School me on lanterns

[wagondude]

I am partial to the single mantle lanterns. They put out a great deal of light while using less fuel than the double mantle variety. My 200A is crazy bright. The main difference between the old and newer lanterns is that the older models are designed to be run wide open. The newer models can be dimmed with out getting the pulsing light that the older ones put out. The older lanterns do have a certain cool factor, though. Especially if you go for your birthday lantern. That would be a lantern with a date stamp of the month and year of your birth.

[doug hodder]

If you want one that will have variable lighting....chances are, it's a newer one. There is one that says it's adjustable, but in my experience with people having that lantern....it ain't that adjustable. Older lanterns were made to run full tilt as that's what it took to atomize the fuel in them. For a first lantern to learn on...a 220 is a great starter lantern, plenty of parts available and they are all over the place. Cheaper than the 200A's typically which are the single mantle red ones.

If you want to go older....242's are the nice nickle plated single burners. Spend some time looking in the stickies in this section to get an education. Everything you need to know is up there when going out looking. Beware....don't end up buying up some lantern, cuz you don't think you'll find another...they're all over the place. Unless it's something really unusual and you need the education to determine that...chances are, no matter what the seller says...it's not "RARE". Look for a good un-chipped vent, and a rust free tank. On some of the older ones....the glass globe in them is worth more than they may be asking for the lantern itself. Doug

PS...you'll have better luck at a flea market or garage sale over an antique store type thing.

[Weirdnerd]

I am partial to kerosene lanterns, as fuel tends to be less expensive and easily found anywhere in the world, Coleman makes a very good one ,
http://www.coleman.com/product/1-mantle ... Q8JImfjKrA
But if you are into hunting the regular Coleman fuel ones , search around on yard sales, you can find some Coleman 286 (single mantle adjustable output) or Coleman 288(double mantle adjustable output) really cheap if you look in craigslist or amazon, the Coleman 200A is an extremely reliable lantern that will give years o service with little maintenance ( the single mantle red lanterns), it really depends on how much you want to spend, and what you can find on that budget.

Single mantle ones are very good, and when you buy a two mantle pack, you can always have a spare.

PS, I just noticed the British Columbia tearjerkers....search for a good Coleman Canada 335, awesome lanterns!!, also you can find in your neck of the woods the Coleman 237 , brutally bright 500 CP workhorse, here is a review of the beauties you can find in your neck of the woods:

http://tgmarsh.faculty.noctrl.edu/lante ... t4670.html

http://tgmarsh.faculty.noctrl.edu/lante ... nt7193.htm

[CliffinGA]

My preference is I like them all! I have a single and a double that we take thats great when we want alot of light, a kerosene when want less more intimate light, I also use tiki torch fuel in it as it actsas a bug repellent and its cheap fuel. We also have a couple of electric coleman pack a ways that I keep in the tow vehicle that we have used whenit was really windy. I like them all and considering I drive a truck I pack them in a milk crate and usually take one of all .

Cliff

[doug hodder]

The rarest ones are the ones that very few people have and are worth a lot.....did you read the stuff in the stickies and do some research like mentioned? You need to get your education....In the mean time...just buy up every lantern you find and we will sort them out for you.

[doug hodder]

Sorry, I don't mean to sound abrupt, but what you are asking for is a real open ended question. Without duplicating years of info into a thread, it can't be really answered. Obviously...the older the more rare. As far as what any are worth....it's up to what someone is willing to pay for it and the condition it's in. Japanese buyers seem to like to pay the high dollars on e-bay if it's rare and old or for that matter...not all that old or rare, but then they have no access to the supply like we do in the states. You need to beat the bushes and see what turns up...

PS...Canadian stuff typically is more rare than a lot of the reg. US stuff, check the stampings...

[doug hodder]

Well, if you are comparing it like cars....are you a Ford, Chevy, Mopar...etal... person...Same thing on a lantern, nearly 100 years of variations. Pick what ya like...then go get one.

[Weirdnerd]

If you are looking into "rare", prepare yourself a fund with at least ten grand, one rare is the Coleman " Arc", some of them have gone north of five grand in working condition, some others are early ones, from the 1910's and 20's.... depends on condition, people pay mad prices, I personally do not look for " rare" as when something is rare, maintenance adds costs up very quickly and spares are scarce and expensive, I look for users, and lanterns that I can keep on a shelf without being worried sick of it being damaged or lost, lanterns that I can use on camping, and at home ( I love to light lanterns at night, instead of using electric lights, different light), there is something fun on the rituals involved in lighting your favorites, and each of them have it's own " personality"

[Woodbutcher]

My advise would be, go find a $5.00 basic model 220 and get it to burn. Learn on a cheap lantern and then move up to the more unusual stuff. The last thing you want to do is wreck a good lantern because you do not know what you are doing. Working on these old lanterns is good therapy. It can also be very rewarding to bring some dirty Coleman "bug house" back to life.

[absolutsnwbrdr]

This seems like an interesting hobby to get in that doesn't break the bank.

Doesnt break the bank with one here, or two there. But look out. That's just the beginning.

[absolutsnwbrdr]

I was looking online and I found a forum where all they talk about is lanterns, what a huge forum
I had no clue that there were so many lanterns and different designs.
I'm starting to understand your love for these

Here are a few of my favorite bookmarks...

http://tgmarsh.faculty.noctrl.edu/lantern/index.htm
http://light.papo-art.com/tech-n-info/C ... nPaper.htm
http://www.internationalcolemancollecto ... ninfo.html
http://colemancollectorsforum.websitetoolbox.com/

Happy reading

[campmaster-k]

If you want to be in the cool lantern club go out and get yourself an original Gold Bond model 200A Coleman white gas lantern. Be careful there are many fakes.

[Oldragbaggers]

I have 3 beautiful Coleman lanterns.

A 1976 Model 275 (turd) that had never been fired, came with a hard case and still had the original paperwork and bag of mantles (which had never been attached) in the bottom of the case. $25 on Craigslist.

A 1981 Model 220K which I think I paid around $20 for on eBay, in very nice condition, only needed a little cleanup and fired right up.

And a 1984 Model CL2 which is supposedly the adjustable one. I like it because it is small, if you're crunched for space. Haven't used it enough to say how adjustable it really is. It was in pristine condition also, not a scratch on it and I don't think I paid more than $25 for that one either on eBay.

I watched a lot of lanterns, run into them at yard sales, and let a lot of them go. Like Doug says, they are plentiful. For every one you let pass there will be 10 more come along. I'm amazed how many you will come across that are still in the original box, hardly used. Maybe not so much if you're looking for old and/or rare, but if you're just looking for a good working lamp in nice condition, they are not hard to find.

I will probably pick up a couple more, mostly because we live in a rural area and have a lot of power outages and having them around has made those experiences a lot easier to deal with.

[jeff0520]

Call me crazy, but I'm REALLY partial to these: http://www.ruralking.com/grip-tools-outdoor-hurricane-lantern-37290.html
Burn citronella torch fuel in them and they keep the bugs away. They are CHEAP to buy. They don't hiss and make noise. The light is much more gentle and doesn't wreck your night vision.
We usually take a dozen or so, and hang a few over the campsite, and put a couple on each table. the light is easy on the eyes, bright enough to read by, and quiet. It lets you enjoy the night sounds of nature a lot better

[Oldragbaggers]

Those hurricane lanterns are nice, Jeff (sorry I said Cliff the first time). And great price!!! Thanks for the link.