# My hobby,,,, collecting and restoring Coleman



## GA1dad

Yep,,,,, those old white gas lanterns, lamps and stoves that we had before it got easier to use propane.












I picked up these last weekend. Anyone else mess with them? Anybody got some they'd like to get rid of?
















And if I had to narrow it down to just one, it's be this old boy from the early 50's.


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## PappyHoel

Pretty cool collection.


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## Nicodemus

You have a really nice collection there. We have a member here who restores them and Coleman stoves, I believe. Can`t remember his name now. Maybe he will se this and chime in.


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## Nicodemus

Here he is.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=155942&highlight=coleman+lanterns


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## TNGIRL

cool...I got several hanging in my barn. Be happy to give them to you, none's real real old tho....except the memories attached to them.


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## PappyHoel

Nicodemus said:


> Here he is.
> 
> http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=155942&highlight=coleman+lanterns



Nic you have a good memory that was posted 5 yrs ago.  I thought you were an older guy


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## GA1dad

Thanks Nic,,,,, Greg and I have been known to hang out in the same Coleman websites.


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## Nicodemus

PappyHoel said:


> Nic you have a good memory that was posted 5 yrs ago.  I thought you were an older guy





I am old.   Funny, I can remember things from way back, but i can`t remember what I did yesterday.


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## tedsknives

Very nice collection and very nice work


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## GA1dad

Here's a before and after shot of a restoration,,,, yep, it's the same lantern after 3 or 4 hours of sweat equity.


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## GA1dad

And then there are some that all you do is clean and polish. Here's a 1949 model that had been hanging in a shed for 30 years,,,, before and after.


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## GA1dad

Every now and then you come across one with a cracked fount ( tank ). With a little creativity, even the cracked ones can be repurposed. The hummingbirds have come to enjoy this one.


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## GA1dad

Some of my nickel plated pieces


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## Joe L

You have a cool collection there,brought a smile to my face looking at the pictures.  This may sound corny but i think it's cool when people have hobby that they are passionate about, the  the joy it brings to do that and share with other makes me happy.  
--my wife and daughter would laugh at me all butterflies and ponies all of a sudden---


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## GA1dad

Joe L said:


> all butterflies and ponies ---



Does that mean something like---- all giggles and smiles? I think I'm gonna steal that from you Joe.


Anyone want more pictures? I don't want to over do it.

Some of the extras can be really hard to find,,, like the Coleman banner above.

This is one of my most prized pieces,,, an official repair parts kit that Coleman sold to hardware stores in the late 50's, early 60's. This particular one is dated 1961 and came from the 100 year old hardware store in the little Mayberryish town I grew up in. It's kinda cool to think my Dad, Grandad or uncles could have bought something out of this very kit. There's not a lot left in it, but what is was original stock.


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## GA1dad

Glass?? Nothing is better than finding the original 60 to 70 year old globe still intact. This one is from the late 40's, early 50's.


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## deadend

Do you do restorations for others?  I have an old stove from my grandfather that dates back to the 50's I'd love to have redone.


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## Jasper

That is so cool! Love the old Coleman stuff.........great memories and you've got a real talent..........


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## Schafnet

Nice collection!
Boy do I remember using those white gas lanterns and stoves growing up, wish I had the ones my family used back then.


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## Wild Turkey

Ive got 2 of the military ones still in box with tools and instructions.
Like this one that has been used.


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## Lukikus2

Nice stuff and great work. I've got a few laying around to restore on a rainy day. One is a wick type I believe is a coleman. Did they make those also?


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## Wild Turkey

And also a surgical tool sterilizer tank with coleman cooker that heats it up. Stainless steel tank with the medical snake symbol on the bottom.
Makes a great shrimp steamer.


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## IFLY4U

Great stuff and a skill that I have not seen anyone else performing. In our days of throw away made in China crap, it is good to see efforts to keep quality items working. I feel that the majority of our GON members feel the same way or they wouldn't be participating in our forums.


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## GA1dad

Wild Turkey,
          Those old Milspecs make are great lanterns. They can be fussy to get lit,,, but really glow once going.

I've got one of the sterilization units, but don't have the pan set. Mine is waiting to be restored over the winter. You are correct, they make good steamers and are great for low country boils. The down side to them is that they aren't adjustible. It's pretty much either wide open or off.


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## FD716

I have an old milspec lantern that is new still in the box. I have researched but have not been able to find a value on it. Do you know what they are valued at? It is in 95-100% condition and looks to have never been fired.


