Most expensive snooker light shade for sale ...someone's having a laugh ?

[Geoff Large]

just done my routine look on what's for sale on ebay and found this
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BURROUGHES...item2334a57863

Now I know there are some jokers around but £1250 for a coffin shade is a bit rich , especially as I must have burnt at least 50 identical one's .
and no there is no table included in the price , it is just the old shade they are selling as a collectors piece ?
they say it dates from 1890 , but more like 1920/30s or even later .

It does come with a plug though !

[Neil Taperell]

And dust.....or is that extra !!

[bigandyg]

You should be more careful Geoff that was over sixty two grands worth you set on fire.

[Neil Taperell]

Lol Andy.......Trust a Scotsman to do the Maths

[Geoff Large]

I have some of the small badges that came off the end of these shades somewhere in the Garage

Based on what this guy is selling this shade for

Do you think I am in with a chance of getting £150 for a badge

[philip in china]

Very good.

You can't blame the guy for trying though, can you?

[Geoff Large]

I sent him a message informing him the first canopy type shade to be used was Thurston at their London billiard rooms where they played all the important matches of the Day .

That shade was manufactured as a Skidmore shade and was the first records of shadowless shades to be used and that date was 1933 , they had small Chinaman's hat type shades before this 6 per table .

Gas was the main type of lighting used right up to the 1920/30s

I contacted the seller to inform him of this his reply was that Hamilton's gave him that figure of £1250
He also says if I come across any more I would like to burn to give him a ring and he will come round and collect ?
Myself I think he is a bit misinformed as to the true value , maybe Hamilton's where having a laugh with him ?

so all you people who have changed their old coffin shades to the modern lighting , if you have a Burroughs and watts shade like the one being advertised contact kid-2010 on ebay you may get him to part with some cash for your collectable shade

having informed him of the date and history of the shadowless shade he has now adjusted his description and dated it to early 1900s but I still stand by my dating as circa 1930's and it has a Patent number on the Badge so anyone can check the patent and see when it was registered , also lowering the price from £1250 to £999 . expect it to go down even more as I personally have seen shades like this sell on ebay for under £25 , I do not think that Hamilton's would value the shade above £100 anyway .

[philip in china]

If my memory serves me correctly we trashed something similar when I bought my table didn't we, Geoff?

[Geoff Large]

If my memory serves me correctly we trashed something similar when I bought my table didn't we, Geoff?

Sure did but cannot remember if it was a Burroughs and watts one . it went in my mates log burner .

there was one sold at Tennents Auction house in 2011 for £70 identical to the one he is selling . http://www.tennants.co.uk/Catalogue/Lots/95545.aspx

at the end of the day it is buyer beware , but I doubt anyone would be foolish enough to pay what this guy is after , if someone wants to match up a B&Watts table with an original shade and they are having problems finding one then yes he may get around £100 for the shade , but nowhere near the £1000 he is hoping for . No one is that Gullible surely ?

what this guy has to realise is he has a second hand billiard shade not worth a great deal and not a 1933 penny

[100-uper]

Probably the best way to date this item is by the electrical plug, which to my uneducated eye certainly looks 1930's, although otherwise my first impression would be post-war (1950's.) Maybe there is a British Standard number somewhere on the moulding of the plug itself. That would probably give a fair indication of earliest date.

[DeanH]

the seller must have listened to Geoff as he has reduce his price...
to only £999

[100-uper]

A little digging through the archives reveals that this shade (patent No. 243,966) was registered to F. Cox on 2nd June 1925, so is definitely no earlier than this.

I assume that "F. Cox" was the same person in charge of Cox and Yemen when this company was taken over by Burroughes & Watts in 1911. It's interesting that he was still actively engaged in the B&W business at this time.

[ADR147]

the guy is clearly mad as a brush - these fetch £40-£60. generally they are more hassle to move because of bulk than they are worth.

[philip in china]

Let him live his fantasy. There is so much junk on Ebay at silly prices, 1 more is just another laugh.

I wonder how many views he has got of other stuff by us looking and having a laugh.

[Geoff Large]

Probably the best way to date this item is by the electrical plug, which to my uneducated eye certainly looks 1930's, although otherwise my first impression would be post-war (1950's.) Maybe there is a British Standard number somewhere on the moulding of the plug itself. That would probably give a fair indication of earliest date.

just paid a little more attention to the plug lead , for this shade.
WOW it is very dangerous a bayonet plug to fit into a down light and a open two pin plug on the end of it .
pull the plug out while it is still connected to the mains and switched on and someone is in for shock if they touch those unprotected pins .

I have asked the seller to look at this thread and judge for himself the true value of the shade , so expect him to drop the price, or even remove it , with electrics like they are it should not be sold with that plug lead , and should come with a disclaimer and recommendation that it is rewired by a competent Electrician .
the braided twisted wire is also a fire risk .
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...m=151207114851