Does anybody collect street lights, both older 1940's to current production?

Well, I'd like to but I can't. Because they are hard to find other than on eBay and they're ridiculously expensive there.

But yeah, there are some street lights I'd like to have for my collection. I'd like a radial wave, gumball, GE Powr/Bracket and a few cobra heads. But for now, I just have a GE 201SA with 175 watt MV. Plus my parents wouldn't be happy about me getting more, since they're so big. But one day I'd like to have a place with poles in the yard to put streetlights on.

It's a good hobby that takes a while to get your collection going but once you do, it is rewarding and very satisfying. You must remember that some of these lights are over 80/100 years old and  scarce. The mercury vapors are getting more difficult to find as well. A few years and they will be priced higher.

Have you ever thought about collecting the "junior" gumballs that are about half the size of the standard luminaries? Take up much less space and are incandescent.

The junior's like the LM Spherolite Jr. were produced at the time the radials were going out of favor (early 60's). GE, Westinghouse, LM, Joslyn, all made them for a short time until the full sized NEMA's took over and allowed for a higher wattage lamp. Some of the LM juniors had latched refractors so a lamp could be changed without taking the globe assembly loose and sometimes even from the ground.
When my dad's power company replaced the radials that had the 90 degree galvanized arm, they simply sawed the 90 degree bend off and placed the junior or NEMA onto that arm instead of replacing it. Straight pole mount arms were very common where I lived in the 50's-60's.

I did get a GE Evolve ERL1 last year. Good thing I found it on the ground when the pole got knocked down. I got the offer for a GE streetlight but turned it down due to lack of space (don't worry, it's still there).

They do take up a lot of space. I am trying to put my collection together by building a small building to house it but the rain has been hindering me for three months. The GE evolves are nice fixtures.

Steve

Not a lot, because of the space:

Two American Electric HPS and an old GE mercury cobrahead, A Jersey induction light, Line materials gumball, American electric low pressure sodium, Westinghouse OV-20, Kyro 1, and a Durastar 2000.

They can get in the way sometimes but what a hobby. Takes time to get some things you want but they eventually come around when you least expect it. The "junior" gumballs sell like hotcakes and are much less in size. Good luck!!!

I only have a 2 HPS cobraheads, & a eBay LED fixture.

Would be nice to have more, but they're hard to come by, and I don't have much space available.

Check on Craigslist in your area. You might be surprised what comes available. What area are you in?

Steve

Only streetlight on found on craigslist (checked today) is a 200w HPS AEL 125 with arm (a real streetlight one) for $100. Is that a good price?

Is it the original Model 25 style and not the newer? Is the arm aluminum or galvanized metal and what is the length? Flat or deep bowl style glass?

Steve

I have an ITT Model 13 in 150 watt HPS and an AEL 115 in 100 watt mercury Vapor.

Those are great luminaires. My dad was a purchasing agent for the electric co-op in our town and he purchased some from American Electric when they were headquartered and made in Southhaven, Ms.
Now, that building is just a distribution warehouse for A/E. The old style (early-mid sixties) 8000-2 A/E controllers were larger and heavy duty with a round window. Difficult to find but you add one on the top of your 113 and 115, it looks fantastic! 

There are quite a few AE model 25s still going here, some HPS and some MV. They're probably my favorite AE cobra head. We even have two early 60s AE 15-000 cobra heads still in use too. They look like a model 25 but rounded.

I remember when they first came out in the early 60's. They were cool.....And that American Electric model 8000-2 photocontrol was the icing on the cake.

It's the newer style, the arm is galvanized steel, is 4 feet and and the light has a refractor (deep bowl).

A very good price if the ballast is either 120 volt or multi-tap. The arm would cost you 60-70 dollars itself.

Well, I'd like to but I can't. Because they are hard to find other than on eBay and they're ridiculously expensive there.

But yeah, there are some street lights I'd like to have for my collection. I'd like a radial wave, gumball, GE Powr/Bracket and a few cobra heads. But for now, I just have a GE 201SA with 175 watt MV. Plus my parents wouldn't be happy about me getting more, since they're so big. But one day I'd like to have a place with poles in the yard to put streetlights on.

Cole
Keep looking and you will find some when you get ready to acquire them. With the LED conversions coming, there will be plenty. If you know any utility workers, you might ask them to save you one or two. They might surprise you regardless of the hard nose company policies. 

Steve

Yes, it is.

Good collection......I still see some vintage fixtures still up and running in Canada. The Sylvania fixtures are scarce in the USA.

Steve

The Canadian PowerLites look fantastic. Heavy duty fixtures.....