Edison Bulb Find?

[ALM]

Hello.  Though I have essentially agreed to sell these already (prior to find out what I was in possession of), I was wondering if you could take a look at these and let me know your thoughts on value.

Thanks.  I assure you, this is not SPAM.  It is a link to a photo album where I have placed the pictures.  Just click on the "bulbs" album and let me know your thoughts in this thread.

Tim - I have also emailed you a sample.
 
Antique Bulbs Album

[This message has been edited by ALM (edited November 09, 2000).]

[Chris Kocsis]

It looks to me as though these are all about 1900.  Many have detrimental darkening and corrosion.  The best ones, if the filament is intact, would probably be worth somewhere around $75 apiece if offered singly, and less as part of a large lot -- anybody care to disagree?  Ones with deep corrosion and/or broken filaments would be worth little or nothing (except as placeholders until a better one comes along).  Still, a nice find!

[ALM]

Interesting.

Most of them are dark from being dirty, I truly believe that.  I'd be guessing as to the condition of the filaments in the frosted ones, but you can see in the clear ones that they are intact.  It is my belief that these bulbs were (obviously) pretty well stored.  My understanding is that the were "pirated" by a gentleman responsible for refurbishing a hotel in Philadelphia back near the beginning of the 1900's, and have been with the family ever since.

The condition of the bulbs are, in my reasonable estimation, very good.  Only 2 or 3 have very serious corrosion.  Only about 4 or 5 are shiny-nice-brassy.  The rest are somewhere in-between.  I have about 60 more available to me and will post them on the classified boards as soon as my new digital camera comes in.

Would this board want to see me post pictures of the rest of them as I get them?

Please, any more feedback on this issue would be appreciated.

ALSO >>> Tell me more about that label ("Imperial") on some of those lamps.  The buyer was very, very interested in those with the label for sure.

Throw me a bone here, I am a treasure-hunter who just happened upon this motherlode of Edison Bulbs.

And thank you, Chris, and all those who make future replies.

[This message has been edited by ALM (edited November 09, 2000).]

[Tim]

Hi ALM,

Welcome to the bulb collector forums! Interesting group of bulbs you've come upon. I see one that I'm quite sure (a little hard to tell from the picture)is an 1890ish Edison lamp in your picture showing your clear bulbs (2nd from the right) - the base is a dead giveaway. The other clear bulbs could in fact be Edison lamps too, maybe dating between 1890-1893 or so - I'm sure someone else out here could verify that with more detailed close-ups of the base and the inner stem structure where the filament attaches.

Nice find!

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-Tim
BulbCollector.com
DewCollector.com

[ALM]

Anybody...

Your thoughts on their value?

Thanks!  I have access to more... keep your eyes on the "Classified" boards for information.  I'll take pictures in the next week or so and put them in an album for interested parties to access.

[This message has been edited by ALM (edited November 09, 2000).]

Some of those clear lamps appear to me to be before 1900. From the style of base and the way the press is constructed several of them clear ones could be as early as 1888. I would also be interested in purcashing some of them from you if you have anymore forsale.

Jerry

[ALM]

Jerry... and all others... I have activated my email address in my profile.  Please don't hesitate to email me.

As I have previously mentioned, I have already committed to selling those in the album, but know that the current album is a representative sample of what I can get - I will be (hopefully) picking up the balance tonight.

I will store all emails and start making arrangements for those who are interested.  Please be patient and thanks so much for all of the help and interest.  This has proven very exciting.

FYI - I have one "Edison-Mazda" in my current collection, but that glass "insert thingy" is detached from where it should be in pics I have researched.

[Bob Masters]

WOW !
What an incredible find. You should tell us about that some day !
Me........All I can do is dream of finding a stash like that !
Very nice bulbs....................  

[ALM]

Bob Masters... you just did.  Though I already have a commitment on that lot, I will be selling all of the balance, which I have just returned from picking up at lunch today.  (Approximately 50 - 60 more.)   Now that I have finally (and smartly) done some research, it is time to "share the wealth" so to speak.  

I intend to use this forum to figure out what the heck to do with them (e.g., how best to go about selling them) and if you are interested, please email me (in profile).  I will store all requests until I have gone thru them, taken pictures (per this group's continued suggestions) and then we go from there.

Thank you.

The story:  I got them at a garage sale.  Interesting story, huh?    I knew nothing about them, I tend to shop with my gut and lucked out here.

My understanding of the history:  The owner's grandfather was responsible for refurbishing a hotel in the City of Philadelphia - a long time ago.  He kept the bulbs during this process and they have been in their family ever since.  Her memory is fuzzy, but she seems to think that the hotel was the "Hotel Pennsylvania" or the "Philadelphia Hotel."  She can't recall the time period.  Interestingly enough, I happen to have a pristine December 1932 edition of National Geographic with an immense article about the City of Philadelphia.  Hoping to find some reference to such a hotel in the reading, I perused it just last night to no avail.  Now, time for an exhaustive Internet search.

I may keep a few.  My wife has currently undertaken a renovation of one of the rooms in our house that she intends to decorate with some of our finds.  So... if any of you have any suggestions on how best to use 2 - 5 bulbs in this endeavor, we are open for suggestions.

[Tim]

Hi ALM,

if any of you have any suggestions on how best to use 2 - 5 bulbs in this endeavor, we are open for suggestions.

