Old Christmas lighting

[fan-of-fans]

Does anyone have an interest in old Christmas lights/candoliers?

As a kid I really liked those old candoliers that had like 6 candles on them. Also there was a store that used to decorate their windows and they had some blow mold lamp posts. I always wanted some like that but we never could find any in that style, they must have been old.

I like looking at the old Christmas light sets too, the different styles of wire and plugs fascinate me. I remember seeing some that had green and red cloth cords.

When I was little we also had some old sets of mini Christmas tree lights that had flower like covers on them. I haven't seen any of those sold, and unfortunately those sets all stopped working for some reason so got thrown out. I'm guessing they were made in the 70s or 80s.

 

[texaskirbyguy]

I do like the old holiday light sets myself. I am am incandescent multi-color guy. Single colors and clear are okay in areas, but I like color, as long as it is in traditional hues.

In the late 70's and 80's we used to have a lot of sets with the colorful hard (and sharp) plastic flower-shaped covers. Some went over the sockets, some were the bulb holders themselves. I loved these since the flowers would sparkle the light in different directions. We put the sets around our bedroom doors as well as on the tree and around the living room doorways. However, those flowers would occasionally come loose and fall on the floor. Needless to say they were objectionable underfoot...
I think I still have a couple small strings of the ones with the flower lamp holders from our tree long ago. I would love to get them working again if possible.

The big C7 and C9 bulb sets are nice, but they are power hungry so we never used them. I somehow acquired a a few non-working sets of these and a lot of bulbs that I would love to donate to a collector in the area.

I used to decorate the house 20+ years ago with 1000's of these tiny bulbs, but it was a lot of work. I quit doing it in 2004 or so and the lights stayed in the attic until I sold them all off 2 years ago.
I miss them, but they were a lot of work, especially for someone with bad joints...

The newest sets I have now are from 2000 or so; I have them on my inside silk ficus trees. In fact I had to fix a couple of the sets today, as a couple sections were out due to failed internal bulb shunts. A few zaps with the handy Lightkeeper Pro fixed em!

I still have most of our old decorations from the 70's-90's, including the tree, however it has not been out for 20 years or so. Hopefully I will get them out one of these days after I retire...

 

[oreck_xl]

Bubble Lights!!!

To me, there's nothing more exciting in the holiday light world than bubble lights. It's almost magical the way they "fizz." And the dizzying array of sets made throughout the years.

 

[human]

Bubble Lights!

I have a set of vintage (1940s-'50s maybe?) bubble lights that my mother gave me I have no ideas if or how many work because they have a non-standard screw base that's too small to fit a standard C-7 socket. I had some newer (late '80s-early '90s) vintage bubble lights but I have no idea what has become of them. For various reasons, I haven't decorated for Christmas in many years.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

i love older lights

I plan, this year, to put up all four trees. One is a 6'Evergleam aluminum tree. Last year, at a very good, but expensive store, I bought a 'color wheel' at 75% off I might use it too. Plus, I have a 6' 'peppermint tree', a 6' gorgeous tree that I use bubble lights (new, safer ones), and the 10' tree in the living room. It has hundreds of white electric candles on it. You can read in that room. I put LED lights outside on all of the shrubs. I might 'change that up' this year. Also, in the backyard, I have a beautiful holly tree that I flank with multi-colored lights. All of the neighbors love it. I have to get it trimmed soon, as, I can't do it after my recent surgery and others tests. Every window has a candle inside, and a wreath outside. The wreathes saw better days. So, I'm replacing them this year with greens with berries and pine cones and a ribbon. It should be interesting. I also put garlands with lights around the 4 pillars outside. That's this week's project.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

And, this year, the

'staircase' will once more be decorated. I hang thick, green garland with pine cones, red berries, large silk leaves, and white lights. They go up and around the banister and are met at the points with red velvet ribbons with gold foil on the backs. Being on a timer, they go off and on by themselves. That staircase also acts as a night light for when guests have stayed over.From the street, it looks very nice. I've actually caught neighbors looking in through the glass door. Luckily, yesterday, I washed the door, the circle top window and the windows on the front of the house.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Joe Kassock and I have a bet going.

He was at a Christmas mini meet a few yrs ago and almost died when he saw the 'big tree'. He doesn't think I'll get it done this year. IF I don't, I have to polish his car. IF I DO, he'll wipe down all of my vacuums for the convention.
"Get a rag ready, Joe!!"

 

[texaskirbyguy]

Geez - I wish I had the time to put up one tree, let alone four!
They will look beautiful for sure - I had seen pictures before of your decorated home.
If I lived closer, I would be inviting myself over!

 

[gottahaveahoove]

and, you'd be invited inside

Thanks.

 

[human]

texaskirbyguy wrote:
Geez - I wish I had the time to put up one tree, let alone four!

I reply:
Yeah, my ex-wife would put up four trees in the living room, dining room, den and playroom. All but the one in the living room were artificial. It would take a couple of weeks to put them all up and we were lucky to get them all taken down by Valentine's. It's one of several reasons I no longer decorate for Christmas.

 

[eurekaexpress]

John,

I do have a rag ready, for you to wipe the wax off my car. Don't worry members I will
post pictures of him waxing my car, now I wish I would have kept my Lincoln[ it was a bigger car].
Peace to all.
Joe.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

I wish you kept that Lincoln, too!

Sold it right our from under me.
A nice chamois will add a nice shine to my Hoovers,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,all of them.

 

[eurekaexpress]

But John,

you'll be using it on my Escape, also I want it buffed with a microfiber cloth, I will provide everything you will need.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Ya think so???

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

[gottahaveahoove]

I've decided to change the outside this year

I bought brand new traditional bulb sets for the outside, including some 'twinkle lights'.I might even put out a vintage electric Santa.
It's exciting.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

I vividly remember going into

"Pittston Electric" with my father. He could no longer hang lights, (cancer,etc). So, he bought NOMA carolers for the windows. He told me, "When you're old enough, the outside is yours". Age 12, there I was... and ever since.

 

[mjhoshaw]

Sorry I didn't see this thread during the holidays!

I decorate using vintage light strings and vintage lamps almost exclusively.  I have C6 series strings for our two feather trees, which I rewired to have 12 lamps per string instead of 8.  At 66% of rated voltage, the lamps run much cooler and last an average of 32x as long (I've had one burnout in the last 5 years.)  I use vintage C7 candoliers and lamps in the windows, and vintage C9 strings and lamps outdoors, which I operate at 100 volts, and they last an average of 9x longer.  I created a bubble light tree (couldn't afford a vintage one) with 9 C6 bubble lamps on the tree and 3 regular C6 lamps along for the ride.  Over the years I have amassed a huge number of spare lamps that will carry us for the rest of my life.  Yes, vintage lamps are power-hungry, but we use LED lighting and other power-saving measures throughout the year, we have a cordless mower, and our only car is a hybrid, so I don't worry about it.


 


We have blow-molded electric candles on the front porch, and a white-vinyl-coated metal star with 10 C7 lamps in concentric "rings" to complete the look.  Our house was built in 1947, and all this vintage lighting just looks right.


 


As you might guess, I enjoy cleaning house with my vintage vacs.  It's fun to think about what make and model of vacs cleaned this house through its lifetime.