Wednesday, August 20, 2025

It's the economy, stupid

This lamp was found by Ray many years ago in a long gone interior decoration shop in Port Melbourne, some twenty years ago. While not bespoke, which I will never have, it is an individual and you are unlikely to see one the same. We both liked it. The red is fabric and I don't know what the white colour is made of, but it's very fragile and flakes off easily. The white seems like reptile scales. 

The lamp began with incandescent frosted light bulbs and at some point about ten years was fitted with LED lamps. I thought they were fluorescent until I removed one a few days ago. The bulbs seemed to be getting dimmer, which can happen with LED lights. 

I took one bulb to the chain lighting shop and the helpful young man tested it and said it seemed ok. Maybe my eyes are failing. He said, you could replace the 6 watt LED bulb with a 7.1 watt. Ok. I showed him a photo on my phone of the lamp, and he said, ah, you need two bulbs. Yes, I do.

That's $24. Ouch, for two light bulbs. He did stuffs on his screen and indicated, wait. You can buy a pack of three for $15. I'd lie if I said I hesitated. 

Are you one of our regular customers, Sir? I gave him my phone number and he found me. Sir, there is a  discount, making the three bulbs, $13. 

Economics sure is puzzling at times. 

Given over about thirty years, with buying four combination light and overhead ceiling fans at about $400 each, plus various lamps, and light bulbs, I would guess we would have spent over $2,000. In today's dollars, maybe $4,000.

I am a happy customer. I took a peruse of modern lighting and noted that the over ten year old spare bedroom bedside touch lamp is still available. 

42 comments:

  1. Oh my. That lamp is very eye-catching. I enlarged the photo to take a closer look and found myself mesmerised. It's lovely.
    It sounds like you have been a very valued/valuable customer in that store over the years.

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    1. Thanks JayCee. Yes, a few favoured stores have done very well out of us over nearly 50 years.

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  2. It looks very classic and unique

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  3. That lamp is lovely - I have never seen one like it and would snap it up if I did.

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    1. Thank EC. I had a closer look at the white part and realised it is very dirty. It's only been dusted, never properly cleaned, and you can't get your arm down inside it to the middle. I would look worse half cleaned, so I'll leave it.

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    2. Get a long-handled duster! Not the feather kind, but something that will pick up the dust.

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    3. A long handled duster is what I use. The lamp has more than just dust that can be flicked away.

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  4. Cool.. even all these years later.

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  5. Oooohh... I like the lamp very much. Look up mica lampshades, this may be what you have.

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    1. I did Deb, and that steered me to parchment. It is laid on a sheet of plastic in kind of reptile scales. Thanks for the pointer. It could be mica, but I am just not sure.

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  6. That is really quite a special lightest like it very much.

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  7. I haven't seen a light like that before. I do like it.

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  8. Oh I love that lamp Andrew, I have two red lamps in my living room that daughter bought me but I'd trade for yours in an instant.
    XO
    WWW

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    1. WWW, red adds a nice splash of colour if your colours tend to be muted.

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  9. I hate that lamp.Okay, that's a bit strong. I dislike that lamp. Intensely. Fluorescent and LED are NOT the same and Led bulbs DO dim with age and don't last nearly as long as they should which is very annoying. You got a good deal with three bulbs for $13.

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    1. Not your cup of tea, River. I did say I thought it was fluorescent, but when I took it out, it was LED. Years ago our toilet had a fluorescent bulb.

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  10. A discount is always to be welcomed and an extra discount even more so. I hope you can see more clearly now.

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    1. 'Now the rain has gone', JB. Yes, a discount makes you briefly pleased.

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  11. My sister has a lamp in a similar style, they were a big thing in their time. I like the splash of colour.
    I wish light bulbs were still easy, it seems like a bamboozling choice these days

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    1. Kylie, big in their time? Yes, the lamp is old and so am I.
      Beacon Lighting may not be the cheapest place to buy lighting, but its service is very good.

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    2. No offence intended, Andrew. Im old, too.

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  12. It is very classy, my daughter would love it.

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  13. Love the lamp, it's different - good deal with the bulbs, it's mind blowing how stuff works these days with buy 3 etc.

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    1. Margaret, I just wish that the pricing made more sense. If I can buy three bulbs for $15, I should get two bulbs for $10.

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  14. Nice lighting really makes a room. The LED bulbs do last a lot longer.

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    1. TP, I've had one failure, which I think is quite good, and was replaced under warranty.

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  15. That's a very cool lamp, though now I'm curious what the shade's made of! Economics IS puzzling, that's for sure.

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    1. Steve, it is either mica or parchment, as per Deb's comment above.

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  16. That is a striking torch. Isn't it funny? I bought light bulbs yesterday myself, the old ones had filaments and made that slight maraca sound when shaken. These new ones are LED and adjustable and magical. And yes I bought six in a package deal. Now I'm ready. It was fun being able to cruise out into the evening because I've been home all the time, especially in the evening with my husband who is out of the hospital now and in a rehab. He's not sleeping overnight which means a higher level of care, which means us being Americans, a high level of cost. I'm getting a break from caring for him at home, if you call having a throbbing heart a break. Sometimes the grief and pain just wash over me like a tsunami. Dementia is no joke. Sorry to dump. Thank you for listening Andrew. I just want you to know I feel close to you. I care about you and seeing you come out. The other side has been a blessing to me. I'm so busy. I'm not able to visit blogs that I love and people I care about. I hope they understand. Aloha!

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    1. Cloudia, in a way it is a privilege to walk alongside online with people who have troubles in their lives. That's through sudden and slow losses of loved ones, and those whose partners have dementia. Feel free to unload anytime.

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