Acquisition, Dating and Appraisal of Kerosene/Paraffin Lamps

After so many detailed descriptions with attached photos and information, some interested readers might wonder where to buy such lamps. As already mentioned in the introduction to this website, what is presented is primarily aimed at beginners and those who are not even beginners but feel the desire to own a beautiful old lamp as a decorative object after all.

In this chapter I will try to leave technology and material science behind for a while and dive into the market. I know that I am entering uncertain territory, because the market is very often subject to change and therefore cannot be dealt with by a few basic rules. But on the other hand, I also feel the need to protect new, even young collectors with limited financial resources from making too many bad purchases.

The possible sources of purchase are quickly dealt with. Counting them and pointing out certain peculiarities that are characteristic of these sources of acquisition does not pose much difficulty. Many people have at least looked in flea markets for unusual bargains or have even been on eBay. Many young people even often look at eBay classified ads if they are looking for something special. A certain amount of experience has already been accumulated. At least I'm talking about my own subjective experience.

It becomes more difficult, however, if you want to delve a little deeper into the matter and try to classify an offer in terms of production time or even estimate its value. With the first antiques found and acquired inevitably comes the desire to learn more about these objects. And this is much more difficult and also less precise to outline, as many necessary key data for this are missing in the case of the kerosene/paraffin lamps.

Nevertheless, it is worth a try to publish here what I have experienced in the last 10 years of intensive collecting. And I don't want to neglect to point out again that I am talking about my own experiences and do not want to set any general rules. Collectors not only collect the objects of their desire, but also experiences and adventures that can sometimes be sobering.