Antique Lamps (Part II)

So many lighting choices, so little time! In trying to decorate your home or office, it can be difficult to make a decision when faced with so many lighting choices. You can choose between antique lamps, reproduction lamps, and even lamps of modern design. Antique light tends to make me think of candlesticks, the soft glow of an oil lamp, or perhaps an old fashioned gas jet.
 
You can still purchase beautiful and still fully functional antique light fixtures. If you're in the market for antique brass floor lamps, it's a great idea to shop online. Many people are selling such items. The Internet is a great way to shop for antiques. Online merchants offer quite detailed product descriptions as well as photographs of the items, and this makes comparison shopping quite easy, as you can compare not only antique brass floor lamps, but the online merchants as well!
 
Check the online merchants' references or testimonials. If a seller isn't willing to provide testimonials or rating, this generally means they are not of good reputation. Failure to provide references should be a red flag warning sign. Online shopping is also useful when comparing items you may have seen at an auction house or an antique store.
 
One thing that I find reassuring is that antique brass floor lamps are still a very popular choice. These lamps tend to be sturdy, very well made, and are easily restored to their original luster. The most common antique brass lamp was designed with round shades which often were decorated with fringe. These lampshades are easily replaced and generally are quite inexpensive.
 
Antique brass floor lamps, unlike their more delicate ceramic or stained glass counterparts, generally require little by way of restoration. The Stiffel Lamp Company produced some of the most beautiful and collectible antique brass floor lamps. Founded in 1930 in New York, the company recently relocated to the Charleston, South Carolina, and is now the end housed in a modern facility that is over a half million square feet in size. Although the company has grown since 1930, they are quite concerned that they don't lose sight of their small business origins. It's interesting to note that the Stiffel Lamp Company is privately held and family owned.