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## GA1dad

FD716 said:


> I have an old milspec lantern that is new still in the box. I have researched but have not been able to find a value on it. Do you know what they are valued at? It is in 95-100% condition and looks to have never been fired.



Realistically,,, the values are all over the place. Depends on the buyer. I have paid from $5 to $30 for Milspecs,,, all in good condition. Ebay is a horrible guide for pricing lanterns. You'll find one that sells in the US for $10,,, but the same lantern could sell for a hundred in Japan where they are not common.


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## FD716

Thanks! I was not sure.... I dont want to sell it but at the same time really didn't know what I have. I have thought of using it but didnt want to take a chance on a seal being bad and BOOM! I think I will just keep it as a conversation piece. Thanks for the reply!


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## GA1dad

Expanding on the value of lanterns,,,

In my humble opinion, 95% of the Coleman lanterns you'll come across can be valued between $5 and $50. Again, this is just my opinion which is based on the fact that 95% of the models were mass produced. On top of that, they were made to last, so you can find them everywhere if you look. You can't go to a flea market without seeing a half dozen. Another factor is that white gas lanterns are still being mass produced by Coleman.

That said, there is still the remaining 5%. These would be from Coleman's early years,,, say the first 20 years. Two examples are-

A fellow collector just bought one for over $750. It was a bidding war in the last two minutes.

Another collector I know just sold one for near $2800,,,, there was only one bid. There are less than 10 of this particular model known to exist,,, 

Even some of the old ones can be bought cheaply. The oldest lantern I own was made in 1926 ( shown below ). I paid $20 for it. This price seems to be consistent, even on Ebay. This one requires an external pump.







Another contributing factor to lantern value are the date of manuf. 99% of coleman items have the month and year that it was made. Many collectors search for their "birthday lantern". Sometimes a b-day lantern can be hard to find,,, as was mine. I was born in Feb. 1970. Coleman USA did not produce any lanterns that month and I had to search for a Canadian model. I traded a fairly rare piece for it, based solely on it's 2/70 date and condition. Here it is.






And here is my wifes Feb. 1972,,, as far as I know, this model was the only one made in the USA for 2/72.






Some dates seem to be everywhere. I have three of my son's 7/93 b-day lanterns, and my brother has a dozen of his 9/73's.

Other points of interest are limited production runs that Coleman made for other companies such as Sears and The Gold Bond Trading Co.

I personally don't collect for value. I collect for the nostalgia of them. When I see an old lantern I picture rural families that depended on it for light. One example would be the Amish. Many of them still use white gas appliances. I also got into it to fulfil a needs of doing something with my hands. I got out of the trades about four years ago and have been at a white collar desk job since. Restoring these lanterns affords me an opportunity to use tools and creativity,,,, without breaking the bank. In fact, a man could start this hobby with $20. Go to the fleamarket and buy a $5 lantern,,,, $3 for sandpaper, $5 for paint and viola!! But I must warn you as xpertgreg did,,,,, this one bites hard. Before you know it you'll have 50 lanterns piled up.

Some people restore old cars,,,,, I do lamps, lanterns and stoves.


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## Gobbler Down

*I have one of these I'd be willing to part with...*

Send me an offer plus shipping from 35773. I'd rather see someone that has a passion for the item than keep it and someday get around to yard sale the thing.  Great collection...


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## basstrkr

*Coleman*

Very nice collection, enjoyed the pictures.


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## Lukikus2

Where is the manufacture date on them? Pulled mine out that are both single burners and can't find a date anywhere. Globes are original also. The ones I had growing up were more or less thrown away because you could buy a whole new lamp for a couple of more dollars than the replacement globe if you could even find a replacement globe.


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## GA1dad

Lukikus2 said:


> Where is the manufacture date on them? Pulled mine out that are both single burners and can't find a date anywhere.



What kind of lanterns do you have? Coleman? What model?

99% have the date either on the bottom, or side of the tank,,, but again, this is Coleman.


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## blues brother

GA1dad,
I am loving the pics...post up some more if ya want.
I have a couple of military stoves that were my dads. They are from the Vietnam war era. They came with an aluminum case. I will try to dig them out and post up a pic. I tried to get them to work in my younger days but got skeered of them and quit fooling with them. All I could ever get them to do was burn out of control. 
Anyway, I have really enjoyed your pics and this post. Thanks!


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## Lonesome00

I have one of those round Colman coolers. It is old and it great shape. If you want to send me the cost of shipping I will send it to you.


