Is My Lamp Worth Repairing?

Repair usually wins when the base has real material value — solid brass, ceramic, marble, carved wood — or when the lamp has sentimental or period value. A rewire costs a fraction of an equivalent new lamp and keeps a well-made object out of the landfill. Replacement makes more sense for hollow resin bases with molded-in sockets, where the cost of labor exceeds the value of the piece.

What we see on the bench

Nearly every lamp that comes through our Thornton shop tells the same story in a different way: the object outlived its wiring. Cord insulation dries out, socket contacts flatten, switch springs weaken, and the failure shows up as flicker long before it shows up as a dead lamp. Catching it at the flicker stage keeps a repair small.

When to call a professional

Stop using any lamp that smells hot, trips a breaker, or has visible copper. If the fixture is hardwired, mounted overhead, or older than 1960, have it inspected rather than patched. We give free estimates and will tell you when a repair is not worth the money.

Ask us about your lamp →