1. Keep
2. Ditch
3. Keep
4. Keep if painting
5. Golden Girls, but if they work, keep. It's a "look".
6. Keep if they work in those colors.
7. Ditch
8. hideous now, but a decent basic shape. Paint.

I did beachy coastal in my family room because it leads out to the pool. It's so calming.

The last lamp picture, the maroon ones, do not say Florida to me, but I think if you spray painted them they'd be fine.

The ginger jars.. wrapping them with twine sounds nice. The twine color would be sort of a sand color, and that would look ok in a beachy room.

The seafoam? um, that kinda reminds me of something you'd see in a cheap motel room.. not that I've ever been in a cheap motel room.. ahem. I'm just sayin'..

Warning.. the above post is coming from someone who has lousy taste so take it for what it's worth.. :)

Huh.

Pal, I could be more confused than before...I figured the maroon biggies were the worst whatever their color. Huh. So you'd let the Golden Girls (that's it!) seafoam survive, but you'd rank the ones in #2 with the worst of them. Can you tell me what makes them and the metal swirly ones ditch worthy?

lauriedee, I am very mixed on those seafoam-y ones, they are a little more toward aqua/turqoise IRL ...Figured they'd just blend away in a room with those colors. Just need to stay away from seafoam-on-white polyester prints.

Other thoughts?

I personally like the swirly ones....I can see them painted black (wrought iron) or even a bright red if that is a color that goes in your room. #2 not so much and I do like the rope one but not the wicker one...#4, I believe.

I love the large hammered copper one -- my favorite of the bunch. Curious why Palimpsest says ditch...

Another vote for the hammered copper large lamp...it's my favorite. I have one very similar to it that was hand made in Pakistan. We purchased it in the 1960s.....It's still beautiful. So....guess lamps, like everything else, are very personal decorating statements. :)

I would keep them all. What I would consider, tho, is not using all the paired ones as pairs, for example, nos. 6, 7 and 8.

Nightstands can have different lamps, you may only need one of the large ones on a sofa table or dresser, etc. Keep 'em all, and once you get them there, decide how to use them, then paint or wrap in rope ( I did that with a ginger jar lamp years ago, still one of my favorite 'fixes').

You could also consider 'un-lamping' them, taking out the lamp works and using them as a decorative vase. I could easily see the copper one that way.

1. Ditch
2. Ditch
3. Keep
4. Ditch
5. Keep
6. Keep
7. Ditch
8. Ditch - unless you can paint them

Why keep #1s? They are a pair and have a strong MCM identity. If they don't work sell them on eBay. These are probably the best of the bunch but they need a specific home.

2. These don't say Florida, they say "Global Fusion." If the hammered copper one was a real hammered copper one I might feel differently, but that one says "Global Fusion from Target" to me. Nothing the matter with them so much is as it is outside your vision. Painting them would look like "Re-Painted Global fusion from Target". I always get the feeling lamps like this were made by an 8 year old in China...:(

3.Like 'em both for Florida.

4. Don't love them but they are okay, if painted

5. Golden Girls, but if the color is right and it's Florida, I say go for it. 1st dibs would sell these for a lot.(too much)

6. Ginger jars are never out of style. I would only keep them if the colors work, don't mess with them. Resell or give away if they don't work as is.

7. Never liked lamps like this, never will. Black would be okay, but it's not Florida. These were cheaply made lamps, you can tell by looking at them.

8. Currently hideous, but these could look nice painted white or off white or sandy colored. Or covered with sand.

Here is a hammered copper lamp. If yours looked like this I would keep it. (Although I would get a different shade)

{{!gwi}}

Here's a photo of the lamp we purchased during our years when we lived in Pakistan - 1964-1979. At that time, everything was hand made, hand decorated, and the Pakistanis made many beautiful items from copper and brass, and hammered lovely old designs into the metal.

There is a world of difference between your lamp, beth4, and the knockoff from Goodwill :)

Just my own taste..........My favorites are the seafoam. I also like the MCM #1. Don't care much for the swirls, or the maroon. And I've lived in Florida, but would probably decorate for my particular house rather than "Florida Style".

Red

Beth your copper lamp is gorgeous. Wanna trade? Even up for all of mine? Didn't think so.

Pal, thanks so much for elaborating on your answer. I 'get' it now about the copper one. I still might use it as a filler in a spot that needs a light and could use a chunk o' metal. (With the understanding I'm saying "global fusion from Target", which is a definite step up from saying desperate-scrouging-at-Goodwill-what-the-h*ll-is-wrong-with-her. LOL.) Then later I may "unlamp" it as Les suggests.

Agree with you. Pal, that the MCM are the best of the bunch. That pea green color is a great accent punch color for the space.

Thanks Grandma and Sasaafras for voting for the swirly and ceramic ones. Does seem like none are getting a unanimous thumbs down. I need about 20 lamps, so this bunch puts me pretty close and well under budget. Now I can "splurge" if I see ones I like.

I've been watching these on CL:

I do like the shiney green and blue colors. Grab em?

Thnaks, Red, for liking the seafoam. Since a few of you vote yes, I am now OK using them in a guest room.

No worries on us doing Florida 'decor' in the normal sense of sailboats and seashells (with the exception of some scallop shell items because my brother was a scalloper). We are looking forward to more color than here. Example: DH has been painting lots of primitive fish to install like schools in the stairwells....

