TV Panther... anyone know?

Remember back in the 50s everyone thought you needed to have a lamp on top of your TV set so you didn't get eye damage? Then everyone bought one of those panthers with the glowing eyes?

Me neither. I was born in 73. But it was a thing.

Anyway, I have a panther that belonged to my great grandparents. No big deal, I thought. They sell for $40-250 on ebay. Then a couple people told me I might have a goldmine. Mine is a purple-mauve color, and supposedly no one has ever seen one like it.

Who do I talk to about valuing it?

If you sell it somewhere, place a tape measure or ruler in front of it; too big for a hood ornament.

I'm old and I've never heard of any damn panthers on the TV. Have you been in Colorado lately?

I remember them, but don't know about rare colors.

There's some information out there, here's one article I found: http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/an-interview-with-1950s-tv-lamp-collector-mark-stevens/

Damn. I thought this was about an episode of COPS.

I'm older than Curtis, but I have no recollection of these things.

We had a driftwood lamp on our TV when I was a kid, but I don't think it was because everyone put lamps on their TVs, I think it was just because we had a lamp and it looked good on the TV.

But the original reason for it was because people believed watching TV without ambient light would make you blind or harm your vision. It got big quick, but died out in the early 60s. Hundreds of companies churned them out, including Royal China who stopped production of all of their big-dollar items to make just TV lamps for a few years to keep up with demand.

Wow. Never heard of these in my 43 years. I've seen a lot of weird E36 M3, but glowing tv panthers are up there on the list. Good luck with the sale!

My grandparents had a purple one on their TV for decades. I thought these things were just tacky junk. To be fair my grandfather went to TCU and we are from "Panther City."

stuart in mn wrote: I remember them, but don't know about rare colors. There's some information out there, here's one article I found: http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/an-interview-with-1950s-tv-lamp-collector-mark-stevens/

Interesting read. I learned something today!

60% of the time they work every time

My grandmother had a green panther on her TV. Never had any idea why other than she liked it.

I believe that's a pink panther. Value? Auction time.

I've seen a green one before, I had no idea that they were a thing.

back then, a tv was a piece of furniture, just another table that had a glowing glass thing in the front that showed pictures... they had to figure out something to put on top of it until the cable box, Atari console, and VCR were invented... so why not a lamp of some kind? and what better way to get people to buy your special "tv lamp" than convince a gullible public that you needed it to keep from going blind while watching The Lone Ranger and Howdy Doody?

1988RedT2 wrote: I'm old and I've never heard of any damn panthers on the TV. Have you been in Colorado lately?

same … 66 here … never heard of the light on top of the TV thing … and this is the first time I've heard of the TV panther …

good luck with the valuation … hope you strike it big time

My grandparents had that same Panther in black. Never heard of or related it to eye health though, bet it was just a trendy thing back then. Now I wonder where it ended up after we cleaned out their old homestead. That black Panther be pretty classy lookin'.

I have a penguin on my television.

Stroker: Be careful with those! I hear they can... well... just be careful.

I know this, if you sell it for $2016 then you are legally obligated to do a challenge jaguar for next year and paint it mauve.

Rufledt wrote: I know this, if you sell it for $2016 then you are legally obligated to do a challenge Pantera for next year and paint it mauve.

FTFY

$2016 Pantera? Sign me up! Although I think I could get a better Cougar or Lynx for $2016.

I spoke with two "experts" on it and it doesn't seem to be anything special. It is a color that neither of the experts had ever seen, but that just makes it unique, not valuable. I get the impression that it might sell on the high side of the collector market, but that means $80 instead of $50. It isn't an unobtanium unicorn that everyone seeks out or anything.

I was pretty certain it wouldn't be super special, but I would have hated to sell it for $50 only to find out it was a super-rare edition something.

aircooled wrote: Stroker: Be careful with those! I hear they can... well... just be careful.

Too late. It fell down the back of the television.