in the series then they went to non-photo reactive paint.  But since the box says "Flourescent" that's what they are.

Either way these look like great examples of what Lava Lamp was putting out and should hold good value. 

[Keith]

Good info here on dating lamp globes, including reading cap codes

http://oozinggoo.ning.com/page/lamp-age

[Dustin Bargsley]

Keith,

thanks for taking the time to respond to my post.  I will definitely post pictures of the caps with codes soon. I would definitely like to know more about these. He advertised them as dead stock which never hit the market, so I may have trouble finding much more info other than what is stamped on the cap.  I will continue to research and check back here periodically for other posts about this.  If this is a “Complete Set” of a dead stock model, would that make them more valuable?

[Keith]

A complete set might be more valuable to the right buyer but finding that buyer might not happen.  Or someone looking for one specific lamp to complete their set might pay a premium price.

Dustin Bargsley said:

Keith,

thanks for taking the time to respond to my post.  I will definitely post pictures of the caps with codes soon. I would definitely like to know more about these. He advertised them as dead stock which never hit the market, so I may have trouble finding much more info other than what is stamped on the cap.  I will continue to research and check back here periodically for other posts about this.  If this is a “Complete Set” of a dead stock model, would that make them more valuable?

[Dustin Bargsley]

I see. That makes sense.  It would be tough for me to sell an individual lamp and break up the set, but like you said, money talks!  Haha.  They are really neat lamps regardless of what their actual resale value might be. I definitely think about the 90’s when I see them with those geometric shape style to the lamp and the neon colors. Nostalgia! Haha. Thanks for the info! 

[Blind Faith]

Fluorescent series was made at the very end of The U.S. era 2001-3

[Dustin Bargsley]

Thank you for your response Blind faith.  That kind of works with what the seller said. He said that they were the last lava lamps that he grabbed before manufacturing was sent overseas, but he stated that they were made in the late 80’s early 90’s. Maybe he was just off about when that actually occurred.  Do you know anything regarding whether the entire set was only these 3 colors?   Thank you!!

[Claude J]

Bases and caps available

[Jonas Clark-Elliott]

Screw caps began on 32ozes in 1992, so they're after that. The gold cap is not likely to be pre-China.