As almost all linear fluorescent, CFL, HID, and low pressure sodium light sources are getting banned and discontinued throughout the entire world in favor of LED lighting, I am thinking of stocking up on some linear fluorescent tubes, CFL lamps (particularly lamps that work on magnetic ballasts), HID lamps, and low pressure sodium lamps, ballasts, and fixtures in the near future because of these things. Has anybody else already stocked up on such traditional light sources or has plans to stock up? I believe that since these light sources are getting discontinued, banned, and trashed at an aggressive rate throughout the entire world, now is an ideal time to stock up on these light sources if you are opposed to using any LED lighting for general illumination because lamp discontinuations and bans can take us by surprise sometimes.

At least half of the members here are collecting for these exact reasons, me included.

Carful what you waste money on though!, I stocked up on 2 foot fluorescent when I first moved into my own house, (thinking I’d be using them forever), then got bored with liner fluorescent lamps inside!, I stocked up on CFL next, thinking these were the new thing for the house, and I would use them forever, got bored with that too, then I stocked up on 50 and 70 watt HPS lamp thinking I would be using them outside forever, then got bored of HID altogether!

Now don’t get me wrong, it cool to have them in collection, but the binge buying I was doing at the time was a monumental waste of money at the end of the day!, you may find yourself eventually loosing interest in many years to come!, (I thought that would never happen to me), but 20 odd years later it actually did!

I don’t carry ANY indoor or outdoor spares now, because I’ll eventually probably get bored of LED and move onto whatever comes next.

Yeah I have stuff like incandescent lamps stocked up from the 2010s that I never really used. I do keep some stock for some of my frequently used lamp types but lamps I don't run often I usually only have one lamp or a single spare. Fortunately I grabbed the bulk of my stock when prices were still reasonable so I didn't throw too much money into it.

Needless to say, I probably won't really stock on up SOX lamps too much unless I grab them at a good price. The wattages I don't have a fixture for I only have one, I have a few 18w lamps shared between a 3 fixtures but to be honest I only grabbed them because they showed up at places like Restore and thrift stores for cheap.

I'll be honest, around 1/2 of my lights use LEDs anyway, especially E26 based lights. I wasn't too big of a fan of self ballasted CFLs and incandescents cost too much to run since I like brightly lit spaces so I use screw in LED lamps for them. I find myself changing lights too often to really justify keeping a large stock for the lights with bulkier or more expensive lamps.   

In my case I don't think I'll get sick of lighting. If anything, the harder it is to own something, or the rarer it becomes, makes me want to own it more.

Now I know I won't use every single lightbulb or fixture I have, some were collected to have as options, some lamps will be set aside as display pieces , such as small HID lamps and certain fluorescents.


Now if you happened to acquire numerous sox lamps over the last 20 years and got sick of them, well then you've got yourself a retirement fund.

I think the same thing will also happen with HID lamps too when they get completely discontinued from the face of the earth.

I just buy what is in my reach. I have a little bit of everything, including some SOX lamps I got recently for a good deal. In terms of stocking up collection wise, I think I’m set for the next decade as I don’t have many fixtures for my lamps so I don’t fire lamps up often.

Now, my household lighting is about 88% LED, so I don’t have any reason to stock up for maintenance purposes since I don’t use lamps such as incandescents. However I did buy some surplus Philips LEDs since I don’t really like some of the current A19 LEDs on the market.

At my apartment, most of the lighting used is a mix of fluorescent, HID, and low pressure sodium with a few LED lamps in a small number of places. In my dream house, I would love to use a mix of mostly preheat fluorescent (linear, self ballasted CFL, non-integrated CFL, and non-CFL non-linear fluorescents), HID lighting, and some low pressure sodium lighting. The only LED lamps I prefer to use would be ones that directly retrofit into traditional fixtures without the need of changing the ballast. I personally would not mind using corn cob LED lamps in HID fixtures when I am in the mood for it except that I would need a ballast bypass switch for my HID fixtures if I am in the mood to use corn cob LEDs in them and return to HID when desired.

