Why do people collect flashlights?

Rexlion · December 3, 2019, 3:57am

Flashlights (as a thing that could light up the darkness) always fascinated me as a child, and I never got enough of them… only 2 flashlights (a silver 2C Energizer and a 2D angle light, the latter found by my brother in a feedlot, and it never stopped smelling like **it). Now I can get all the lights I want.

There is something sublime about holding a small object in the hand that can illuminate more than my vehicle headlights. And having a light so small it practically disappears in the pocket, yet is far brighter than anything I had as a kid.

hank · December 3, 2019, 4:13am

whiteheat1963 · December 3, 2019, 4:05am

Hahaha! Hilarious.

Joshk · December 3, 2019, 4:18am

whiteheat1963:

There are some good answers and some less good answers here. Thanks to everyone who has made a contribution. Outside of having a real need to fulfill a specific purpose or set of purposes, I could not see or discern any real rational reason to ‘collect flashlights’. Further, I get the impression that it is a pursuit mainly practiced by older guys, rather than say many younger age or other gendered group demographics but to reiterate, this is just an impression and of course there are exceptions - I tip a nod to Flying Luminosity.

So I return again to why do people collect flashlights. The answer it seems is multifarious and some inclusions to it have already been alluded to in some of the previous posts. Perhaps it is no coincidence that gun collecting was also frequently mentioned. Indeed, it seems as though many flashlight collectors are or were also gun collectors. With this in mind, here is my take on why people collect flashlights and I stress that this is just an expression of opinion:

Appreciation of well engineered and well made (now) high tech tools that can serve a very real and useful purpose. Appreciating them perhaps as art forms that have a certain beauty to them. They could be percieved as being at the pinnacle of where form meets function.

2) Size, weight, feel in the hand. Handling and manipulating a usually hand sized tool designed to be used in hand. The better ones feel really comfortable to hold and are very easy to operate in that way. The ability the hold and operate such an object, imparts a certain degree of satisfaction, much more so than operating many other handheld items, for example, a screw driver or can opener, etc.

3) There is some ego boost to having a tool that meets the above criteria that also has a certain “power” to it.

Power: Most of the really well made flashlights, are really bright, much more so than the usual crop of small dollar not so well made or tech heavy flashlights that can be had at the local hardware store, that is, not so “speciality” flashlights. When I say bright, I mean either in lumens or candelas, either flood lights or search lights.

Power: Ownership of one or more speciality flashlights could give an owner a real ego boost, knowing that he/she has a tool of certain “power” (as per 3i), that anybody else in their neighbourhood is most unlikely to have! Kudos.

Power: Much has been talked about the ‘defensive’ capabilities of ‘high power’ flashlights. So, much like owning a gun or knife, there is a certain degree of both wanting a flashlight to act as a weapon and then also having a small sense of security that such a flashlight would give you a means of ‘fighting back’. The intimation here is that used in a certain way, some flashlights can cause temporary blindness allowing you time to take other measures and/or take satisfaction that you have caused some degree of pain or debilitation to a would be assailant that was going to do you harm. However, the potential effect of such flashlights is still relatively mild thereby classing such flashlights as very low grade weapons. If they were any more effective, they’d be controls and regulations around them in abundance. People often cite those very long Maglites that could be used as billy clubs. Only a police person could or would do that because he/she sees the flashlight as just a tool to be used as such as and when the situation requires it and does not care what happens to the flashlight - another replacement can always be had. The serious collector however, would almost never do that. To the collector, the flashlight which personally cost him/her mucho dinero of their hard earned is not going to use it as a billy club, not when you can use an actual billy club that; a) will do the job much better, b) cost a fraction of the expensive flashlight, c) does not risk damaging/breaking said flashlight.

Collecting may be fulfilling a need to ensure that always have a ‘tool that can do the job’. I think this relates to some kind of survival instinct where it behoves one to be as prepared as possible for many and/or any situation/circumstance. I would call this the ‘prepper syndrome’. In some cases I think some people have a real need to have a plethora of different flashlights for a variety of reasons. In other cases, I think the ‘prepper syndrome’ is just a cover for wanting more flashlights, however rational or irrational the reasons involved.

Collecting as a hobby may be or become a source of pride and a means of identification. That is, you are advertising to the world that you are a specialist in flashlights and are knowledgeable about them. Further, as if to prove that, you can demonstrate ownership of a number of flashlights that is way above what most people would consider normally acceptable, For example, knowing someone has one or two flashlights is ‘normal’ and nothing to write home about. Knowing someone has upwards of a dozen flashlights implies that the owner of such an unreasonably large number of flashlights has ‘something going on there’ or otherwise may need to seek professional help. In most cases though, owners of large collections would be only too happy to show them off, talk about them and demonstrate their pride in them - just sifting through the forum posts on this site demonstrates this. It also serves as a talking point at parties or with other so likeminded people on forums such as this. So in that sense, flashlight collecting also serves as a segue in to social interactions.

6) Last and possibly most controversial, these things could be construed as metaphors for a certain part of the male anatomy. So, there could be an element of; “mine is bigger than yours” syndrome, which could be especially true if point 3 attains a high degree of prominence in any given owner’s sub-conscious. I know almost nothing about the psychology of metaphors for the male anatomy so I can’t speculate here, not with any degree of confidence at any rate. However, I will say that it wasn’t until very recently (and that took a very long time) that I suddenly saw the correlation between images of scantily clad women wielding some unfeasibly large firearms and that certain part of the male anatomy. I never understood that until I had an epiphany and saw the light (no pun intended). I am sure something very similar is going on with flashlights although to be fair, I have not seen any images scantily clad women wielding XXXL Maglites or equivalents, then again I haven’t really been looking.

