Antique Oil Lamps

Antique Lamps

Do you have a burning question about antique oil lamps? Could you be a good investment? Could you turn your accommodation into an Aladdin Cave? Could it even be fun to collect them?

For over 20 years, I restore antique oil lamps and bring them as close as possible to the exhibition state. I do not mind saying that there is an incredible sense of satisfaction when you look at the finished article. One week ago, shabby and fit for a dumpster; Today a clean, perfect oil lamp, which is worth a lot of money. I've found that the thrill of discovery is absolutely out of this world.

Many of the lamps I supplied worldwide 10 years ago are now worth twice as much, or in some cases more than twice as much. How many could say that today about an investment? Could antique oil lamps be a good investment, but also objects of innovative beauty? The answer must be categorically yes. But you have to know what to look for.

The hunt can be exciting, you have to look for certain types of antique oil lamps. The names of manufacturers on winders are important. Hinks, Messenger, Young, Palmer, Veritas, Everred, P & A, to name just a few quality lamps, can be valuable. Production material is important. Color is important. Lamps made of glass and ceramics are the most in demand for investment. Brass is fine, but in general, unless the manufacturer is someone like & # 39; Benson & # 39; s it will not reach the same heights.

I prefer lamps with glass oil containers. As long as the glass is in good condition, it can absorb fuel oil without leaking, and a beautifully colored glass fountain looks fantastic with a good Victorian glass shade in a matching color.

Being based in the UK, I prefer lamps made in the UK, from which many patents come. There are literally hundreds of different types of oil lamps, but I personally prefer the type that uses a burner with two flat wicks side-by-side, called a duplex. They are easier to process and supply with spare parts, and there are a variety of different brands and qualities.

Can you buy a good antique oil lamp for a reasonable price? If you're ready to remove 100 years or more temper colors inside and out, the answer is yes. If you do not want to work, you may have to pay a little more, but there are many in the market who keep their prices and gain in value.

In demand are colored glass oil lamps, after which cranberry is extremely popular. Blue glassfont oil lamps with matching blue glass shades are usually high priced and good ones achieve extremely high prices. Imagine my excitement when I spotted a shabby blue-tinted glass at a local auction a few months ago ... no one knew what it was, and my win a few weeks later was 1500%!

Where should one search? Local general auctions are great and it's not uncommon to buy for less than £ 90 and sell for four or five times the spend after a good cleanup. Antique shops are also a good place to start, and most traders are ready to negotiate. Car boot sales can sometimes lead to unexpected results.

No matter where you decide to buy, be sure to study the lamps carefully. If the glass is damaged, do not buy it, otherwise it will not gain in value. Look for chips, hairline cracks or other damage. The main areas where crawling hairlines can be found are under the brass trim top and under a glass source. Run your fingers over a glass screen from the top and bottom to find chips or cracks. The umbrella top should be perfect, but the base on which it fits on a brass holder may have some signs of use at the bottom. In shops and antique fairs, look for duplex lamps whose wicks are high enough to touch the top. This usually means they cover up a mistake or damage the brass burner.

Would you like to see how great purified and restored oil lamps can look like? Follow the link http://tiny.cc/lovelyoillamps to get to a web page where you can see some of the lamps that I have restored over the years and shared with happy collectors. Fantastic to look at and also light history valuable!