I would suggest finding some "newer" old bulbs if you plan to frequently light them. Carbon and tungsten filament bulbs from the early 1900s can still be purchased fairly cheap and would be a better choice if you insist on using antique bulbs in your fixtures. In my opinion the bulbs in your pictures are definitely worth preserving and I wouldn't run the risk of blowing the filaments which will eventually happen if you use them frequently. The other option is to reduce the voltage going to the fixture somehow - this will extend the life of your bulbs. A dimmer switch controlling the fixture might do the trick although I've never used a dimmer on early bulbs - just a thought.

Not bulb related but.....I noticed on your ebay album a picture of a 1960s Nylint toy Ford Bronco. This caught my eye because I own a pair of vintage Broncos and have been searching for an old Nylint toy Bronco for a long time. Well, last weekend I finally found one in the local antique mall for $20. I've seen them sell for a small fortune in the past. It seems the bulbs aren't your only amazing find  

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-Tim
BulbCollector.com
DewCollector.com

[ALM]

No, bulbs are not the only thing.

Anything that we find people find interesting we hunt for them, and sell them on Ebay.  Old games, toys, BULBS (now will join the list), China, just about anything.

If you want... bookmark our seller list (ALM1123) on Ebay and keep your eyes open.  Some of the stuff I hate to part with... especially board games... my favorite.

Yes, I just shipped a couple of old Broncos and will continue to keep my eyes open for you.  I assume this group would want me to hunt for old vacuum tubes as well.

Tim - I will email you soon on what you think might be the best way to utilize your forum for selling these bulbs.

Thanks to you and your for all of the interesting information.  Keep it coming.  I am learning so much.

[Chris Kocsis]

Ever since I hazarded a guess on the value of those Bryan-Marsh bulbs, a little voice has been telling me I ought to say more.  But before I do, ALM had asked about the significance of "Imperial" -- that was simply the flagship line of bulbs made by Bryan-Marsh.

About value -- it saddens me to say it, but the auctions are the best guide to bulb value .  It's sad because that's where the highest end of the market is, and just two people who  want something badly enough can put the price through the ceiling.  The active small pool of bidders thus provides the only information we have about the amount of money  the lamp is worth.

The thing about bulbs is, you seldom see the same thing twice, except in the case of the most common varieties, and there are countless varieties to find.  So when the dealer at an antique show has a common late teens squirted carbon lamp for $50, there may be someone who will buy it, although most of us who have been collecting for a while will not, because we find them often enough for $5.  But that same dealer is just as likely to put the same price on a rarer lamp, thus delighting any knowledgable collector.  No reliable value can be set on something you see few of or know little about.

Bulb collectors are in the same boat most of the time.  We haven't seen enough of many bulbs for sale to know what a fair or market price is.  Frankly we hope to pay as little as possible, because we know there's too much out there to possibly pay top price for all of it and still hope to amass a nice selection.  Not all of us have the deep pockets that a few do....and it's those few with deep pockets who are at top of the heap at the auctions, setting the top prices.

So if we happen to offer a price, it may not be the top.  But we usually aren't being dishonest.

ALM sold a number of bulbs for an apparently low price, but it was a price he agreed to.  There's the other side of the coin.  He probably priced them to make a small profit that, at the time, he was content with.  There are even plenty of dealers (thank goodness I know some) who might have a fair idea of the "top" (auction among competing collectors) price a thing can bring but are content to make less than maximum profit and pass some of the value along to a customer in the form of a bargain.

So, ALM, if you want to get the top price, take 'em to auction.  If you want to make some friends among bulb collectors, and maybe become one, stick around.  Make a good profit on a few of those bulbs but keep some for traders.  (Lord knows we all wish we could find duplicates to trade with.)

Whatever you do, keep a good perspective on courtesy and decency -- the scourge of our (and any) hobby is the unprincipled collector who will lie, cheat, and resort to any means to get a coveted item.  I'd much rather run into a dealer who thought he had a crown jewel in a common bulb than meet another scoundrel.

If you aren't sure whether an offered price is fair, use your best intuition.  The one sure danger sign of a scoundrel is repeated pressure and impatience.  Otherwise, just assume we're trying to strike a balance between being completely honest and helpful (if we know an auction price for a similar item) and being hopeful for a nice and affordable find.



[This message has been edited by Chris Kocsis (edited November 11, 2000).]

[ALM]

Well, well, well... let's simply say that I've learned some valuable lessons in a week's time.  I'm at the point now where I almost feel like I wish I hadn't found them at all.

I intend to go the auction route.  If I feel that one or more of the players is playing unfairly, I will take my new found ball and go home.

I apologize to any and all who may have felt slighted, but it is time for me to take a step back and start fresh.  It's my fault and I should have asked questions first and made promises later.

I've hit the "reset button" and am starting this whole process over, from scratch.

I'll be in touch.

ALM, If I was you the best way to market your lamps is to put them on Ebay and this way they will claim the best price you can get for them.I cant blame you for wanting what you can get out of them. If you have something great it will reflect in the price as there is  serious buyers of rare incandescent lamps.

[This message has been edited by Jerry R Westlick (edited November 12, 2000).]

[ALM]

Two things...

1)  I am preparing a bulb for an Ebay auction over this coming weekend.  I will post again when I am ready to list it.

2)  Off-topic for TIM - Ironically enough, I had an Ebay buyer "deadbeat" on that Nylint Bronco.  I know that you already picked one up, but would you be interested in the one I have before I relist it?  It needs some paint and the left rear bumper needs a little straightening, but I strongly suspect it will pass inspection and be ready for use.