Local second-hand listings are your friends then! Got an enormous amount of interesting lamps and ballasts from second-hand sites. Some truly unique. How about a NOS pure gallium-filled 400W violet metal halide lamp for just a few bucks? Or a blue 1kW one?



 

The Oregon ban started right as I started collecting fluorescent lamps, and light bulbs in general. That actually kickstarted my interest in them. The Oregon law prevents stores from stocking up on new fluorescent tubes, and they have until Jan. 1st of 2025 to sell the remaining stock of pin-base fluorescent lamps (CFLs were banned in 2024). The Home Depot near me has some pretty slim pickings, but other stores like the Ace Hardware in Progress Ridge still has a fairly good supply.

The bans don't really affect me that much because I can always drive to Washington or get the lamp shipped to me if I really need to buy a new one. Most times I can find one in a thrift store or on Craigslist for cheap, though.

I am wondering if there's any good stores in Albuquerque, NM since they're ban-free. It's a 5 hourish drive but if there are any stores stocking good tubes and fixtures it'll be worth it. Down in time for lunch and a bit for shopping, back in time for late dinner.