Vintage Kingston Crystalites Bubble Christmas Tree Lights – Boxed Working Set

Regular price: £215.00
Sale price: £215.00
Regular price

A wonderful and scarce vintage set of Kingston Crystalites bubble Christmas tree lights, made by the Kingston Lamp Co Ltd of Hull, England.

The set comprises eight colourful lights, each fitted with a clear liquid-filled glass tube. When illuminated, the heat from the bulb creates the distinctive rising bubble effect through the tube, giving a wonderfully atmospheric, almost lava-lamp-style appearance.

The lights are housed in their original illustrated presentation box, with its charming mid-century fantasy artwork featuring a fairy, toadstools, stars and bubbles. Also included is the original Kingston Crystalites instruction leaflet, which shows and describes the lights, together with a spare replacement bulb.

The original two-pin plug has previously been replaced with a standard UK three-pin plug.

The lights are also straightforward to clean and maintain. The coloured top section lifts off, the bulb screws out, and the glass bubbling tube is a separate piece. The bubbling effect is created by the heat from the bulb warming the glass tube. If a tube does not begin bubbling straight away, gently tipping the glass tube upside down a couple of times can help restart the action before replacing it.

A particularly attractive and complete surviving set, ideal for a collector of vintage Christmas decorations, lighting or mid-century festive display pieces.

Product variants

Size/Dimensions

Box: H 5.5 x L 52.5 x W 18.5 cm

Condition

Good vintage condition overall. The original box is well preserved for its age, with expected surface wear, rubbing and marks. There is some writing in pen to the lid, a small amount of old tape and a couple of small holes to one side. The internal card fitting also shows some age-related wear. There are no major tears to the outer box.

The lights and wiring show expected signs of age and previous use. All eight lights were tested and working at the time of listing, with the bubbling action visible once warmed. The original leaflet has some light age-related creasing and marks. A spare bulb is included.

Mid-20th century, circa 1950s