BULB DISCUSSION BOARDS > Christmas Lighting

Large Matchless Star

(1/2) > >>

Tim:
Since it's near Christmas I thought I would post pictures of this Matchless Star that just found its way into my collection. ?I don't typically collect Christmas figurals and this is my first Matchless Wonder Star. ?I can now see why these are so highly collected: the cut glass prisms and the beautiful colors they were made in look absolutely stunning when lit up. ?This one is slightly unique since it is so large. ?It has a standard medium base and was meant to be used in a regular lamp socket - not on a light string that you would see on a Christmas tree...



Happy Holidays to everyone!

------------------
Tim
Kilokat's Antique Light Bulb Site
Mountain Dew Collectibles, Volume I

Chris W. Millinship:
Hey thanks for posting that photo Tim, that lamp looks stunning! I have one of the little C6 - based Wonder Stars and that one`s pretty, but yours is just wonderful. Love that combination of clear crystal points and the blue center.

Musta set you back a few $$$ - I hear those big ones are very valuable!

 

------------------
visit my world of electrical things that glow!

zozman:
Hello. This is my first post.

I have an extensive collection of original Matchless Stars. The original versions are the best. The glass versions were available for about six years from 1935-1941. After the war, the plastic prism (C-7) versions appeared until the mid-1950s. Adolph Hitler invaded and took control of Czechoslovakia in March, 1939. The Matchless Company obtained prism crystal as much as they could until occupied Czechoslovakia reduced civil consumption for war production. Hitler believed in state control of private companies. The Czechoslovakian glass works, renowned the world for fine prism detail, went into war time production for several years. Not too much, if any crystal made it out of the country.

In examining the drawings made by the Matchless Company with corresponding patent dates, the smaller C-6s came first while the larger intermediate base C-9s and C-15 medium base next. It is estimated that they ran for about one year, 1938.  Therefore, the larger series appears more rare. The Matchless Company imported all the crystal from Czechoslovakia that they could prior to occupation until their supplies ran out.

While the smaller C-6 series 500 ($.25, 1935) and larger C-6 series 700 ($.40) were popular, the most overwhelming stars were the medium base series 900 3-1/8" diameter ($1.00) and intermediate (C-9) series 910 ($1.00).  You haven't seen color so spectacular as illuminated through a 15-watt bulb like any thing you have ever seen before until you have seen one of those. The medium base bulbs were lamp socket size. Doubtful any of those were on trees at Christmas. The larger stars are heavy in an of themselves not including a medium base socket attached to anything.

The most displayable large stars are the intermediate C-9s. These can be lit inside on a regular outdoor Christmas light cord on a Christmas tree. But they get hot--really hot fully illuminated. I display mine on a mid 50s Noma outdoor metal wire star on my fireplace with rheostat stepped-down power.  Simply magnificent!

If you have one of these larger Matchless Stars and the lamp burns out, you have very few choices in what to do with it. Keep it dark or light it up again. The original Matchless stars were bulb replaceable but those original replacements have ceased to exist. The original glass lamp was soldered between a Bakelite base and brass base as one piece. When replaced, the owner threw the old one away. The original Matchless replacement bulb was $.25.

Through years of searching for replacement bulbs, soldering this and that, I have developed a candelabra bulb replacement procedure modification which does not affect the external appearance of the star but ensures easy bulb replacement so that these stars will remain lit for enjoyment for many years.

If you have any issues with your Matchless Stars or any other information to add to this post, feel free to comment.

Randy Pozzi

Chris Kocsis:
Thanks for that great information, Randy.  I have two beautiful medium-base stars, one in frosted red, white, and blue.  They are spectacular and I've been reluctant to light them for fear of burning out.

Does relamping them lower their value?

Chris 

zozman:
Hi Chris. If you restore a 1957 Corvette, does it cease to be a original Corvette and does it have less worth? The answer is no. Matchless Stars go for good money--less if they are burned out--but not significantly so. They were designed to be lit and enjoyed. So once your medium base stars burn out--and if used they all will burn out sometime--you will have that choice. Look at them dark or re-bulb them and have light, beautiful light. I bought seven purple Matchless Stars only to discover they had the medium bases. I was ready to send them back until some sense came to me. "Why would you return these with the rarest color for just the base?" So. I removed the base, cracked the bulbs, and re-bulbed them in my manner with the C-9 common base. They look OEM original. They are displayed prominently at Christmas in my home. My advice to you is light them and enjoy. If they burn out, I would re-bulb them and convert them to C-9 and go on enjoying them.  :wink:

Randy

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page