# What are these "old fashioned" Christmas lights called? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 24, 2014, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-fashioned-christmas-lights-called/705516 "2014-11-24T20:21:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-fashioned-christmas-lights-called/705516/1 "2014-11-24T20:21:06Z")
When I was a kid (1980s) we had some lights that I can’t find at any store. I call them spiky Christmas lights and they looked like this. > **[Spiky Christmas Lights by messybessy99 on DeviantArt](https://www.deviantart.com/messybessy99/art/Spiky-Christmas-Lights-278835877)** That is the only picture I could find of them on the Internet. The employees at all my local stores including Lowes, Home Depot, and Wal-Mart, are not familiar with them. Do these lights have a specific name, and where could I go about finding them? They bring back fond childhood memories, but my parents do not remember where they bought them or what happened to them. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-fashioned-christmas-lights-called/705516/2 "2014-11-24T20:26:14Z")
Well, you could ask the people on that site… ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-fashioned-christmas-lights-called/705516/3 "2014-11-24T20:27:18Z")
1980’s is old-fashioned?! ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-fashioned-christmas-lights-called/705516/4 "2014-11-24T20:39:34Z")
old is relative. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-fashioned-christmas-lights-called/705516/5 "2014-11-24T20:40:31Z")
I think of them as old fashioned because they are seemingly no longer sold. Similar to how watching a movie on VHS seems more old fashioned than going to a theater even though theaters have been around a lot longer than VHS. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-fashioned-christmas-lights-called/705516/6 "2014-11-24T20:53:22Z")
[Here’s](http://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-36-Light-LED-Diamond-Color-Changing-Light-Show-Set-72070X/202870850?N=5yc1vZc3t9) something vaguely similar. While searching those, I found [these](http://www.homedepot.com/p/Kurt-S-Adler-Star-Wars-10-Light-C3PO-Light-Set-SW9113/203474890?N=5yc1vZc3t9) and [these](http://www.homedepot.com/p/Kurt-S-Adler-10-Light-Blue-White-Star-Wars-R2D2-Indoor-Outdoor-Light-Set-SW9901/203474893?N=5yc1vZc3t9) cool lights. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-fashioned-christmas-lights-called/705516/7 "2014-11-24T20:59:24Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > 1980’s is old-fashioned?! Much as I hate to admit it, the 80’s were 30 years ago. So if not outright “old-fashioned” then at least “vintage.” ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-fashioned-christmas-lights-called/705516/8 "2014-11-24T21:07:07Z")
So my high-school diploma is ‘vintage’? I should sell it on eBay!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-fashioned-christmas-lights-called/705516/9 "2014-11-24T21:20:03Z")
Miniature lights used to come in a variety of designs like that. Most of the plastic refractive parts around the bulb looked like a corolla or crown. i kind of miss those- all the mini lights are just bare bulbs nowadays. ---
**Author:** ![arseNal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@arseNal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/arseNal)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-fashioned-christmas-lights-called/705516/10 "2014-11-24T21:20:37Z")
I took this as a google challenge. However the pic you linked to is pretty blurry so it’s hard to tell exactly what those things look like. Could it be similar to these? [Christmas Reflectors Colored Bulb Covers Lot of 18 Colored Reflectors Star shape](https://www.etsy.com/listing/166362777/christmas-reflectors-colored-bulb-covers) ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-fashioned-christmas-lights-called/705516/11 "2014-11-24T21:31:45Z")
> [@arseNal](#): > > I took this as a google challenge. However the pic you linked to is pretty blurry so it’s hard to tell exactly what those things look like. Could it be similar to these? > > [Christmas Reflectors Colored Bulb Covers Lot of 18 Colored Reflectors Star shape](https://www.etsy.com/listing/166362777/christmas-reflectors-colored-bulb-covers) Those are the ones. The earlier link Kimbalkid posted helped as well, but wasn’t quite right. I have googled further, and it looks like they are for sale in the UK, under the name diamond fairy lights. I haven’t been able to find the actual lights on any USA stores website. ---
**Author:** ![arseNal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@arseNal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/arseNal)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-fashioned-christmas-lights-called/705516/12 "2014-11-24T21:33:57Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > Those are the ones. The earlier link Kimbalkid posted helped as well, but wasn’t quite right. I have googled further, and it looks like they are for sale in the UK, under the name diamond fairy lights. I haven’t been able to find the actual lights on any USA stores website. Why can’t you just order those etsy ones? At $3.75, what’s the worst that can happen ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-fashioned-christmas-lights-called/705516/13 "2014-11-24T21:34:58Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > So my high-school diploma is ‘vintage’? I should sell it on eBay!! > > 😃 I guess my Master’s degree (UWaterloo 1976) is antique. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-fashioned-christmas-lights-called/705516/14 "2014-11-24T21:38:57Z")
Thanks everybody for your help! I found what I was looking for at UK Christmasworld. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-fashioned-christmas-lights-called/705516/15 "2014-11-24T21:41:08Z")
> [@arseNal](#): > > Why can’t you just order those etsy ones? At $3.75, what’s the worst that can happen They are very spiky, if they are like the ones I remember, and putting them on the actual lights will likely result in lots of small cuts to my fingers :eek: ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-fashioned-christmas-lights-called/705516/16 "2014-11-25T01:12:11Z")
How many remember [these](https://www.etsy.com/listing/171224814/25-off-sale-christmas-bubble-lights?ref=sr_gallery_6&ga_search_query=christmas+light+bubbles&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery) ? Once warmed by the bulb in the base, the liquid in the tube starts to bubble. For those with more time than sense: 😉 Find these in current production. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-fashioned-christmas-lights-called/705516/17 "2014-11-25T01:27:42Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > How many remember [these](https://www.etsy.com/listing/171224814/25-off-sale-christmas-bubble-lights?ref=sr_gallery_6&ga_search_query=christmas+light+bubbles&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery) ? > Once warmed by the bulb in the base, the liquid in the tube starts to bubble. > > For those with more time than sense: 😉 > Find these in current production. How about [these](http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Holly-Twinkle-Lite-Flashing-Christmas-Tree-Lights-w-Transformer-Works-/291299338543?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43d2cb292f)? I remember having these in the house for decades. The best damn lights ever. We kept them as long as we could, way past when most of the color had rubbed off the bulbs. Finally too many bulbs burned out and couldn’t be replace. They were originally bought by my father in the 50s long before I was born. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-fashioned-christmas-lights-called/705516/18 "2014-11-25T01:49:56Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > How about [these](http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Holly-Twinkle-Lite-Flashing-Christmas-Tree-Lights-w-Transformer-Works-/291299338543?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43d2cb292f)? … bought by my father in the 50s long before I was born. A. Thank you for reminding all us boomers that we are not long for this world. B. Aren’t those still in production? I don’t do Xmas, so am not in the market, but I can’t get to a pharmacy window without seeing the stuff. Maybe this was ancient history when I saw them. ---
**Author:** ![Mdcastle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@Mdcastle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mdcastle)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-fashioned-christmas-lights-called/705516/19 "2014-11-25T01:52:33Z")
Next up: LED bubble lights. Seriously, there were two versions of the “star” lights. My family had a second version where the bulb used a standard base and the star fit on the socket, so you could use standard lamps instead of having to transfer it to the star base. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-fashioned-christmas-lights-called/705516/20 "2014-11-25T06:32:03Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > Thanks everybody for your help! I found what I was looking for at UK Christmasworld. If these lights are expecting UK standard 230V will they operate properly with 120V US voltage? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-fashioned-christmas-lights-called/705516.md?page=2)