I received my first flashlight in 1976 as a gift from my dad. It uses 2 C batteries.
Still have it today and it works like a charm.
What do you have?
This
Nice pic!
Still works, one of these days when I have the time I’d like to strip it down, re-chrome and make it like new.
WOW, where did you get that from?
It was my fathers (and I’m north of 50). I used it as a kid running around the neighborhood playing flashlight tag. I could spot kids a block away! The sealed beam light works like new.
Dear oh dear. Potentially valuable antique you’ve got there (to the right person, anyway).
My oldest light is a Mini Maglite that I’ve had for about 20 odd years. I have 3 of these in fact, and the oldest one is in almost mint condition because I had lost it for about a decade.
The joy of finding something after so many years is special.
My dad had actually tucked away my flashlight sometime in the early 80’s. Was stored away for almost 25 years or so. It brought back some sweet childhood memories, one of them was when we used to go out at night with the neighborhood gang and walk into the so called haunted house in the area at the time. I can vividly recall wanting to hold something brighter. Where were the LED’s back then? Nowadays, flashlights are so powerful they would spook the ghost. :bigsmile:
Yea, we would have killed for something like a modern P60 back then. The problem with Dad’s light was that I could never run with the damn thing, too heavy!
We also used to get the plastic, Radio Shack 5D lights. Every few months Radio Shack would have a coupon in the Sunday paper good for a free light. I’m sure they made more money on the 5 batteries we’d buy than the light was worth.
An old incan Eveready (I think it’s an australia brand, not sure though) spotlight that ran off the rectangular prism type 6V batteries.
It sure shot a beam far, has intense throw but pitiful output compared to my current ones. At the time it was a beast though.
I remember my grandfather using this in the early 1950’s to check his chickens.
I have an old 2D Mag that I bought some time in the mid-80’s.
I noticed that old lights unlike old guns or old cars do NOT get better with age! LOL! Could you imagine going to a store and buying one of those old bastards today? If someone tried to sell me a giant tin incandescent light that put out 8 lumins, I believe I would punch them right in the mouth.
That being said, there is a bit of a clown fun factor to these old dinosaurs. They are kind of funny like one of those 1980s huge car phones.
Haha if someone tried to sell them to me, I’d decorate my house with it! You’d have to punch ME in the mouth to get me not to buy it :bigsmile:
The flashlight I have is a small hand held (well, small for the days back then)…today it is sitting proudly on my shelf with my newer lights. There is a story to be told for each old 10 lumen light out there. I agree that some old dinosoars are quite fun looking but that is what gives them character today.
I use to have one of those old green angled 2D military flashlights back when I was a kid (late 60's). It even had a red colored lens. It got lost during one of our many moves. 
I have purchased old-fashioned (but new) incan 2D metal flashlight about $0.50 from a dollar store.
Just because it was the same with my grandfathers light about 30 years ago.
What Exactly constitutes a flashlight? Would an oil lantern count?
I used to have one of those and lost it during one of my moves. It was a hand-me-down from my dad who was in the Air-Force toward the end of the Vietnam conflict. It had the red lens, a solid white 'lens' and a diffuser type lens that was clear with facets molded into it. I wish I still had that light... 
My personal oldest light would be a pretty close tie between:
An old incan light with an adjustable angled head and a molded orange rubber overgrip; it's very large, but still a 2x AA light. This light is packed away in a box and hasn't been used in years...
A late-80s/early-90s Maglite that's been modded into my aspheric thrower.
I’m leaning towards yes on this one.