What are the rarest lamps and fixtures that you regret not buying?

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Topic: What are the rarest lamps and fixtures that you regret not buying? (Read 1628 times)

HPS_250
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Long live the HPS and SOX!

What are the rarest lamps or fixtures that you regret not buying or have missed out on? For me, it’s a NOS Westinghouse Lifeguard H38HT-100 that I missed out on from eBay.

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I’ve always been interested in all kinds of lighting, mainly incandescent and HID, and especially all kinds of sodium lamps (HPS/LPS). I’ll tolerate LED but I’m not a fan of it.
I’m not proud to say that my city has Devolved to LED.

wide-lite 1000
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I've missed out on multiple different OV-20's on eBay .

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Collector,Hoarder,Pack-rat! Clear mercury Rules!!

fluorescent lover 40
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American Electric Model 13-000 on eBay

It was gone shortly before I got my Series 115.

« Last Edit: January 11, 2021, 12:13:44 AM by fluorescent lover 40 »

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HPS_250
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Long live the HPS and SOX!

Both of those fixtures are rare. I’ve been hoping to find an OV-20 as well, or pretty much any Westinghouse fixture.

Just curious, is the sold listing for that American Electric 13-000 still up? I don’t think I’ve ever seen one before.

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WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA
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HID, LPS, and preheat fluorescents forever!!!!!!

One rare lamp that I regret not buying is the recent GE H400A33-1/T16 lamp with the bonusline style packaging.

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Desire to collect various light bulbs (especially HID), control gear, and fixtures from around the world.

DISCLAIMER: THE EXPERIMENTS THAT I CONDUCT INVOLVING UNUSUAL LAMP/BALLAST COMBINATIONS SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED UNLESS YOU HAVE THE PROPER KNOWLEDGE. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INJURIES.

joseph_125
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Probably the few times a 400w medium pressure MV went up on eBay for a price that I could afford and ended up not getting. As for Restore stuff, the GTE Sylvania 400w T16 clear mercury lamp for $20 comes to mind.

That and the rest of the 175w and 250w 1960s clear GE Bonusline MVs from this lot that I left at the Restore. Of course they were gone the next time I went D'oh. At least I picked up one of each wattage.

The other was probably the one and only time I saw a 4ft louvered fixture at the Restore I decided not to get it. Been looking for another once since.

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rapidstart_12
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I honestly don’t run into rare lighting equipment all that often, I think it may have something to do with my area (lots of older people who hang onto stuff and thrift stores that refuse to take in certain items) and just the fact that I am so late in the game as far as collecting vintage lighting equipment goes (I only started collecting in 2021). That being said, there is one annoying story I can recall off the top of my head.

Back in November 2021, just months after I officially began collecting in the spring of that year, I went to a ReStore and found 4-5 GE 75R30 blue incandescent bulbs which I think might be from the 1970s or 80s. Despite the fact that I had the opportunity to purchase several of them, I only got one, which I still regret to this day because if something happens to that one example, I’m almost certain I won’t find another. I wish I had bought at least two.

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Laurens
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I just missed a Philips medium pressure MV lamp that was in a batch of incandescents. Someone was quicker than i was. Marcel?

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Michael
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There are currently two very rare well preserved fluorescent street lights with 5 tubes made by BAG Turgi on our local auction site which I’m not buying due to the very high price but someday I’ll regret it.

Here’s the link: https://www.ricardo.ch/de/a/1261938968

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Maxim
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Chandelier in an abandoned banquet hall

Back when I first joined this forum in 2023, there were about 10 OV-15s for sale as a lot, for $50 on Marketplace. Didn't know their value (and didn't want to ask my mom to drive me there) so they went to someone else.

Regarding ReStores, probably a 250w Philips-Westinghouse lamp that had a cracked base and was in the wrong sleeve. I wound up getting a Mexican LEDVANCE 250w because it looked newer.

ReStores also had a couple of very unique mercury floods at one point. I saw the line and passed on them. $5/each, I believe they were GE. As well as 2x2 and 2x4 LED drop-ceiling lights. They were GE and not the disposable flat panel type. Those were $5/each also, and were gone by my next visit.

Otherwise, I'd say I'm pretty lucky with my finds. I already have an OV-15, OV-25, a LM Unistyle 175 (thanks @Cfl3028 ), and now a McGraw-Edison Unidor 400 in MV, aka the rarest variant.

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Sometimes it just takes time and concerted effort to learn something new. Don't give up before you get there.

RRK
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Roman

A distributor in Almaty had some new 1kW Chinese purple metal halides. Interesting unusual long 3-electrode arctubes. I already got a lot of other lower wattages in color MH from them very cheap, but these were relatively expensive at ~$30-40 so I passed. But by the time I come to Almaty for the next time and decided I firmly need a couple, distributor unfortunately said all of their remaining MH stock was sold to someone and they no longer have any.

In a compensation though, later I found a rare blue BLV in 1kW in local classifieds in Astana. A bit beaten up, but still lighting up in pure blue at 10 amps!

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