Like a lot of people, I’ve developed a deep need for classic Christmas lights – I mean indoor ones, for the tree. These are fairly big bulbs, called C7. (C9 is even bigger, and most people hang those outside.)
Everybody seems to like the ceramic finish, which I think is the classic look – these bulbs are more or less painted (the ones we had when I was a kid developed a lot of chips, letting bright white light show through the bulbs’ chipping surfaces, which was part of their charm). But I prefer the jewel-like clear colored bulbs.
Ceramic finish:
Clear:
The big innovation of recent years is using LEDs to mimic the incandescent filament, but they’re a little hard to come by. There’s a manufacturer called Tru-Tone that makes them, but the price is outrageous, and they’re mostly out of stock at this point. Incandescents are widely available, but the quality I’ve found has been terrible, and they burn quite hot, so I don’t like to leave them on a tree unattended. I’m under the impression that other manufactures make the LED kind, but that the quality is questionable, and in any case all I’ve seen is LED bulbs with a faceted finish. (Tacky. I use them anyway.)
Anybody have the old-style? Any tips on picking up good ones for next year in an after-Christmas sale?
I’ve bought from this company before (the faceted C7 and C9 lights you find “tacky” but I think look great outside). They have a smooth bulb that comes in a lot of colors::
ETA: Sorry, I misread your post and didn’t pick up that you were looking for smooth clear (not ceramic looking) bulbs. Here’s clear ones but pricey:
We also had “classic” C7s growing up, with chipping paint. And if one didn’t work, you had to lick the threads, just like The Old Man. When one went out, they all went out. We still have the fragilay ornaments, but all the bulbs are gone.
While I admit to a case of terminal nostalgia, in Christmas bulbs I prefer LED.
eta: I see several sellers on ebay with what look to be gen-u-ine vintage incandescents. Very pricey!
When I was growing up in the 1950s we had lights that were about 2" in diameter and when off, were plain white. When turned on, they glowed in pastels (I recall light green, light blue and coral). As time went on and bulbs died, four strings became three, then two, then one, then none; but I still recall them fondly.
That’s exactly the quality that makes incandescent Xmas lights, especially C9s, desirable for gardeners protecting outdoor plantings that are susceptible to extreme cold. Apparently Disney World has made use of them on palm trees, both for decoration and warding off cold snaps.
I’m currently using mini-incandescents laid down in rings around the base of small palm trees inside a protective tent. They add quite a bit of warmth during cold weather - got my two windmill palms safely through a drop to 3F the other night (it never got below 40F inside the tents).
Incandescents are getting hard to find, having been largely replaced by cool LEDs.
Fascinating! There’s a rare palm tree in my northern-US neighborhood that’s densely wrapped with lights all the way up its trunk every holiday season, which I’d taken for a decorative effect only, but maybe it’s like a nice warm hug for the palm tree.
Christmas 1979, one of the most popular gifts for boys was a wrist rocket (high powered slingshot). Christmas 1980, all of those big primary colored lights were all but extinct.
I bought a set of the Tru-tones. I love them. I hung them around the perimeter of my arched front door border and they give off such a nice, beautiful soft almost magical glow, completely unlike the modern lights I see around the neighborhood. Definitely worth the price to me, but I really wanted this specific look.
When I was a kid, for some reason I loved those large bulbs. Alas, we always had the newer, common flowery-shaped lights, both on the tree and in the windows. Every year - and I mean every single year - I begged my parents for the big bulbs, and every year they said, “we’ll get them next year”.
I’m sure you know that we never did get the bulbs I was promised. I’m still bitter about it. And you can bet your ass I’ve got the C9s hanging from my gutters right this moment.
Well it’s very nice to hear that, since I HAVE TO HAVE THEM and will try to swing buying maybe one set per month starting in January. Sigh. My tree takes 150 lights, and at $67 per 25, that’s $400. Cut way back on presents next year, I guess.
Likewise, and a clear red bulb had to go in the center of the tree-topper. Like this but it didn’t have a socket attached; had to insert one from the strand through the back.
