Why do people collect flashlights?

Collecting is what we primates do. :stuck_out_tongue:

Sometimes we build our own stuff, sometimes we buy other’s, and often we “tweak” the collection.

These lights are a NEW technology not available in most stores (unless for 6x what we pay for them from: dive shops, vacation boutiques, etc.) So they are somewhat RARE… and I’m pretty sure THAT drives our collections more than anything else.

And we “collectors” especially are turned on by these lights because they are NOT something Wal-Mart sells, but highly engineered, reliable devices NOT made in the USA (where they’d cost hundreds), but in China who is radically building a new middle class working hard, and selling value.

For what we get, these lights are a very good value most can’t easily get without knowledge (thank you BLF).

In my personal case: I LOVE the idea of cutting OUT the middleman (Wall-Mart/Street), paying LOW shipping, and paying NO tax (or “fake tax” as with the case of several big Asian sellers this year: ALiExpress, BangGood, and a few others on my blacklist).

I am USING THE INTERNET the way we old guys (and gals) THOUGHT it would be used when this started about 25 years ago: To buy direct from craftspeople who build THE BEST stuff and sell it to us direct — not making middlemen rich while “starving” the producers and “gaming” the buyers (to death more-and-more) as SO many markets do today.

^ That is a pretty good explanation. I might add that the ability to turn darkness into light at the touch of a button is cool. The old incandescent D cell lights we grew up with just can’t compare.

Yes, we are made from stardust… they say :smiley:

So turning on a “star” at the touch of a button is a primordial experience… every time!

I don`t know WHY I “collect” them, I always have since I was about 4 years old, most kids would be buying sweets and candy, I wanted torches and batteries. It`s been that way ever since, and through many loses of my “collections” I`v always built it back up again, When I had a little flashlight I was never afraid of the dark and would often hide somewhere dark and read books as quietly as possible, it was one of the few times I actually felt Safe as a child.
But it`s also more interactive than just collecting and curating, my lights don`t just get used regularly but I also love Modding them and picking out new emitters to try out, I also enjoy making lights as well and have done since I was a child, and was fascinated when LEDs first came out (at Radio Shack), they soon became my fave electronic component and I have well over 10,000 of them now, some new some Very old and lots in between and in all different colors and shapes (the ones in TO-18 metal can are my faves), and a healthy Incan bulb “collection” too.
And it`s not about “showing off” it never has been, in fact other than here, no-one else knows that I do this other than immediate family, I keep it a secret, in fact I don`t even show any pics of my lights on here unless specifically asked, I`m just not in it for that. I don`t do it to have something that no-one else has (though I do like modding them to my own tastes), what others have is non of my business and I`m probably one of the least competative people you`ll meet, I like to stay in my own lane.
As for it being a Primal Instinct thing, I can`t rule that out because I was like it as a very young child, so it might be that? I`m a musician too (also considered a primal thing), so maybe that`s it??? :slight_smile:

My first (cool) LED lights were show light fixtures I bought for a sound company I ran in Austin, TX for 3-4 years. Old Par 64 cans got HOT and in Texas on summer nights- the stage got “sweaty”. I remember when several musicians first played under my LED lights for the first time and commented on stage how “cool” they were :smiley: But the reason I went to them was that MOST shows were run off “bar circuits” where I often had to SHARE the same power with a neon beer light or bar blender. The LED lights used about 1/5th the power of par cans. Then amplifiers ALSO went to “class D” where power also was cut in 1/2 for the same sound output. So instead of needing three 20A circuits- I could run a pretty good show on two (or often a smaller show on just ONE!)

High-End Systems made some of the first LED light fixtures used in live shows around the world and was an Austin based company too. The owner was a genius and one of the first companies to deliver pro-grade LED fixtures to the market back then (around 2006 or so). But I could never afford his stuff… so I also made some of my own which were used for a few years on smaller shows around Austin back then. I still have the aluminum rails I build them on (out in my garage). Maybe I need to rebuild them some day :stuck_out_tongue:

You are right, the best is to have different lights and of all kinds to decorate the tree or the house.

Irrational fear of the dark.

This thread was the first result on Google when I searched for this question lol

I don’t know why I collect flashlights and knives but it has taken a lot of my money :laughing:

I have a modest collection of flashlights, and a small collection of knives. I don’t really collect anything else. I justify the money spent by their potential usefulness. I wish I lived closer to a nature trail to get in some good night walks with some of them. If well taken care of, they should last many years and there’s always new batteries and emitter swaps.

There’s certainly less useful things to collect. Also, although flashlights can get expensive, there are a large number of flashlights under $100 that are great options. Heck, even under $50 there’s lots of options for quality.

For me, just starting last February, I found flashlights as new “toys” to keep me company and break the monotony of Working From Home alone in my quiet work room for over 20 months now.

The exciting anticipation of waiting for and getting a new flashlight, some new batteries, or a new charger, once a week is a morale booster for me to get up each morning to endure another day of WFH routine. :innocent:

Flashlights in LED form have truly become “devices,” not just dumb tools. Sophistication in a micro format. My Fireflies PL47mu with 22430 battery is this stout little stump of a thing that I can hide in the palm of my hand. Open up and the aux-LEDs are pulsing. Click & hold to bring on moon mode and 4 independent LED emitters glow. I think back on my childhood using these dumpy weak incandescent 2 C cell flashlights… and if I’d been given this light back then, I’d have thought it came from space aliens. Anyway, aside from the tremendous fun factor, a mule flashlight is so incredibly useful. Total area flood. Now I’ve got two of them and in tandem they’re terrific photography lighting tools.

Because the Flying Spaghetti Monster told them to (may or may not have actually happened) :innocent:

Are you referring to the “Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster” ?

If so you may possibly be in violation of BLF rule # 3

3. Please avoid controversial or divisive subjects such as religion and politics.

Because we are attracted to shining objects.

Flashlights are elegant.
Like the sun.
As cars are to horses,
flashlights are to flames.
It’s like an inverted Rube Goldberg machine.

No, Flying Spaghetti Monster is the base firmware atop which software like Anduril runs.

i don’t collect per se.

i just have a bunch of lights for various reasons:

1 want small bright flexible EDC - fw3a

2. want super small - tool AAA, trustfire minix

3. like cheap in spite of some disadvantages—have many for that

4. want long thrower - have some 10 year old jetbeam that uses 2x18650 and a home depot that use 3xC cells

Testing 1, 2, 30.

I started as a kid at around 10. I always liked outdoors and was fascinated by having the power to light up the darkness. Then as lights kept getting more and more powerful especially when leds came out I just kept wanting that awe that was intensified as the lights did.

I am always worried about one of my children getting one of my lights and turning it on and dropping it behind the couch or something and burning the house down or hurting themselves.