Last August, when everybody seemingly was on holiday, I appeared the only bidder on this old Bialaddin lamp on brit ebay. Dare I say I got it cheap? Yes I do, if only for a very reasonable - but realistic! - £ 10.00 shipping expenses to the Netherlands. As shown by this pic made by the seller, in slightly weathered condition, but no advertised dents and a claimed original glass to boot. And what a beauty it turned out to be - at least in my eyes - as indeed the lamp was fully original, with an unspoiled authenticity - or was it not? Because, as the seller already noticed, the brand name and other information was proclaimed both on the brass top as well as the collar, so initially I thought this was a mix-match of parts, the older top possibly replacing a red-hatted top that could have been the original. But the presence of the brass - not plated - priming disc, the old-style red logo on the dead original glass suggested this lamp was an early one with the correct black enamelled top. Also, the unpainted fuel cap and pump hinted at the time W&B were still allowed by Aladdin Industries to spend time om such details. soon to be sprayed over as a cost-cutting measure. So the possible 'wrong' top could be correct after all, now we understand so much better how W&B excersised optimum turnover by using whatever parts available to complete a lamp. The theory is then, that when W&B decided to abandon the stamping / rolling of data into the brass hood in favour of such into the collar - perhaps to ensure the main body of the lamp was thus marked - there were still ample such hoods available, that simply were furnished with lamps already fitted with the brand-carrying collars. If so, and considering the first Bialaddin lamp was introduced late 1946, the red-hatted but still maroon 300X appeared 1947/48 -ish, this very lamp might fit well into the year 1947, hence the title. Anyway, I am very happy with this lamp, that shows its age and use, and tells me a story but with dignity. Trouble is, now I hanker after the rather similar predecessor, the Vapalux 300X: oh, the woes of the collecting bug!
What a nice original lamp, and a bargain too! Not that I’m at all qualified comment, but I think your theory as to the age of the lamp is correct. Apart from the intricacies of dating a W&B product, doesn’t the lamp just look so very good, so honest. As you say, ‘Oh, the woes of the collecting bug’.......
Thank you all for the responses. Yet I feel to divulge the auction price, lest some of you might think it started at 0.99 ..... The starting bid was £25.00 Once I secured the possible shipping expenses - always an important factor to set a limit - I put in a bid and forgot about it. The auction ran for another 8 days, but no-one else cared. Mike
That's a real beauty! From recent posts it now seems likely that W&B/Bialadin/Vapalux were a thrifty bunch and didn't waste components just because they didn't fit a specific model's specifications. Obviously a newish looking 320 with an old brass hood and enamel top cap would represent a hack and slash job at some point in the lanterns life, but one like yours seems perfectly believable to me.
Thank you Colin. As for the obvious bitza's, would this apply? It is a current 'buy it now' spectacle on same site. When I cautioned the lady against using the word 'rare' (I called it tongue-in-cheek 'unusual') she thanked me and decided to up the price with a tenner! So go for it lads, before she gets another spark of inspiration!
Oh my goodness, an old straight sided fount with an alloy frame and an enamel hood... Yes, I'd call it a bitsa alright!
Yeah, I've pointed out things like "rare", "on-of-kind", and "low production", to sellers and for the most part they thanked me and either changed the wording or simply farted me off! I didn't mind but one individual went ape sh.. when I told him he had the manufacture wrong. Kept calling it Vapalux instead of Bialaddin! Explained between Bialaddin 1946-68, and Vapalux. Worst part was it was printed "Bialaddin" right on the damn lantern! Once this fruit loop went off the deep end, that was it. I never bother to point any mistakes out to the seller again. Let someone else take the fire!
