I'm still in the noob stages of collecting and have been trying to determine the best places to look for that harder to find stuff. When it comes to stores it seems like flea markets and thrift stores would be the best bet for bulbs being as the average person thinks a old MV bulb is useless. Antique stores on the other hand would seem to be a better place to look for fixtures since the streetlights tend to have the eyecatch factor. Obviously eBay and marketplace but marketplace is usually a gamble that it's not 700 miles away. Thoughts and opinions?

From experience, I'd just be patient. From all my years of collecting (not many lol), rare stuff shows up out of the blue. It's slowed down where I'm at, but even then, I still find things I'd never thought I'd find, even without actively searching for them. It's tough because I do want to get them, but I'm seriously running out of space, and also have changing priorities.

Be proactive if you want something, it's there in front of you, and you have the opportunity to get it. If it's not there, and you seek it out, ask the community because who knows, someone might have one someday. Indirectly, ask any people (even non collectors) you might know if they or they know anyone, who might have some old stuff or have connections to anything that is related to what your looking for. Then you could go from there.

You have some seriously awesome stuff in your collection. I'd sure if you're seeking it out, you'd find it soon enough lol.

Hope this helps somehow.

Whenever I ask the non collectors I always get the "look".

Just a small tip, if it is cheap and rare enough, buy it immediately if you know it won't last long on the shelves. I had many rare lamps and fixtures at the shop that I left behind to get it later, but the next time they all disappeared.
Of course, if you are sure it will stay there till the next visit, you can leave it there.


Also, if you are buying from non collectors, they won't charge many times because they are in a hurry to get rid of it.

You can often choose between 'expensive and now' or 'cheap and maybe someday'.

I bought my 2 SOX 18 bulbs for relatively high price considering how worse for wear they look. And i almost bought an expensive fixture.
But i decided to wait for the fixture.

A couple months later, i first got a fixture completely for free from a friend, and later i found another one in a thrift shop, completely at random, for 5 euro. 

Try and get acquainted with electricians, lighting techs and such. They can often supply you with stuff that gets thrown out at companies.

I've learned quick if it's good on eBay it's always a now.

To add to the 'Cheap and maybe someday' - i yesterday went to an army surplus store. A Philips 90w sox showed up for 5 euro. I've never ever seen one IRL yet it just randomly popped up.
Keep your eyes peeled and maybe you'll just find something you like for a nice price.

I did not end up buying it because of a lack of gear and purpose for it - much too bright for me. It's a pretty thing, though.

Local second hand listings are goldmine. A nuance is that as done by non-professionals, items are often misplaced and mis-categorized. As MH may be listed as halogens of just as 'lamps' or floodlights etc. Ballasts are often placed under very weird names, sure. So trawling by a wide category, you will find some surprises.

Electrical shops and distributors often have some old stocks to get rid of, often not listed anywhere. A visit in person can yield many surprises like induction lamps, or Philips original blacklights, or weird unusual kinds of color MH, and so on... Of course distributors do not like to sell in single pieces, but! still money is money.

I find thrift stores tend to have some interesting older stock bulbs like MV and CFL for sure. Flea markets I don’t often have a lot of luck lighting wise but I have found some neat light fixtures sometimes for good prices.

Also sometimes yard sales and estate sales, particularly the ones at older houses where the people lived there for decades, so there tends to be a lot of older stuff around, particularly barns, garages, sheds. The “boutique” like sales in snobby new neighborhoods and the yard sales with just baby toys and clothes I never find anything at, other than overpriced furniture and decorations, so I avoid those.

Although even the newer estate sales that I go to I sometimes find some cool flash lights and such.