So you have a burning question about antique oil lamps? Could they be a good investment? Could they turn your abode into an Aladdin cave? Could it even be fun to collect them?
For over 20 years I have been restoring antique oil lamps, returning them as close to showroom condition as possible and I don’t mind saying that there is an incredible sense of satisfaction when you see the finished item. A week ago in bad condition and suitable for a garbage can; today a clean, bright and perfect oil lamp that is worth a lot of money. I found that the thrill of discovery is absolutely out of this world.
Many of the lamps that I have supplied to customers around the world 10 years ago will now be worth double, or in some cases, substantially more than double what they paid for. How many could say this about an equity investment these days? So could antique oil lamps be a good investment in addition to being objects of innovative beauty? The answer has to be categorically yes. But you have to know what to look for.
Searching can be exciting, you need to search for specific types of antique oil lamps. The names of the manufacturers in the bobbin winders are important. Hinks, Messenger’s, Young’s, Palmer’s, Veritas, Evered, P&A, to name just a few whose quality lamps can be valuable. The manufacturing material is important. Color is important. Glass and ceramic lamps are the most sought after to invest. Brass is fine, but in general, unless the manufacturer is someone like ‘Benson’ it won’t reach the same heights.
I prefer lamps with glass oil containers. As long as the glass is in good condition it will retain fuel without leaking and a well made stained glass fountain looks fantastic with a nice Victorian shade of glass of a matching color.
Since I am in the UK, I tend to favor lamps made in the UK, where a lot of the patents originated from. There are literally hundreds of different types of oil lamps, but personally I prefer the type that uses a burner with two flat wicks side by side, known as a duplex. They are easier to work with and get replacement parts, and there are a wide variety of different brands and grades.
Can you buy a good old oil lamp for a reasonable price? If you are prepared to clean 100 years or more of tarnish inside and out, the answer is yes. If you don’t want to do any work, you may have to pay a little more, but there are many on the market that will hold their prices and increase their value.
Colored glass oil lamps are the most sought after, of which cranberry is extremely popular. Blue glass fountain oil lamps with matching blue glass shades tend to be highly appreciated, and the good ones command extremely high prices. Imagine my excitement when I discovered a faded blue glass one at a local auction a few months ago … no one knew what it was and my profit a few weeks later was 1500%!
Where to look? Local general auctions are excellent and it is not unusual to buy for less than £ 90 GBP and sell after a good clean for 4-5 times what you spent. Antique stores are also good places to look, and most dealers are willing to haggle. Trunk sales can sometimes also produce the most unexpected results.
No matter where you decide to shop, be sure to inspect the lamps very closely. If the glass is damaged, do not buy it, as its value will not increase. Look for chips, fine cracks, or anything broken. The main areas where there could be trailing lines would be under the top of the brass fittings and under a glass fountain. Run your fingers across the top and bottom of a glass shade to find chips or cracks. The top of the display should be perfect, but the base where it fits into a brass stand may have a few bits of use on the bottom. At antique shops and fairs, beware of duplex lamps with wicks so high that they touch at the top. Usually that means they are covering up a defect or breaking in the brass burner.
Want to see how amazing clean and restored oil lamps can look? Follow the link http://tiny.cc/lovelyoillamps to go to a web page where you can see some of the lamps that I have restored and handed down to happy collectors over the years. Fantastic to look at and also increasing the value of lighting history!