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the TV lamps would help prevent eye damage caused by the television’s
light. Others may just have enjoyed having a ceramic decorative lamp to
adorn the top of their console television sets.
TV lamps can command a range of prices, with some selling for under
$50 and others selling well into the hundreds. For example, a “Vintage TV
Duck lamp” sold for $40 at Heritage Antiques & Auction in December
2022. A “Mid-Century Organic Leaf Esco-Lite Pottery TV Lamp”
brought $405 at Bidhaus in January.
I found that some panther TV lamps sold in the $100 range, while oth-
ers brought much higher sums. A lamp that also featured the Underwriters
WT: Mid-century pieces have been selling well since I began in antiques Laboratories label sold for $250 at Bidhaus Auctions. Underwriters
over 30 years ago. People have come to appreciate mid-century items for Laboratories inspected lamps and other devices for safety. Another
their clean lines and simple design. The show “Mad Men,” which was set described as a “Midcentury Black Panther Ceramic Statue Lamp w/
in the 1960s, also increased the appeal of mid-century design. Whipple Stitch Fiberglass Shade” sold for $550 in August 2022, also at
TV lamps were produced in that same era, with most made in the Bidhaus. In this case, the winning bidder should be grinning like a
1950s and 1960s. Most are ceramic and were made in the shape of animals Cheshire cat.
like horses, cats, birds, and panthers. Others were figural, depicting boats
and a wide range of other subjects. There was an opening on one side of _________________________________________________________
the lamp where the lightbulb was screwed in, and the light emanated from
that side. Wayne Tuiskula is the auctioneer/appraiser at Central Mass Auctions of Boston
TV lamps typically have wide bases in order to rest on top of television and Worcester, MA. He has GPPA credentials from the National Auctioneers
sets. TV sets became more common during the 1950s, and by the mid-50s, Association and has been a collectibles appraiser for PBS’s Antiques Roadshow.
half the country owned one. But people were still unsure how this new He can be reached at info@centralmassauctions.com or 508-612-6111.
technology would affect them. Many believed that the diffused light from www.centralmassauctions.com

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