These viral vintage light bulbs are selling for $500

A month ago, Dustin Swearing could easily get some of his favorite old lamps for $45. Now the same glowing orbs can cost more than $500 apiece, and he only has himself to blame. “It inadvertently caused the Aerolux market to skyrocket, and online prices reached record levels,” says Swearing. advertisement. The lights in question, produced by Aerolux Light Corporation, are pieces from the company’s electric flower line. The bulbs appear like glowing flowers inside glass bottles, and have recently received increased attention thanks to a TikTok Soyring post a couple of weeks ago.

The video, which has gone viral, has received more than 7.3 million views and thousands of comments from virtual fans since it was uploaded on August 30. “This is the most majestic thing I have ever seen,” one person commented. Another added: “I’m crying and I want it so bad.” Swearing attributes the overwhelming hype to a lack of public knowledge. “Although (the lamps) are not very rare, the majority of them are in private collections and have been forgotten by the public,” he explains. But like stems in lights, the love for bulbs is shining again thanks to Swearing’s reminder on social media.

According to Swearing, Aerolux began manufacturing lights in the 1930s and continued producing them until the mid-1970s. The interior sculptures are “made of steel and covered in phosphor, which gives color when activated,” Swearing explains. An article published in 1938 in New York times He describes the lamps at the gift show, noting that the company used the event to introduce designs including flowers, Mickey Mouse and pink elephants in the lamps. Much of the product innovation can be credited to the company’s president, Philip J. Kayat, who received numerous patents for his lighting designs and was a prominent figure in installing neon lights for advertising on Broadway.

As interest in Aerolux grows, prices for the once forgotten lamps are now rising. Swearing has seen old lamps sell for up to $500 apiece, and he recently sold a few from his personal collection. “I listed a few of the products I featured on TikTok on eBay, and one bulb alone sold for $570,” he says. Right now, a number of eBay listings for electric flower lights have multiple bids around $150, though auctions are still open for a few more days. He points out that although the company has created many sculptures, flowers remain the most popular.

Swearing believes the high prices are mostly due to the fact that there are very few modern alternatives to Aerolux. “No manufacturer today offers lamps with flowers within them that have the same aura and detail as Aerolux,” he concludes. “Judging by what I’m seeing, unless the company steps up and produces lamps with the same detail quality as the originals, I don’t expect the Aerolux market to decline any time soon.”