Weekend Diversion: Night Of The Ponies
Pedway, First Store Open At Block 37
Around Town
Around Town
Red-Light Cameras Not So Special?
Chicago's Talon Merchant Capital announced today that it's now the proud owner of the company that makes Lava lamps. Technically, they're called Lava Lites. The company is going back to calling itself Lava Lite LLC after years as Lava World International, which according to a press release "'reflects a desire to return to our roots similar to Coca-Cola's move with 'classic coke.'"
Back in the day, there were all different kinds of Lava options: a wall-mounted Princess model, a canister-shaped Consort model, a cross or menorah-adorned Meditation model, and the almost unbearably ugly Alladin. Wow. [Crain's, press release, an old Straight Dope from back when the Lava factory was on Fullerton and Pulaski]
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
Here's my history with lava lamps.
Bought one at a garage sale in 1995 for $2. It was brand new, still in its box.
Sold it for $5 when I moved.
Bought one here in Chicago around 7 years ago for $35 and some part on the inside broke off so the glob wouldn't float anymore and I didn't keep the receipt so I couldn't take it back to the store.
After reading this I want to get another one. I love lava lamps.
I hate to be a downer, but they were not a cool company to work
for. In fact, quite the opposite. Very corporate, uptight, not at all in
the spirit of the product. Worse, since they bailed out of Chicago to
go to China the lamps are sucky, boring Walmart quality. I hope the
new owners have a clue.
Hear hear, Keenie!
I hate it when something that might be iconic and cool just becomes so much more useless consumer crap in the name of making a buck.
You can't beat the vintage lamps. The new ones are quite boring, but the one I used to have (before an old roommate klepto'ed it) was a giant 1972 model with little holes in the base and MAN did that thing have action.
Kevin, the oracle, speaks!
The sad truth is that Lava Lites could not be any further from the USA, right now. They are now made in China and the quality is extremely poor. So poor that most of them produced don't work. I used to work for their factory in Chicago and the way they treated us staff when they decided to outsource was in excusable. Keenie is right in saying they are not a cool company to work for. It is very sad how they have cheapened the Lava Lite, till it isn't worth anything anymore.
If you are looking for decent lava lites then simply just head to ebay and buy a 1990s model - the good models have lava lite writen on the cap and the chinese one have a sticker with a number. Goodness knows what kinds of toxic stuff they put into them, the new ones are cloudy, broken and don't work. They say they aren't toxic but remember the lead in children's toys. Sad a very sad story.
Reina.