That is my……I was going to say 2cents worth, but I’d be lying. It is more like my $2.50 worth of spiel.

You seem a bit over analytical. Perfect. Buy a flashlight and before you know it you will have a collection

Lightbringer · December 3, 2019, 4:26am

Hummels, shoes, spoons, hats, you name it.

At least collecting utilitarian things like lights or knives have a function. :laughing:

Lightbringer · December 3, 2019, 4:32am

Sillen · December 3, 2019, 5:18am

’cause Melbourne gets dark in winter.

xevious · December 3, 2019, 6:01am

And also why people group, as they do… for certain causes or beliefs. To the point of “binding” their identity to it such that any challenge, no matter how logical, is treated as a threat and fought back with total blind stubbornness. Sorry, that’s “OT” for intent and just a general observation. But we need more experts to understand it… and come up with ways to address it.

Nismo · December 3, 2019, 1:39pm

I don’t believe I collect them, but my reason to as why I have so many is to test and find my favorite EDC, headlamp, lantern etc… so that I have the best light I can for every situation.

I’m wondering if I should sell the ones I don’t use, but then again I might want to try them out again, compare them to newer ones or suddenly I find a use case for them.

I love lights, been loving them all my life, and I’m quite interested in either CRI or output. For example having a LED flashlight that looks exactly like an incandescent light (e.g SST-20 2700K) is my kind of thing. I didn’t know about all these LEDs and flashlights before I joined the r/flashlight subreddit, but now I’m like a kid in a candy store trying everything out.

Nismo · December 3, 2019, 1:57pm

This. I’ve always got my D4V2, Leatherman Charge+ and a lighter with me, and I can’t keep count how many times my friends have asked for help with either lighting or needed my knife, pliers or lighter. It’s not that I foresee myself stranded in the middle of a forest at any given time, but doing daily tasks that require these, and not having to walk to the car or back into the house to get the right tool every time.

Like you said, just opening packaging becomes a creative game of “what can I use to molest this packaging and extract the contents with” if they don’t have the right tool with them.

I don’t notice carrying them either, so I see no reason to not have them with me as they make everything so much easier.

Macka17 · December 3, 2019, 3:29pm

I had my FIRST torch about 1946/7.
Difference ’t’ween in and a match…. Very little.
It just lasted longer.

Over the decades. I made do. Till I started sailing at night.
“Channel Marker?” Hmm.
Somewhere in that direction. Bump. Oh shit. The hard stuff.
outside of channel.
While also rabbit.fox.Roo Shooting.

The search goes on.

70 ish yrs later. and over 50 torches. Most in a box in back of wardrobe.
Or out in the weekly bin.
I have throwers. Spreaders. and everything in between.

One day. Soon I hope. I’ll see THE ONE. Or so.
But not holding my breathe. I don’t have too many days left hey…. Chuckle.

No matter what you have. Get. or do.
SOMEBODY Always Gets. Does. Have’s.
Something better.
And so it goes.

I’m happy with what I’ve got. SO FAR. But don’t expect to stay there for too long.
Same as my fishing gear. Photography. Knives.

There’s always another one. One day soon. Maybeeeeeeeeee…

But. When all said and done.
After carrying a LOT of different knives and Torches.

In my pocket now.
I have a little flat/Black SOG Micro2.
and one of those dual flat cell things with LED hanging off the end.
Squeeze to activate. (10 for $11.50AUD del)
Does 99.5% of what I need 80% of the time.
With next step ups somewhere near, to take over when needed…

Photonica · December 3, 2019, 3:32pm

Because I like fine engineering, and can’t afford Ferraris?

One of the founders of Cincinnati Microwave and inventor of the consumer radar detector lives in my old hometown. He collects Corvettes and Ferraris. The crown of his collection is one of two four-liter Ferrari 250 GTs built. It’s been appraised at $40MM.

WalkIntoTheLight · December 3, 2019, 3:54pm

Because we’re nerds.

Petr_Sixta · December 3, 2019, 4:36pm

This is the first BLF post I had to laugh out loud.

And there’s a piece of truth in it.

Lightbringer · December 3, 2019, 5:20pm

Funny, but at least a similar car was in an ep of Lawn Order…

’62 GTO.

hank · December 3, 2019, 6:26pm

Another reason of course is variety, the “collect them all” impulse the Chinese manufacturers exploit so well by making endless variations on a theme.

I notice SK68 clones at Ali are down to $2 apiece, with multiple colors of LED and shell for sale.
Somebody in China must have a very full warehouse.

Deputy_Dog · December 3, 2019, 6:28pm

Because I just can’t throw anything away!

Joshk · December 3, 2019, 6:35pm

And selling can be a massive pain. I just had someone spend 2 days talking to me about shipping for a LED I paid $5 and was now selling for $2. He finally bought it, but what a massive waste of my time. Selling whole flashlights is about the same experiences.

Nismo · December 3, 2019, 6:47pm

Especially if they’re the kind of people that believe the stated lumens on eBay listings, like “well why does this only have 4200 lumens and cost $30 while I can get a 10 000 lumen one from eBay for $10”. Same goes for battery capacity, 18650 batteries over 3600mAh are a fraud.

xevious · December 3, 2019, 8:17pm

Whoa. $40 million? Nuts. I mean, you can’t even drive it around care free. Shelf-queen. Unless you’re a billionaire and just don’t care. Often it starts out as “Just want a few gems I’ve always drooled over.” Then after a few, you get to know other collectors, broaden your scope, get lured into buying others too. Soon you have a temperature controlled warehouse.