eBay

smilebert · ‎02-03-2023

I have two vintage "home bar " vintage lamps that should be rewired but I'm not sure if i should rewire them for selling, rewire them and include the original wiring, or rewire them and not mention the old wiring.

Give me your views PLEASE

lonebuck-books · ‎02-03-2023

How's your insurance? If you aren't insured and/or don't know exactly what you are doing leave the rewiring to the buyer. Just make sure your listing clearly states that the lamps have original wiring and need to be rewired prior to being used.

I'm a retired licensed electrician of 30 years and I won't rewire lamps for resale. Not worth the risk. My insurance doesn't cover that sort of thing.

southern*sweet*tea · ‎02-03-2023

Since you know the lamps need rewired, what I would do is cut the cords so they can't be plugged in. That would be a liability issue. If the buyer wants them rewired, they can do so, or they can be left alone to be decorative pieces only.

The easier you are to offend the easier you are to control.

We seem to be getting closer and closer to a situation where nobody is responsible for what they did but we are all responsible for what somebody else did. - Thomas Sowell

a_c_green · ‎02-03-2023

@smilebert wrote:
I have two vintage "home bar " vintage lamps that should be rewired but I'm not sure if i should rewire them for selling, rewire them and include the original wiring, or rewire them and not mention the old wiring.

If you know that they "should" be rewired then say so in your description, if that's not a job you want to tackle yourself, but if that is in fact the case, you might have a Not As Described dispute in your future from a buyer who doesn't read descriptions.

If these are just plug-in lamps that are looking a bit tired but still working, I would list them with photos showing them in operation and not worry about it. On the other hand, if these were hard-wired fixtures with wiring that's now inflexible and crispy, I would either remove the old wiring so that the buyer will have to add new anyway, or not list them at all.

blingfling123 · ‎02-03-2023

@southern*sweet*tea

THIS. I cut the cords and state has been cut as well as provide images of the cut end.

I have seen too many shenanigans with people using unsafe stuff over the years.

I want no part of someone wanting to cheap out and not get it re wired or thinking meh, it won't hurt.

josephb555 · ‎02-03-2023

You should rewire them and mention in the listing that you rewired the lamps.

retro_entertainment_collectibles · ‎02-03-2023

Really depends what they are. There are simple bar lights, incandescent light bulb(s) deal in which case you use new same gauge wire and adhere to TODAYS standards in wiring such as the neutral line being in the proper connection etc. If they are Neon gas lights or backlit by fluorescent bulbs w/ a ballast then you want cut the cord end off and sell them as needing re-wiring. That said, if you do re-wire yourself you do open yourself up to a issues should the lights go awry.

slippinjimmy · ‎02-03-2023

Ignoring the rewiring liability issue (personal think it's a nothing burger).

How "vintage" is this? Would it be bought by a collector that would never use it or a buyer that wants to actually use it.

To a collector removing the original wiring could diminish the value while for the regular user having it in working condition would be worth more.

Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep

onlinecentral · ‎02-03-2023

Ignoring the rewiring liability issue (personally think it's a nothing burger).
I have never read a discussion where a seller was a defendant in a lawsuit for a faulty product.

There have been countless discussions from sellers incorrectly thinking that if they put some disclaimer into the description, they will get to keep the payment. Then a Return is filed.
Missing pieces, parts or accessories
Pieces, parts need replacement
Sold as doesn't work, needs repair, for parts only
You, the buyer, need to rewire these lamps or pay someone to do it
These lamps won't work because I cut the cords off

If you send merchandise that is not fully functional, then the odds of a return skyrocket.

a_c_green · ‎02-03-2023

@slippinjimmy wrote:
Ignoring the rewiring liability issue (personal think it's a nothing burger).

How "vintage" is this? Would it be bought by a collector that would never use it or a buyer that wants to actually use it.

To a collector removing the original wiring could diminish the value while for the regular user having it in working condition would be worth more.

I spent many years restoring vintage lighted commercial signs and advertising clocks, and reselling them here. Wiring is a safety issue (Duh 😉), and I don't recall ever finding that original vs. fresh wiring would affect the value all that much.

That is, if the sign was never used and fresh out of its original vintage box, there would be no need to rewire that, sure, but for any other example that had been in use, it usually fell into one of three categories:

Good (original) working order, at most needing cleaning or new expendables such as bulbs
Not functional; needs repair
Reconditioned or restored

The last category was for signs that had been rebuilt, repaired, cleaned, and rewired where necessary. I never noticed any harm to the resale value for signs that had fresh wiring, bulbs, ballast or whatever else was needed to operate them, since those are just routine electrical parts. The collectible value doesn't include basic wiring and other standard internals (i.e. anything you could source from Home Depot), and I would just rewire as needed, if needed.

My practice was to only sell signs or clocks that could be plugged in and used anytime. The most I did in the way of modification was to add a pullchain switch to my advertising clock restorations, so that the light could be turned off when no one was around. The vintage advertising clocks as built tended to remain lit 24/7, leading to possible overheating and discoloration, so my sole concession to modern safety and collectibility was that light switch. No one ever complained.