I have to admit that while I am new to collecting fairy lamps, I am a confirmed addict.

Every thrift and antique shop I am looking for fairy lamps.  I’ve even trained my husband to look for them.

First off, fairy lamps rarely have anything to do with fairies.  You have seen a fairy lamp. At one time they were very popular in restaurants, as you could use a votive candle for ambiance, but not set any patrons on fire because of the cover.

A Wegwood fairy lamp

Fairy lamps have existed ever since fat small candles were invented.  Some were called “Courting Lights” because these gentle lights were placed on porches so couples could court on the porch.  They are fairy lights you can purchase from the United Kingdom.  These were hung on Victorian Christmas trees and were safer than a regular unprotected candle.

I have only found fairy light “in the wild”.  However fairy lights have gained in popularity recently.  Like Pokemon cards, antiques go up and down in value.  It’s become much harder to find “in the wild” fairy lights and I’ve been felling the pain.

A really friendly shop in a beautiful location

Mark and I Googled antique shops and found the perfect place for the fairy light hunt. The Antique Mall of New England is in beautiful and remote Greenville New Hampshire.  We had a lovely drive of about an hour, and found this super friendly and helpful antique shop.  The best part for my husband was there is a terrific Chinese restaurant next door in an antique train station!

Don’t forget to eat!

The Antique Mall in Greenville is a lovely drive from anywhere, as it’s just a cute little town in the middle of the mountains and forests.  Everyone from the manager to the fellow shoppers are friendly and helpful.  The staff helped me find a BLUE fairy lamp I’ve never seen before.

I’ll have to find out what kind of lamp this blue one is!

I found a red Viking vintage fairy lamp.  Then Mark showed his detective abilities and came up with a white frosted lamp.  It was a win for my collection.  Our celebratory lunch at the Chinese restaurant was great.  The food was plentiful and fresh.  The restaurant super clean and the staff friendly.

Three fairy lamps in one trip! Red, white and blue!

I would highly recommend the Antique Mall of New England, and of course lunch or dinner next door.