Lava Lite is now known as Lifespan Brands LLC

[ElectricAstro]

So this is no joke, it is actually true that Lava Lite will be now known as Lifespan Brands. Read all about it in this fascinating interview with their current CEO, Clay Farnsworth. I think the name is fitting due to the longevity of the products that they sell.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-lava-lamps-0113-biz-20160...

"Since 2005, they have been made in China. While Lifespan maintains a 72,000-square-foot warehouse in Elk Grove Village, producing the lamps in the U.S. is no longer economically viable, Farnsworth said."

[Bohdan]

As always more China junk is to be made. We recently bought a Detecto bathroom scale from Bed-Bath and Beyond took it out of the box place battery and the scale turned on and died. Took it back for another one and tested it there and this one did not even light up we looked at the box and saw that its made thru LL China just like there lamps so there Lifespan Brands will be the same as there lamps and we will never buy such Items that are made soooo cheap.

[Bohdan]

When ever I see another new LL lamp I will remember this.  Short Lifespan 

[ElectricAstro]

They are apparently going to be introducing a series of functional table lamps called Bright Source, I think they are those horrible things with a lampshade stuck on the top. They have also trademarked the term Glittermax.

[Bohdan]

They make the worse glitter formula ever. They had nice glitter lamps when still LW China but then they made it cheaper.

[Andy Ross]

Hi from across the pond - to a complete outsider, judging by what you all say on LL core products' declining quality, the company is looking to exploit its LL distribution base to expand into high-volume household electricals - have the sales of lava lamps peaked or even declined? that might explain a bottom-line business call like this. But it's only a guess...

[Bohdan]

LL China has taken a huge hit with there sales and returns on soooo many defective lamps. I have seen many of there lamps in deep discount shops reduced from $50.00 to $15.00 because of problems and many people over time have finally realized there lamps are that bad. I see them adding more and more 20z lamps to there line-up since they are cheap and the bad ones can be just thrown away.There other lamps like the 32z and 52z may become a limited edition for sale over time since many are just sitting in shops not many are Buying them because of there Cheap quality. Now they have begun another line to make $$$$ but I have bought there stuff and yes its cheap non-working and has been returned. Over the years LW USA became LW China and now LL China this move has weaken them with there cloudy to non-working lamps.

[Bohdan]

Has Mathmos ever tried to get rid of there lamps due to no one really buying many and placed them in discount shops around the UK at 2/3s off the price?

[ElectricAstro]

I don't think they have. Mathmos seem to have some good feedback on Feefo which is an independent rating company. The thing that I can't put into words is when you pick up a Mathmos lamp, you don't get that China feeling. With so much made in China these days, things start to look and feel generic, it is nice to see something which is still made in your country. It kind of makes you feel patriotic in a small humble way.

[ElectricAstro]

Have you seen this they want £39.99 for this!

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4451538.htm

In the US they are charging $29.99.

[Andy Ross]

It's classic marketing, you've devalued your brand by selling low quality goods for short term profit ("milking the cash cow"), so you diversify your product portfolio into other related areas that make full use of your production and marketing expertise...

I know nothing about their products other than what you describe, but unless the new line you mention is high quality and their core focus, there will be further declines until the LL or LW brand becomes a commodity, bottom-end product - leaving the market open for someone to launch a better product up-market. Segmentation!

The only positive sign is their 50th (??) Anniversary Grande lamps, you seem to rate the flow etc of these - does that show a new emphasis on rebuilding quality? (Sorry if I have the details wrong here...)

[Bohdan]

The only nice Grande are the Heritage with there Black base. They had a great flow and worked most of the time. The 50th Grande have there problems mainly its a 50/50 shot when buying and they arrive cloudy.

[Andy Ross]

As ElectricAstro says, Mathmos have kept their quality image pretty high, apart from some occlusion issues you read about.

(They have also been pretty clever, I think, in letting their old flagship (the Lunar) stand alone. It must be so tempting to "relaunch"...)

Yet from the posts, it's difficult for an outsider to see a recent-ish LL/LW product that you real experts say is regularly top-notch and worthy of a great brand!

Humungo? (made in USA, not China, wasn't it? Is there a clue here?)