Dear people with lots of flashlights...

Why do you have so many and what use do you honestly have for them?

Very cool and very useful. We seem to be suckers for a well machined useful object. For some reason I think of cars as well.

That's easy: they are here to bring joy to my gray life. In addition to that, sometimes they can be used to suck some annoying dark away.
bernie

I like shiny things. that's somebody's name here on CPF. Basically, for me, it's the never ending quest for the perfect light in a number of different categories (EDC, Major illuminator, smallest brightest illuminator, smallest brightest thrower that will fit in a jacket pocket easily (mini-HID), survival light, major WOW factor (for showing off), etc).

I actually don't have that many lights. Seriously, other than the minimags in my collection and a-bit-less-than-a-dozen-or-so Infinities (of various flavors), and one ArcLSH, all of my other lights see almost weekly use.

OK GreenLED, you're not participating like a true CPF'r. You've got to GET OUT THERE and buy, Buy, BUY! Better yet - buy them both, Buy Them Both, BUY THEM BOTH! You must have more lights than you can possibly ever use! Then you can sell some of them when you need "discounts" on new lights you want.

Bec I want them. Bec I need them :laughing:

Pretty much what the others here summed up. Besides I do like BRIGHT flashlights!

Handlobraesing said:

Why do you have so many and what use do you honestly have for them?

Click to expand...

:huh2:




:whoopin:

I've been fortunate to have no overlap in my lights so far. Each light has a different purpose, and is considerably different from each other.

Now a better question for me is... "why the heck do you have 3 MP3 players?!"
Truth is, I don't have a clue.

What everyone else has said, plus I think it requires what might be called a "collector's mentality". I used to have many discussions/arguments with my old boss concerning my affliction. He never understood, and he also never had a collection of anything. I think I'm also doubly cursed, being a pack-rat by nature.

Geoff

I have a small number of lights I use. I also have 51 vintage police flashlights that are purely a collection. Why police flashlights? I guess because stamps and bottlecaps are boring, and Hummels break when you hit someone with them.

It's like asking a stamp collector why he has so many stamps.

I think most of us start off filling up different niches/needs with a certain light, then we get the itch and start collecting lights for the sake of collecting more than using (although using it occasionally makes it more fun).

Just like cars; we can only drive one at a time but some people have a different car for every occassion.

Flashlights are pretty cheap. Even if you are spending $300 for a light it isn't bad compared to other hobbies: fishing, photography, music, archery. You can buy a lot of lights for the same money as the average teenage girl spends on pants or shoes.

It just seems shocking that anyone would spend so much on "just a flashlight."

It is fun. Few things are more benign.

Scott

Same reason as most folks...they're cool, technologically fascinating, and I like to experiment with different lights. I've never used mine for "dishonest" uses! :naughty:

However...isn't it required for membership?

Compared to my wife's hobby (Louis Vuitton handbags!), they practically give flashlights away!

It's simple!
I'm afraid of the dark and up here in the north, it's always dark. A flashlight solves that.
You need plenty of them because there are so many different occasions and ways you might need them, and you always need a backup.

We are stimulating the economy! :nana:

I got them because they are neat, because I can buy some good ones for not that much money, because I do get to use them sometimes.

The ones that I get to use:
1. In my car I carry the Pelican M6 LED and the Maglite 8AA/KPR118. I use these when I go to construction sites.
2. In my briefcase I carry a Nuwai QIII.
3. On my computer desk I have the Inova X5. I use it for looking under furniture, around in the attic, etc.
4. By the bed I have the Mag85 and the TL-3 incan.
5. In the garage I keep the TL-2 LED to use when working on the car.
6. On my keychain I have a Princeton Tec.
7. I have a Nuwai TM115 (2 light levels and lots of throw) to take on camping trips.
8. I have a Petza headlamp for camping, or for working in the attic.
9. I carry a Minimag/MJLED on trips in case I get stranded somewhere and need a little bit of light for a long time.
10. My wife had a 3C mag with a 3rdShift lux mod for her general around the house use.

That's probably about 1/2 of my lights.

A guy today asked me the same question. the answer seemed so simple to me "it gets dark out there at night" I showed him my princeton attitude LED, PRO POLY 4AA Lux LED, surefire C3, Ilumabeam ulteon LED, led lenser green led coin battery-each has its own purpose. the guy seemed to understand BTW he was weraing a REAL platnium Rolex.

Each light serves a *specific* purpose. And there are many purposes in life