You sound like me 27 years ago!  , when I moved into my own house at age 23, free from the restrictions of mum and dad’s house, I was drunk on how I was going to light the place! 
At the time I actually needed a new washing machine, but instead of making that a priority, I was buying light fixtures in bulk!, everything I had plans to install (and where), was put into motion.

I was a hardcore lighting enthusiast back then, and having free reign of what lighting I could fit inside and outside, it was an awesome rush!
I was doing things like fitting 100 watt HQIs in a chandelier in my living room, and over sized fluorescent battens where they really didn’t need to be! 
But trust me, this rush doesn’t last long, and for one, when the reality of paying my own electricity bills slapped me up the side of the head a few years in, I had to have a rethink of what I was doing! 

It’s gonna be awesome when you do get your dream house, and what you can run in it, just try not to waste money on over buying lamps and fittings like I did that will end up in boxes in the attic never to see the light of day again! 

I did build a significant stockpile of incandescent lamps. Since they're relatively short-lived, it may be just the right size if I want to have something for the next decades!

Fluorescent wise it's also half-collection, half-stockpile, though the stockpile part no longer has anything longer than 36". I could keep one box of F40s with the most valuable items in it, but this is strictly for preservation purposes at this point. It's probably F20T12s that'll end up in an actual lighting installation one day, as I've got a large pile of tubes in that size, and a pile just as large of preheat ballasts for them, plus something like 40 or 50 starters.

I never planned on stockpiling HIDs, but some duplicates in my collection could be used and would last several years in a real installation, especially mercury lamps.

I have no plans on stocking up on anything (except maybe standard 40w incandescents).
Only have a limited number of HID fixtures & the few that are installed are rarely used so the lamps in them + the couple of spares would be plenty.
I already have plenty of linear fluorescents (one of my main interest)...easily more than a 'lifetime supply'.
And Christmas lights (the other main interest)...got way more than a 'lifetime supply' of those too.

Not that I'm bored with lights or plan to get rid of anything...but there are times I kinda wish I hadn't bought so much over the years because it takes so much space.
And simple fact is I'm old, there's simply no way I'll ever use everything I have. Eventually some family member is going to have a bunch of "crap" to deal with.

Have you considered selling off surplus? I'll admit I have but I don't think I'm strong enough to part ways with it yet...but if I do I think the sox55 will be first to go. I have almost 30 bulbs and only 2 fixtures. I only took them cause they were 4 bucks a bulb

Just a few comments on "stocking up on lamps" :

 1) Since most HID lamps will last for at least 5-10 years being run D2D , unless you're planning on having a dozen or so running D2D at one time , having more than 6 spares is kinda pointless.

 2) You have 5 cases of extra lamps , what happens when the ballast goes bye-bye ?? Now you have a zillion lamps and NOTHING to run them in !

 3) Electricity costs : With the ever rising costs of electricity , none of use will be able to afford to run most of what we have to EOL anyways .

 4) All "stocking up" does is raise the price of lamps and equipment for those new to the hobby.

 5) When YOU die , what happens to all of the stuff you "stocked up" on ?? More than likely it will either wind up in the trash or it'll get recycled in which case NO ONE will get to use or enjoy it !  Too many times I've seen a collector die and the family couldn't be bothered with the deceased's "junk" and hires someone to just get rid of it .

 All I'm saying is that if you have a fixture that will actually get used on a regular basis than fine , get SOME extra lamps for it . There's no reason to be greedy and buy CASES of them that will most likely NEVER get used .

 EXAMPLE : Years ago there was an old man nearby that had a field full of HUNDREDS of old station wagons from the 40's to the 70's . He bought every old wagon he could find as station wagons weren't being made anymore . He wouldn't sell or part out any of them . Not long ago , he died and the family hired a scrap company to clear the land so it could be sold. The scrap company brought in a portable crusher and a bulldozer and literally pushed rows of cars , one by one into the crusher . All the old man did was make wagons even harder to find ! He didn't help to save anything , he just compounded the problem !!

That’s a good point Tim.

Yeah you make some very good points Tim. Anything high wattage or highly specific I really only keep a single lamp or one spare around since I rarely have the need for them.