Antique Lamps: Shedding Light on Why it’s Time to Downsize
Is your family home becoming a lamp museum?
Shedding Light on Downsizing
From Art Deco to Victorian, it seems like every lamp had its heyday—and now, it’s time for a retirement party. If you’ve got a parade of lampshades clashing in your living room, it’s time to face the reality: your lamp collection might be as outdated as the wattage they're running on.
Our up-cycle culture means vintage desk lamps pass through the used market like a game of hot potato.
But let’s be real: many 2nd-hand stores won’t look twice at your ornate treasures. So if If you’re done fiddling with sockets until the electricity catches, we’ve got some encouraging while you mentally prepare to downsize your lamp “collection”.
Here’s the Scoop on Antique Lamps
That 70’s Glow
Disco isn’t dying, it’s dead. It’s time to let that orange plastic go the way of the shag rug.
Mid-Century Modern Marvels
If your industrial desk lamp is drooping like a giraffe’s neck, or buzzing like a cicada, maybe it’s time to let function trump style.
The Art Deco Dream
This stylish relic screams "Roaring Twenties" but now they’re roaring in the back of thrift stores. Can you even get those bulbs any more?
Victorian Vanity
The ornate brass details of your Victorian vanity might have once illuminated the lives of royalty, but now they just gather dust. Those intricate crevices are so caked with grime, you'd need a forensic team to clean them. Your great-aunt’s vanity doesn’t need any more competition.
Oil Lamps of Yore
Remember when oil lamps were all the rage? No one does. This coastal town’s whaling days are a distant memory, an era that predates even mom and pop. Time to move the fire hazards to the curb.
Tips for Downsizing Your Lamp Collection
How many downsizes does it take to change a light bulb?
Assess Functionality
Test each lamp. Do the next chump a favour and put a fresh bulb in before you put it in the Value Village bin. You should have a drawer full of spare bulbs somewhere.
Choose the Right Bulb
If you’re picking a lamp for your new home, make sure you pick the right temperature or it’ll look out of place. Don’t just chuck in a daylight bulb if it’s big ornate shade. That lamp’s going by a reading chair. Night lamps should be warm and comfortable.
LED lights might out live you, but we all know they’re not as pretty as incandescent (sounds almost like candle, doesn’t it?). Show your loved ones you really care, get them the filament they deserve.
Consider Space
If you want to keep a lamp in your move, make sure it fits your new, smaller space before you move it. If it doesn’t fit when it lands in place, pretend it broke in the move. That’ll make it easier to move on.
Do Your Homework
Think that Tiffany is museum quality? A quick ebay search will tell you what they’re selling for, and how many thousands are listed. Pay attention to how long they’ve been up for sale. That’ll tell you everything you need to know.
Embrace Change
Switching things up can be a simple as going to change a lightbulb and finding out it was the cord that burnt out long ago.
So if your living room looks like the 1893 worlds fair, Changing Places is here to help you get the downsizing process started. With solid advise from our downsizing experts, and a network of professional resources to get your home ready for the next chapter, we’re a one stop shop for all downsizing needs. Drop us a line for your free consultation on our host of downsizing services.
