Super thanks to reader Hannah, who spotted this one: A big stash of New Old Stock (NOS) mid century modern and postmodern lights for sale from etsy seller Moon Lighting Vintage. Based on Hannah’s tip, I reached out pronto to get permission to show the photos and to feature the back story. Yup, there is one, same as usual: Inventory pushed back on the shelf in old timey longtime store — discovered and uncovered by someone who recognized their worth. Seller Miss Abby says there are about 200 lights — and there are many mix-and-match pieces if you want to do an entire room — or maybe an entire house. More more more –>>
Esty seller Miss Abby writes:
My best friend and I recently stumbled upon the lights. I’ve just moved to a very small town in rural Texas and had to run to the local hardware store located in the old downtown buildings. I caught sight of a couple of vintage light fixtures hanging up for sale alongside their other typical items. When I asked about them, she told me that years ago they had bought the contents of a hardware store in a nearby town that had gone out of business years before that. The lights have never been sold to a customer, they just been sitting in one of the hardware stores. My list kept getting longer of the ones I wanted, and the same thing happened to my friend when she saw them. We dug around in a storeroom with the ceiling falling in to find the neatest, most complete lights we could. We bought them out at nearly 200 lights and nobody can use that many, no matter how much we love them. I’m really having a hard time offering them for sale though!
Many of the lights have exact duplicates and/or coordinating fixtures either in color or style. That’s a big deal to me – I love the idea of doing a whole area in matching lights. I’ve got about 20 lights listed and a lot more to go.
UNHEARD of, pretty much, to find complete sets like this!!! If I had the tiki house in Florida, this set would be MINE MINE MINE.
I SIMPLY ADORE the hobnail glass glove. ADORE~
Oh, this one (above) would look so fantastic in my office. CAN I RESIST?
Brand name spotted: Progress (good brand) Town and Country Collection. LUV
Thank you so much, Hannah, for this tip. READERS, keep those tips coming — they help make the blog the SUPER AWESOMIST it can be, Kate and I JUMP when we get them. 🙂
Again, the link to shop these lights: Moon Lighting Vintage on etsy.com
Rebecca Prichard says
I SCREAMED aloud when I saw the kids’ one!
hannah says
This made me smile. 🙂
Miss Abby says
I’m so happy to see the comments appreciating the rescuing of these lights. They truly were a rescue because the majority of them were in the store room – not climate controlled and we could here pieces of the roof falling in. Consequently that’s why some already have thin lines of rust or discolorations.
After we bought them, we heard more than once, “Why would you want to do that?”
Jay says
I have never bought on Etsy before, If I want to purchase a light do I pay you directly? Not sure how it works. Thanks!
Miss Abby says
I set up the shop to take credit cards, but Etsy handles that for me. Just set up an etsy account, add your light to cart, and you’ll be able to enter cc info at checkout. Easy!
Thanks!
Jay says
Thanks! I see the fixtures are going fast, I am checking periodically to see what else pops up.
Karl says
The train one was up in my room when I was a kid. Still have it.
Technicolor says
I love it when someone recognizes history and saves it for us. Can’t believe those orange print kitchen fixtures are a complete set. They would be the start of a whole new kitchen.
Char, very easy to rewire with a plug and also change over again. Run fast and pick one out. You can add small chains to hang with simple lamp hardware.
Rebecca@MidcenturyModernRemodel says
I am sitting here just stunned. Simply stunned. Heading over now.
Joe Felice says
You know what is amazing? No matter where in the country you may have lived, we ALL remember seeing (and having) most of these lights! I mean, you would have found them in NYC or in Anchorage. I think that’s one of the cool things about classic Americana–it is universal and pervasive, and it unites us in our appreciation of it. Even the gauche becomes mysteriously attractive, as memories are evoked.
Grandma had those down-rod lights in the living room that were SO typical in homes built in the ’30s & ’40s. One time, some of us kids were fooling around, and I accidently threw a sock up into the fixture. Not wanting to get in trouble, I said nothing; just went around with one sock till it wore out. In 1982, after grandma passed away, we were cleaning out the house. (We were now all adults.) When I reached up to dust the fixture, out came a sock. All the cousins came running when they heard me scream “Oh, my God!” We all sat there and laughed off our asses. That fixture that everyone hated suddenly became the most-gorgeous thing on earth–keeper of an unexpected memory. Every one of us remembered that sock-throwing from 30 years earlier! And God love grandma–she was laughing right along with us!
pam kueber says
What a wonderful story. Yes: When it came to lighting, it seems like there were a few mega-manufacturers.
Miss Abby says
That is hilarious and such a special memory! I love anything vintage, old school, but what caught my eye about these lights were the metal cutout scroll ones. My grandma has a white one above her kitchen sink that I’ve always adored. I’ve started a good collection of her Crazy Daisy Corelle and now I’ve got her lights. It made me smile at Christmas to hear her say, “I feel like I’m in my kitchen.” 🙂
hannah says
O.M.G. BEST story EVER! Seriously, I about spit my drink. 😀
So, one question: Who is now the keeper of “the sock” ????
Joe Felice says
Well, another 30 years have gone by, and we’re all too old to remember! Honestly, though, I think I threw it back up as a “gift” for the new owner. Shortly after the incident, everyone started fighting over grandma’s stuff like a bunch of vultures. I got so disgusted, I had to leave, and have never returned. Twenty years later, I acquired the original Turner painted flamingo mirror that hung right next to the front door, and it is now being lovingly cared for in my dining room. (Another piece of Americana that is universally recognized.)
Chicago Char says
Are all of them to be hard-wired? Since I rent, I want a couple swag lamps although I think they are identified as something else nowadays.
pam kueber says
You need to message the seller to ask. You might also want to call a local lighting shop and ask them if they could rewire with a plug for you — I think it’s very do-able.
Vince says
It seems that every house built in the ’70s had those globe ball lights! I think they look really cool, and they go with almost any decor.
hannah says
Not MY Mom…oh, no way would she have one of those ‘garish things’ in her home. I only WISH. I frequently lament my story about my uber cool musician Dad who was into danish modern, and my wonderful but “square” Mom, eventually, infiltrated with the danish modern with Early American *gak* (!!!)
However, their cocktail party friends had much more mod homes than us, and that’s where I got a lot of my appreciation for the MCM/mod/kitsch style.
Rena P. says
Just ordered the copper one shown just above the yellow flower one you like so much. Will look perfect in my kitchen. It has a copper vent hood and back splash over the stove! Thanks for posting.
hannah says
Lucky you! That was the first one that really caught my eye. 🙂
Rena P. says
Whew, sorry you did not get it…but, glad I was quick on the draw! I am so looking forward to it. We are redecorating our house and I have learned to make fast decisions or be left in a cloud of dust!
pam kueber says
Beautiful ceiling light — that one and others. SO HARD today to find great ceiling fixtures! Congrats!
hannah says
No worries Rena. I wasn’t in a buying mood, and we have all the vintage lighting we need right now. Well, I could use one or two ceiling lights in the kitchen, but I’m not in the market at the moment. So, I’m glad an RR fan got it!
Heidi says
Oh my goodness, you are killing me!!! These are amazing. What a great find!!! I especially love the ceiling mounted ones, it is so hard to find good ones that are not home depot-y or too school house-y. I got my retro mod ones from Rejuvenation but now I want these! 🙂