light fixtures? identify and opinions please

[mcameron, bill]

ok here is the thing

searching for a lite fix

pretty open about it but that is not the issue

why in the f? do they cost so much????

that is to say...it is just sockets and generally sheet metal and wires and glass, a casting or two

well

today i go to this HIGH end place looking for something that will be just it

WOW

they have 5 8 10 that would be perfect

$1697, 2300

$1327

seem to be fascinated with the "7" number in their pricing

but anyway

whilst wandering around

there is this kinda nautical ceiling chandelier with maybe a 16 inch copper shade on it with 75 watt cap inside an inverted middle tube/globe with few fin things above, hard to explain but cute, semi-industrial-nautical looking $627!!!!!

but hey!!!!!!!

i have one that is almost identical to it except for the ceiling to lamp connection sitting in my foyier? hall? that i bought from a home store 4 years ago for $30? maybe less on closeout?

what is the deal??

gotta know

is it the "born every minute theory" or am i behind in my pricing stuff

and

would like to find another of the above fixtures

copper as described above, know it was a mass produce import

thanks

bill

[Michael Baugh]

Considered a trip to eBay?

[ameijers]

(snip stream-of-conciousness wail about cost of light fixtures...)

You are partially right, in that there isn't much to most light fixtures, and many of the fancy ones are (over)priced on the basis of what idiot yuppies will pay for a particular style. HOWEVER- there is a definite quality range between cheap big-box fixtures, and custom-order top end goods. The thickness of the metal parts, the quality of the plating or other coatings, how well it was fastened together (and how easy it is to open up for service), the thickness and quality of the glass globes, etc. And most importantly, of course, the quality of the wiring and lamp bases in the fixture. (This so-called luxury apartment is ten years old, and many of the fixtures are already brown and crumbly inside when I change bulbs.)

I would never buy lights out of a catalog, unless the jobber had a sample of the same or very similar style that I could eyeball to see the quality of the guts they use. The junk lamps will feel flimsy and cheap in your hands, and when you wiggle the socket and twist the whole assembly. And IMHO, look for a 'classic' design that has been in production for many years, and isn't likely to go out of style. That way, if one fails, you can probably get a 'close enough' match to replace it with.

aem sends...