Celtic, Can I ask how much are they want for them?

I hate lamps that have "had work done"...they always look "not quite right" as do people who have had work done.
Those swirly metal things are awful, no matter if you paint them black hot pink or turtle green. Weren't good design when they were made and age has not been kind....are we thinking Joan Rivers??? LOL!
The #2 pictures are both un balanced...the copper isn't bad, but looks like it needs a base to me ( remember I said I hate a lamp that has had work done?)....the tiered is not good.
The blue and beige ginger jars are just classic shapes....not particularly great lamps but certainly not offensive. And if you try to add some funky stuff or paint or whatever, you will only make them look like lamps you got at a thrift store that you tried to "fix up". Leave them alone, let them disappear into the background.
The wicker lamps can be painted and will do until something better comes along.
Those maroon Ginger jar lamps.....hmm? The shape is good.....but...? They look like they have already "had work done"....like they have been painted maroon and trimmed in gold...But the shades are good...
I would paint them a color that works with the shades and your room....again...work with them until something else comes along.
I envy you your Florida beachy home to decorate!!

Here's my list:

1.keep
2.keep
3.ditch
4.keep
5.ditch
6.keep
7.ditch
8.ditch

BB & Lindac, thanks for the thoughts. Hmmm, those swirly metal are really not getting much love now...

Lauriedee, he/she has posted the pair for $90 and haven't changed that price in at least a month, maybe more. Posted them again today. I haven't spoken to the seller. That's 5x more than the GW pricing. But they could be 5x nicer, lol.

You like?

The copper lamp I pictured is listed at $500, just as an FYI.

The tiered lamp, painted turquoise, with a larger harp and a wrapped paper string lamp shade looks very Florida to me.

I do kinda like the shape of that tiered one, suero.

This is very enlightening. I had thought there would be 'rage against the ginger jars' for being outdated, yet those don't seem to bother anybody. Go figure.

I like them Celtic but I do think they're overpriced for CL.. Make an offer of 45.oo and see what he comes back with. You'll never know until you try.

I thought you were going for pastels in the house. On my computer the Seafoam look very light.

After reading all the responses here. I think you should just keep them all and figure out what works when you get to Fla. :)

and, omg. I hope you didn't think I was talking about you when i said the post above is coming from someone who has lousy taste.. I meant me, my post. I realized after I posted it that it may have come out wrong, and there's no freakin' edit button here.

No problem LD,I didn't take it that way.

The one guest room where the seafoam lamps fit will be quiet and soft in colors. Other parts are drifting brighter the greyer the winter gets here. There is looking to be plenty of color in accents, so I'm figuring the sofa, walls etc will be light & neutral. I'm filling the garage with bits and pieces and beginning to upholster and paint them. It will all come together later. Or not...

OK, so as long as we are all thinking about lamps.

What is passable, and what screams (credit to Pal) recently made by a child in China, if your budget is not large and you indeed find yourself shopping at Target, TJ Max, Lowes, estate sales and the like.

I am starting to plan my guest suite re-decorate, and am quite confused about lamps. The "look" I like is at TJ Max, but upon closer inspection, their lamps are of course not as nice as what I would like. But as these are guest rooms, I don't necessarily need fancy/perfect lamps.

I do have loads of time as in a 6 month time frame.

What should one be looking for at estate sales that is current, classic, and better than entry level retail? I do have lots of time to go to sales between now and August.

What is worth grabbing, and what is never worth it?

I would recommend looking at 1st Dibs *just *for *the *pictures. :)

They have great pictures of lamps, and a search that you can break down by type and decade and such. Just look and see what it is you like. Then look for similar at estate sales and on eBay and Craigslist.

The prices on 1stDibs are outrageous, but what you will see are classic lamps from every period.

I would say anything in the shape of a ginger jar, a column shape, a genie bottle shape or a baluster shape is always pretty classic.

Think hard about anything that is Not metal that you would have to paint. Concentrate on lamps that look good as is.

Try to buy lamps that will take a shade that you can buy off the rack. Some vintage lamps are huge and may require special order shades. This is okay if they are good lamps but you start to leave bargain territory then.

Of the lamps posted by the OP, the pair that I would always pass on would be the white twisted metal ones. Like I said I think the maroon ones are pretty hideous but the shape is good and since they are textured could take paint well.

If I had time on my side, I would be willing to pass on any or all of them if they were not the exact color I wanted as well as shape. But in general I would take 1, 3, 6, under most circumstances and 5 if the color and detail worked with the decor.

I am pretty lucky with lamps. I have a pair that regularly lists for $5000 a pair that I got for a total of $264 (at different times), a pair I paid $99 for that I see for $500-1000. I saw a very similar lamp and finial that I got for a client for maybe a bit over $100 (two lamps but only one finial :( ) listed for $500. I actually have a bunch of lamps in my attic that I either just liked or am waiting to find a mate.

Thanks, pal, for your insights. Very helpful.

Next trip to Florida to check on the property (note to IRS: NOT to see what the sun looks like), I am bringing back a bag of sand. It will be fun to coat the maroon big ones in primer and glue and then roll them in sand...

I'm off to visit 1st dibs.

Thanks Pal. Getting the images in my head will make it easy to decide quickly (a necessity) when going to sales.