Midget base light set

[Tim]

Christmas is fast approaching!  Is anyone out looking for vintage Christmas lights?  Here's an interesting set of mini lights that I couldn't pass up for $3 at the local junque mall.  This Japanese set contains 24 midget screw base shunt lamps.

[Mónico González]

Hi Tim!
It's a very curious thing to note that some of the bulbs are unevenly matched against the properly coloured socket's bell/flower fitting!?
Except for such a trivial detail, it's undoubtely a charming and rare vintage set.
Regards,
M. Gonz?lez.

[Tim]

Hi  M?nico,

Thanks for the comments about this set.  I don't know if I would call the set rare, but I couldn't pass it up for $3!  As for the mismatched colors, I suspect those particular lamps were replaced at some point in time with no thought to matching the lamp color to the pedal color.

[Hemingray]

I don't know what to make of these, I found them today in a large box of regular mini lights I paid $1 for in a thrift store. this set (it's on my tree along with the Noma twinkle lites and the standard C-6 set) has midget-sized wedge bases.

[Tim]

Hi Hemingray,

I'm really not into mini lights so I'm embarrassed to ask what the unusual feature is concerning the light in your photo.  Is it the bulb itself since it looks shorter than most that I see today.  Or, is the light on a smaller scale than usual including the lamp and wedge base?

One of our local thrift shops also has a bunch of old Christmas lights for sale, dirt cheap.  I picked up some hard to find replacement lamps last weekend including two packs of midget screw base lamps like those shown in set above.  I also bought a replacement pack of the old bi-pin GE “Merry Midget” push-in lamps, all for something like forty cents!

[Hemingray]

I've attached a picture of the bulb, along with a more standard larger version. the one on the right is the midget lamp, the left is a common 2.5v bulb (from a string of 100 lights)

[Christmas Lamp]

Tim, does your Set Work?

[jonathan cassiday]

I seem to have seen these type of bulbs in some of the itilian light strings from the late 50;s and mid 60's. you may find some info here http://www.oldchristmaslights.org/
i have found simular bulbs at garage sale boxes of mini light bulbs and they are noticibly diffrent in teh faact that the bulbs themselves have a bit of a buldge to them and are shorter than standard bulbs of today. Is you set a set of 35? many of the early imprted sets of mini lights hade 35 bulbs to a string.

[Tim]

Tim, does your Set Work?

Both fuses are blown in the plug and I haven't looked for replacements yet.  I have a feeling the fuses are going to be hard to find, looks like an odd size.  I haven't really messed around with the set too much yet.

[Christmas Lamp]

OK Thanks Tim, I hope that you will be able to get this set working soon...
Don't surpose this set runs on UK 240 does it???

[Tim]

Don't surpose this set runs on UK 240 does it???

Nope, it runs on US 120

[Hemingray]

Hey tim, can ya get a good closeup of that plug? fuses may be easy to find for it.

[Christmas Lamp]

The only Reason I Asked if it they ran on 240 was that one of us in the UK could have helped you to find a Fuse or two.... 

[Ray Ladegast]

Hi, Tim

A few weeks ago I purchaced a set of midget like yours. the only thing different is the plug. I bought them to replace a set I had in the early 60's. That set was a double string with 50 lights, 25 per circuit. I thought those were so cool . Over the years the wireing fell apart and I lost track of them . Now I'm a happy collector again .

Tim you may want to check all the bulbs befor you replace the fuses. The bulbs have a shunts in them and if too many are burned out the fuse will blow. They are a cool addition to your collection.

Ray L

[Tim]

Christmas Lamp / Hemingray:  Here's a photo of showing both fuses.  They measure about 9/16" long and 3/16" diameter but and are not marked.

Ray:  Thanks for the tip.  Yes, I suspect some are probably blown.  Luckily I have several replacement lamps on hand if needed!