How expensive is antique lighting? Tips on determining how much money you should spend for antique lighting. Antique lighting is no more costly than new lighting, according to Sharon Nunnally, who has been...
Antique lighting is no more costly than new lighting, according to Sharon Nunnally, who has been in the antique lighting business for 20 years and is the owner of Antique Lighting and Restoration in Denver. "You can get a really nice antique light for about $3 to $5," Nunnally advises. "If you want a light that has a nice look and it's not in every home built in every subdivision in America, then you want an antique light. It's not going to cost an arm and a leg if you search carefully. Get a reputable lighting person to help you and keep in mind that it really isn't all that mystical."
The price of the lighting also depends on the market place, according to Nunnally. In communities with run-down century old buildings and a large number of homeowners eager to restore these architectural masterpieces, the demand for antique lighting fixtures is great. Higher prices in these areas reflects the demand. Similar lighting fixtures would sell for less in newer communities with fewer old structures.
"Lighting prices also depend on the time period, the scarcity and various styles within groups of lighting," Nunnally states. "For restored antique lighting, you can get a nice foyer fixture starting at about $75. Some of the larger, more elaborate pieces can be as much as $5,000 to $10,000. Having all of the original antique glass adds greatly to the value of antique lighting. The bulk of century old American lighting is very affordable. For $300 to $500 you can get a very nice antique fixture for the same price as a brand new piece."
Art Deco lamps, which were made in the 1920s with geometric and cubic lines, are among the most expensive types of antique lighting today. An all original Art Deco lamp with dramatic styling is out of the price range of most collectors and homeowners.
Large kerosene lights from the early 1800s are also very pricy, according to Nunnally. "These would be room size kerosene lights, and not just a single bulb but multiple bulbs with very ordinary kerosene fixtures," she explains. "Nowadays we only see them in photos and they are next to impossible to find."
Another type of lighting out of the price range of all but the very wealthy is an original stained glass lamp made by Louis Comfort Tiffany. He was one of the first manufacturers of lamps with iridescent lamp shades. Even though he was very prolific and made a lot of lamps, the demand has always exceeded the supply. That has kept prices high. Values depend on how intricate the glass pattern is and the condition of all pieces of glass. While slight damage to the glass, or a plainer pattern, lowers the value, these factors still do not make Tiffany lamps affordable.
As with most valuable antiques, there are quality reproductions being made. If you want a reproduction Art Deco or Tiffany lighting piece for your home, that's fine. Just be sure you know you're buying a new lighting fixture and don't pay the price of an antique piece.