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## Artfuldodger

Nice restorations, we use to have one of thost two burner Army stoves. It was really noisy. I've had a couple of the one burner Army stoves from the early 50's
I've had a few other brands over the years, Thermos, Primus, Sven, Optimus, etc. I've made lamps out of a few with the brass tanks.
I've never seen a Coleman Lantern that burned kerosene but I see that they still sell them. Our always burned white gas.


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## hunter rich

This is going to be one of my favorite posts.  I have a few Coleman lanterns, nothing special and now I am going on a hunt for my birthday lantern!  Maybe even start restoring them too...I have friends who have them hanging in sheds and garages that don't get used because they "don't work" or the globe is broken or missing. Thanks for this...keep the pics coming...


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## Lukikus2

GA1dad said:


> What kind of lanterns do you have? Coleman? What model?
> 
> 99% have the date either on the bottom, or side of the tank,,, but again, this is Coleman.



Both are coleman. On the bottom of them one say's 5 - 57 and the other say's 4 - 9. I can see where the one could have been made in '57 but the other at 4 - 9 has got me scratching my head. Could't find any other date on them. I will try and get some pic's of them. Great shape also.


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## GA1dad

Lukikus2 said:


> Both are coleman. On the bottom of them one say's 5 - 57 and the other say's 4 - 9. I can see where the one could have been made in '57 but the other at 4 - 9 has got me scratching my head. Could't find any other date on them. I will try and get some pic's of them. Great shape also.



Yep, the one is May 1957.

The other will take a model number or picture to determine. In the 30's to mid 40's Coleman only used one digit for the year, and the numbers were reversed, year first and month second. The 9 in your case would be September. As for the 4, it could either be 34 or 44, depending on the model. There is a known period that Coleman made specific models. For example Coleman made the 242C in the early to mid forties. So if yours is marked 242C, that would make yours 194(4). However if it was a model 228B, that would mean it's from 193(4). The model number is probably on the silver collar ( between the tank and globe ). Take a picture, I will be glad to help you narrow it down.


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## GA1dad

Artfuldodger said:


> I've never seen a Coleman Lantern that burned kerosene but I see that they still sell them. Our always burned white gas.



The red one above did not originally burn kero, I converted it. I prefer to burn kero due to cost. White gas runs $10 a gallon, where kero runs $4 a gallon. A lot of folks burn a mix of white gas/kero to keep the cost down. Kerosene genarally burns brighter too. There are many models that came from the factory burning kero.


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## Lukikus2

Got the pic's. I was going off the top of my head on the other post on the numbers. This is the 4 - 9. You can hardly make it out even with the naked eye but it is stamped on it. I tried to play with the brightness and contrast to make it clearer so it may be distorted.


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## Lukikus2

here is the 2-57. 

I haven't got into them yet to see if they'll fire yet but I know I have mantles laying around.  Grew up on some lanterns and always have them on hand.


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## GA1dad

The green one is a 242C,,,, so it would be Sept. 1944

The red one is a 200A,,,, May 1957

Both are great lanterns.


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## Lukikus2

GA1dad said:


> The green one is a 242C,,,, so it would be Sept. 1944
> 
> The red one is a 200A,,,, May 1957
> 
> Both are great lanterns.



Unreal. I never would have thought they were that old. Thanks.

Can you give some tips on restoring/cleaning without damaging the originality?


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## SmokyMtnSmoke

I've got about 5-6 old white gas Colemans I've collected/use, I also have a copy of the Petromax, a Britelyt Lantern that runs on kerosene. It is just a nice as the old Genoils and Petromax's. A few years back there were copys with the WENZEL name. 

I'm on the hunt for a good working kerosene Coleman. Have any of you ever done a conversion on a 220 like this guy has?

http://www.northeastshooters.com/vb...n-to-kerosene-(Added-preheat-cup-manufacture)


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## GA1dad

SmokyMtnSmoke said:


> I've got about 5-6 old white gas Colemans I've collected/use, I also have a copy of the Petromax, a Britelyt Lantern that runs on kerosene. It is just a nice as the old Genoils and Petromax's. A few years back there were copys with the WENZEL name.
> 
> I'm on the hunt for a good working kerosene Coleman. Have any of you ever done a conversion on a 220 like this guy has?
> 
> http://www.northeastshooters.com/vb...n-to-kerosene-(Added-preheat-cup-manufacture)



I attempted it once and wound up with a sooty mess. With the 220's it appears to be hit and miss and some versions of the 220 seem to be more feasible. At some point I'm sure I'll try it again, but I've got several kero burners to keep things lit up for now.

Good Luck! If you get one going, post up some pics!!!


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