I'm wondering if I'm not the only one who hides all lamps from people around me. Currently only two people (girlfriend and best friend) know about this. I keep my lamps behind a lock so no one can question why I have so many lamps.
What about you and why?

I use to be reluctant to share my electrics with others but now I don't really care. Plus peeps think it's cool lol and it's come in handy a few times at home and in schoo.

Nope and when people come over there is lights, fixtures, ballasts all over the place, which usually generates more questions, and I talk them into upgrading there lighting, the guy next door did call and ask what the orange light was coming out my window, he sorta figured it wasn't a fire because there was no smoke, I was testing several LPS fixtures it was very orange.. And the guy on the other side he had me put a 70 watt HPS fixture because things keep walking out of his back yard, nothing has moved since, and I'm glad he didn't get someone else to install it because it's not shining in my windows as it got mounted where I wanted it and it would of more then likely been some glaring cheap LED fixture..  I'm kinda known as the area lighting guy..

About the only person who has a problem with my light addiction is the other half, I wish she didn't know about the light bulbs, fixtures and she gets really mad about the ballasts, so I try and get those while she's not looking..

Mind you I don't collect lamps I don't use, they all get used like there where intended to, so the EOL stuff goes, mind you I do have a few vintage lamps but only a few so they are put away..   

At how many lights,vacuums,appliances I have IMPOSSIBLE to hide them.Folks that visit are interested in those things when they see them!

I have not experienced other people liking it. Most think it's weird when I explain how a fluorescent tube works. Or how to wire a ballast. It does come in handy though at times.

I have not experienced other people liking it. Most think it's weird when I explain how a fluorescent tube works. Or how to wire a ballast. It does come in handy though at times.

Oh I don't explain how anything works unless they ask, and then I only go into limited details unless they really ask, it's like talking to kids they only listen to so much and then they start saying yep, ok, most people only know you flip the switch the light comes on and they don't really care about the rest of the details. That and I can rationalize anything into how much I save by using that light vs what they have at there house, and I put it in simple terms like $2 is a large coffee at tim hortons, or how my HID vs there halogens just paid for the case of beer in power savings, or in summer time how I don't have clouds of bugs around my outdoor lighting (it's LPS, and motion sensor LED, and fun multi colored low watt LED's in the back yard) like they can see buzzing around the city's LED street lighting..

I meant it differently. Someone asked me why fluorescent phosphor is always white, why there are no clear bulbs. I tend to tell everything about phosphors and the working of the bulbs At some point they tend to ask why I know all of that, and I would say that I read a book about lamps. That's not true.

I do remember when I was young, about 3 or so I pointed at lamps to my parents. They can recall it but my mom said it was weird. They did however give me some colored bulbs and I enjoyed them, until my grandparents said it was weird. I felt ashamed and I stopped noticing lamps at all. It all came back about 3 years ago or so. And since 1 and a half year I collect some lamps. I'm just worried some people will think I have a problem.

I let my collection show. Walk in my room and there is something lighting related in every square inch of my room and the storage room is full to the brim with lamps, fixtures, gear and whatnots. Even at the paintball/airsoft field I work at (a place open to the public) my lighting collection (a lot of which is in use) has a big presence there. Sometimes lamps and fixtures can be found in the office.   

I don't intentionally keep it a secret but I also don't go around telling everyone I meet that I collect lighting. Most of my friends know about it, though. Honestly I don't really care if people think it's weird--I've had weird interests my whole life. It's who I am.

Great topic!
With me, the answer is NOPE. No way, no how. If friends or a girlfriend (if I had one) walk into my home, they walk
into my life. My life heavily involves lighting... so they will gladly be introduced into my life of illumination.
Honestly, lighting is awesome. If I were to hide my lighting from people, that'd be like me hiding my motorcycle (soon to be bought)
from people as well. I just can't do it. This is actually something that has been on my mind for quite some time, so this topic
is definitely an awesome one.

Glad you like the topic
I think there's a big difference between motorcycles and lamps. The thing is, lots of people consider motorcycles as a normal thing to have. People understand the beauty of motorcycles, the power. Lamps are just tubes or bulbs that you can turn on or off. To me it's just more than that. And collecting street lights, a waste of space people say. I just feel like I can't be myself in my environment. I know I shouldn't feel that way but it's just the way it is.

For me, they are what they are. Not that I have a large collection, but I don't really hide them, it just happens that most are in the basement. If someone asks, I provide the shortest answer possible unless they really want to know. I have a metal halide table lamp at work, and people have asked and I have provided just enough to satisfy their curiosity. I haven't told anyone there that it is MH and no one has really seen it during warmup.

As for the difference between motorcycles and lights, in the eyes of non-lighting-collectors, lights are necessary things you need, everyone has some, as long as it does the job properly for a reasonable amount of money, so be it (the exception being chandeliers). That said, you don't ostentatiously talk about them. On the other hand, some people get a motorcycle so it can be seen. There are far more motorcycle shows than street lighting shows. In short, a motorcycle is "supposed" to be seen whereas light fixtures are "not supposed" to be seen (note the use of quotation marks here).

Now, for the record, I have no desire for a motorcycle, but I respect those that do.

Oh, and I live this phenomenon doubly as I have interest in door locks and keys...

Sol, may I see your MH desk lamp? It sounds very interesting.

And as for having interest in other unusual things, I had this thing for toilets when I was younger, since I was 3 or so, looking at how it flushed. I don't do that stuff anymore today but history might repeat itself as it did with the lighting stuff.

Sol, may I see your MH desk lamp? It sounds very interesting.

And as for having interest in other unusual things, I had this thing for toilets when I was younger, since I was 3 or so, looking at how it flushed. I don't do that stuff anymore today but history might repeat itself as it did with the lighting stuff.

If you start collecting toilets, now that I could see people questioning.. 

Oh, and I live this phenomenon doubly as I have interest in door locks and keys...

I have the same problem, only it's cast iron and copper cookware, which seems to be a wife friendly addiction, since she likes cooking..

Haha, that's clever!

It's like most of us here have a second thing that they like to collect, and I feel accepted here in this community because I can be myself and talk about the things I like.