Beam Me Up: Results From Bodnar’s Auction Sales’ Flashlights Event

Bodnar’s Auction Sales of New Brunswick, NJ presented its The History of Flashlights, Lightbulbs, & Batteries sale on Wednesday, April 12, 2023. This comprehensive, single-owner event included more than 270 vintage to antique lots of related materials, including advertising, displays, novelties, and ephemera. All prices noted include the auction house’s 18% buyer’s premium.

Lot #45, a vintage USALite Redhead Motorist safety flashlight, took the blue ribbon in this sale. It was estimated at USD 100 to $200, realized $1,032.50, and generated a whopping 49 bids. This circa 1921 example measured 7.25 inches long, had a clean battery chamber, and was in very good to excellent condition overall.

USALite flashlights were manufactured by the U.S. Electric Mfg. Corp between 1920 and the 1960s. They were designed to be used for motorists at night on the road, and often had a handle on them to angle or support the light so it could be used hands free. “Redhead” refers to the end of the fixture, as the light emerging from it would be red. Over 19 different “Redhead” designs were made over time.

Commercially produced displays were also well represented in this sale. Lot #218, a Bright Star Battery Co. tin litho store display and battery tester, was estimated at $300 to $500, made $994, and attracted 17 bids. This black and red example featured the company’s logo and branding, noting “Bright Star Rays Show The Way” and “Supreme in every Test.” It was mounted on a heavy metal base with a dimensional five pointed star on its top.

The Bright Star Battery Company, also known as Bright Star Industries, began in 1909 in New York but moved to Hoboken, New Jersey. Over time, it also had offices in Clifton, NJ and branch offices in Chicago and San Francisco. The company actively advertised its products to other businesses through print publications including Radio and Television Retailing, offering merchandise deals in colorful display packages.

This flashlights event also featured a number of walking sticks with flashlight handles or features. Lot #177, a vintage Ray-O-Vac flashlight handled cane, was estimated at $100 to $200, produced 16 bids, and traded hands at $796.60. This 36-inch long example was made from dark stained wood and was detailed with a brass lantern fixture and a matching end tip.

The Ray-O-Vac company started out as the French Battery and Carbon Company, from Madison, WI. It was renamed Ray-O-Vac (later shortened to Rayovac) in 1934. The company has always been proud of its American heritage and was very active in finding ways for its technologies to integrate into other products, services, or advances. For example, in May of 1927, when Charles Lindbergh flew solo across the Atlantic in his plane, the “Spirit of St. Louis,” he had a pair of Ray-O-Lite flashlights as part of his emergency kit.

Porcelain advertising signs related to flashlights, lightbulbs, and batteries also caught the interest of collectors through this sale. Lot #213, a vintage Red Seal Dry Battery porcelain sign with a Fahrenheit thermometer feature, was estimated at $300 to $500, scored $590, and generated nine bids. This red, white, and black example measured 27 inches long and was marked Patent March 16, 1915 on the back. It proudly promoted that “Guaranteed for all Open Circuit Work/A Battery suitable for Every Use/The Guarantee Protects You.”

Red Seal Dry Batteries were produced by Manhattan Electrical Supply Company, which was located at 17 Park Place in New York City. The company was very active in its advertising program, often tying patriotic themes to its campaigns. In October of 1922, it offered its Red Seal Battery Contest in the publication The Wireless Age. This magazine billed itself as “America’s Foremost Radiophone Review.” The grand prize for this competition was a radio set valued at $725– which is the equivalent of $13,025.66 in 2023 dollars.

And finally, this sale rounded out with light bulbs, switches, circuit breakers, batteries, fixtures, and other collectible, electrified novelties. Lot #23, an Eveready clover leaf bicycle front light, was estimated at $75 to $150, had 18 bids, and sold for $295. This late-19th-century example was 3.5 inches tall and in overall good condition. Its handle and body were shaped like a three leaf clover, and its round light fixture was attached to its front. It featured green and red lights on its fixture sides.

For more information on The History of Flashlights, Lightbulbs, & Batteries sale, visit LiveAuctioneers.

Interested in more auction results? Check out our coverage of the Joan Stacke Graham Majolica Collection at Doyle.