Why do people collect flashlights?

What??? Consumer electronics are considered cool (at least at some point in their life cycle)? This is news to me. I thought them to be totally utilitarian, nothing happening in the cool department, flashlights excepted of course. There's something deeply worrying going on with those things. Last month I just owned an old (5 to 8 lumen mini mag), nothing else in the flashlight department. Now I have 4 of the infernal things and am waiting on a further 3 to arrive. Xmas is slowing the process up some as planetary use of the mailing system goes bananas in December, can't think why. Still, at least the Chinese have managed to actually produce multiple brands of a generic item that can be said to be quality items. For once, the phrase "made in China", a phrase that used to strike fear in to hearts of many, a phrase known for being the very byword for quality (deep sarcasm here), can, with most of these flashlights be viewed as being items of quality.

I have noticed that certain brands are more prevalent in certain countries than others, which tends to skew debates somewhat, as one group on the forum make reference to brands A, B and C, whilst most other people are much more familiar with brands X, Y and Z, a product of Web browsing predilected and predirected towards brands with a strong presence in those regions.

Just press the "any" key.

I can say that in Brazil, the most prevalent manufacturer is Fenix. Fitting because only the semi-wealthy here buy flashlights that aren’t made of plastic with a built-in plug for charging. (Not that I’m really throwing shade, I had a VERY old [8+ years] light of this kind that I gave to my brother when I was moving house, and later, out on a fishing trip, it was the one torch that didn’t crap out on him. And he has an Olight S1 Baton.) AFAIK, I’m the only Convoy fanboy in the entire Pantanal area.

I think that I collect them because I am STUPID! I have to be to have collected over 130 of them. And I have a logical mind, or so I thought. Where is the logic here? At times I look over my collection and say “WHAT WAS I THINKING?” Could have been worse from what I read, my most expensive light was $150 … compared to some others that is tame. Only a couple, 3 at the most over $100, whew! Not sure what to do with them. They are everywhere. Batteries, boxes, chargers, etc. All shelf queens. I admire those in this Forum who have said ENOUGH, and unloaded their collections.

when I need a light at night when I go somewhere I carry a Nitecore Tube!

Christmas greetings!

for me it started like most little collections, by wanting one really good tool for important situations. Blackout, stuck in the woods, losing a contact at a bar… etc. then once you get what you think are the right group of tools, you have learned more, or want different things, and have to keep going. Then you’ve spent so much time looking and playing with those things you like them and want more.

Yes, I am starting to favour Nitecore with Fenix a close second.

I collect hot babes . I'm just starting my collection and want to keep them in my basement .

Since I don't yet have a basement I'm hoping they will be excited about digging one .

Why collect flashlights ?.... I needed a place to put my battery collection .

Why collect flashlights ?…. I needed a place to put my battery collection .



rent a storage space, most likely cheaper :wink:

One of those extra large 12'x24' storage pods is what I need .

If you can find the answer,send it to me please.Perhaps you can help me save enough money. :wink:

Why do people collect flashlights?

Hell! I even collect chargers, batteries, nice tools, electric screw drivers with esoteric bits, even old packing materials that I think I can eventually use.

Enjoy whatever you can lay your hands on, you’ll never know when you can no longer continue with it!

Often it’s compulsive shopping.
It’s common on the era of consumer and materialism.

Yes, that’s true for most people. It's the utilitarian thinking of acquiring and keeping whatever you think will be and continue to useful in the present and future. To some degree that's a facet of hoarding which in moderation is probably fine. For some people it becomes a real issue though. But all that aside, the question I posed was pointed at why people acquire a multitude of flashlights assuming they didn't have specific need for particular flashlight or two. And even if there was a specific need for a particular flashlight or two, why were additional flashlights acquired when there was no specific need for them. That was where I was going with this.

You'd have to be very well heeled or not suffer from any shortage or constriction of coin to support that habit. But that doesn't demonstrate why people collect flashlights as a habit like that would show how all manner of consumer materials were acquired. In this case I draw a distinction between acquiring and collecting.

(I will use the word “torch” as we are both Commonwealth English posters)

  • Buy first torch, realise there are better ones out there.
  • Fascination with LED technology. Still remember as a kid wondering if anything other than dim 5mm red, orange and green LEDs would ever be available. (Blue & white 5mm LEDs came out mid 90s, high-power LEDs in the mid 2000s?)
  • Try different torches out and see which ones “fit”. Then shelve unused torches indefinitely rather than sell or give them away.
  • Realise there can be a size or type of torch/headlamp/lantern for different occasions so set out to acquire a decent collection
  • Desire to have the latest and greatest (I use two Zebralight H60s with XR-E LEDs daily but the temptation is to add a third headlamp?)
  • Buying stuff just because it’s cheap, rather than really necessary.

Yes Colonel, I like it. Your little sequence of occurrences fits well with what happens to many people and not a few on this forum. I particularly like point 1. Although, after buying your first torch, how did you work out or otherwise understand that there were better torches out there?

In the mid-2000s I used to walk around in total darkness without a torch. I bought a cheap bike light from Big W with three white 5mm LEDs but it was too dim to use for walks. I bought a 3xAA torch with maybe nine 5mm LEDs that was going cheap. It wasn’t that practical so I remained in darkness for a year or two longer. Eventually I wondered why I hadn’t looked up what else was out there as surely the junk I had was near the bottom of the pile. Then I found out in 2007 about high power LEDs, Candle Power Forum, DealExtreme and started from there.

it gives my friends and family something to laugh about.

What???? You mean you actually tell 'other' people about your 'habit'? Tut-tut. You deserve all the derision that gets piled on