Are you a "Keeper" or a "Recycler"?

One of the great things about flashlights is that the technology is always improving. The flip side is that some older torches become obsolete or underused. So just out of interest, do you tend to keep all the torches you accumulate, or pass some them on to other, perhaps non-flashaholic friends or family?

I've personally given away:

*Terralux Ministar modded Maglite - to a mate of mine, who now uses it every day.

*Terralux Microstar modded Maglite - to my 16 year old brother who absolutely loves it and is on the verge of flashaholism!

*I've given my wife the little keyring LED lights which lighthound generously provided with acouple of Fenix purchases - she's a nurse and uses them on nightshift

*A couple of shakelights have been given to other friends.

*I've also given away a few homebuilt LED bike lights to friends as presents.

My feeling is that I'd rather see a light which doesn't cut it for me, being used by someone else who appreciates it, rather than gathering dust on my shelf.

Of course I've a few lights which will have to be prised from my cold dead hands, no matter what future technology may bring

A keeper. I hoard my lights like Smaug hoards treasure. I was thinking the other day it's almost as if I've never met a light I didn't like! It's just a matter of liking some much more than others. The I remembered the old plastic 2 D lights, and the absolute factor was banished!

This is not to say I haven't given lights as gifts. I have recently given away a couple of those steel 8 LED lights, and a few flip top AA lights as well. Give away a Luxeon? Bwahahahahahaha! Not!

I'm primarily a recycler, but I have been known to keep lights...particularly those I like. I hung onto my LSH-P for a long time before selling it. This Christmas, I'm giving a bunch of lights: L1P, some X5's, Photon's...

- Chris

I've been a keeper for the longest time (but I don't have a lot of lights anyway). However, I just let go of one of my favorite lights, and I may do the same with a few others. Am I becoming a recycler?

Heavy recycler. I like to mix n match parts and resell the ones I dont need to pay for more lights and parts.. repeat. I've only been into this hobby a couple weeks and already I've sold half my collection. I'm the same way with firearms..

What?!?!? Part with my babies?

Oh, I don't think so! I love each one for its own special virtues.

Scott

Keeper. I just dont buy a whole lot. Skiped a lot of steps by going right for the SF M6.

I tend to keep lights that epitomize the essence of that particular type of light, for example...

Grandma's emergency light - Cheap drugstore 2xD cell light
Impressive leap forward for it's time - stock 3xD Maglight
LED lighting first makes the grade - Turtlelight

and so forth. Other lights get passed on to my nephew most of the time.

I guess I'm a wannabe recycler, but keeper by inborn disposition. I've bought a lot of lights for the specific purpose of giving away, but I still have most of them and it's hard for me to part with them. That's especially true of nice lights that have been discontinued. So I have around ten CMG Infinities in various configurations including I think four Ultra-G's (no they're not for sale, at least for now). I have managed to give away at least 3 dozen cheap coin cell lights in the past year, but that's just because I bought a box of 50 plus a bag of 20. I want to buy a few more Fenixes to give out this xmas but I just might end up keeping them for myself!

I'm currently a keeper.

However, I suppose I will eventually become a recycler as I discover what works best for me based on these three criteria:

what is easiest to maintain and repair if need be
what serves my particular purposes I pose for each light class
what is my current price bracket.

...ultimately keeping one or two lights per size and battery class. I think ten lights can cover every class of illumination not including vehicular and stationary. Again, I see myself upgrading to more expensive higher quality lights as my pay-rate increases.

Coincidentally, I will also stop keeping when my collection reaches >20 lights.

Keeper, but not by choice.
Mosr of my unused lights are CHEAP things I got to play with LED bulb drop ins. Or incans I could not mod. Or comes packaged with something else I wanted. Can't put them on the B/S/T forum as most are not worth the shipping cost to get rid of them. The only one worthwhile I'm donating to ksbman's Christmas gift III. One day I'll be a BAADDD environmentalist and ship them to the local garbage dump.

[edit] After careful selection I manage to donate 4 and ship 5 of my unused lights through ksbman's Christmas gift III.
I am turning into a recycler!

I'm a recycler...

All of my better lights were purchased only after some thought and research so I haven't ended up with with too many sub par lights.

Get rid of my Arc LS or AAA, Ultra G, Scorpion, E1e?! They may not be cutting edge anymore but I cherish them and just acquired an LS twisty from nikon. There's not much available that can compete for size and they were the first of their types.

I may give away my Q3 when the Fenix arrives and my old style PP 4AA incan has been superceeded. These are better than average lights for the average person. I threw out four GE industrial 2Ds this year (got tired of fixing the intermittant switches) so that makes some extra room. Two lights were lost - room for more new lights.

I'm afraid that I may be turning into a bit of a collector. Most of my lights actually get used - some of them not too often, however.

Keeper, mostly.

Last Christmas I gave away 120 20/$20 Country Comm LEDs and about 20 Inova Micro Lights. Subconsciously, maybe I did that to feel better about hoarding my more expensive lights.

Actually, I was so thrilled to be working a good job that I wanted to spread the cheer. ksbman forever instilled the act of giving light for Christmas because a year earlier, when I was out of a job, he sent me my first Luxeon for his giveaway.

90% keeper - 10% recycler.

Most of my gifts this xmas are lights which i've collected this year. I guess im 80% keeper and 20% recycler.

I am a keeper. I don't have a lot lights. I only buy lights I really "need."

I am a giver, have never sold a light, I give them to friends and acquaintences as I become bored with them, the flashlight pied-piper.

If an item did not impress me or represent good values, I would not have purchase it, in the first place.

Once an item is purchased, it would be granted permanent residency in our household. I would rather have it when I need it, then need it but do not have it. Hence, I am a keeper.

I'm most definitely a keeper.
I run a rather sizeable reviews website, so every flashlight, laser, or other lighting product I receive that does not need to be returned to the manufacturer or retailer gets kept, for use for additional analyses and comparisons with other products. I have no fewer than 800 flashlights, lasers, and other lighting products at my disposal, so I just *MIGHT* hold the CPF record for the most lights. :thumbsup:

Yeah, I think LED Museum or arewethereyetdad should get the award as biggest keeper.

I definitely believe in recycling, especially through BST. I've found lately though that it is much more enjoyable to give my lights away to friends and camping buddies. That is one easy way to make flashlight converts.