Rare Maglite Vari-Beam 4D

[cbar45]

Here's a light I sold recently on the big auction site. Was a bit surprised at what it went for; it appears there is a niche market for some of these old Mag Lites.

Background:
I picked up this light on a whim, partly because of nostalgia and partly because you just can't beat the smooth, warm, glow of an incandescent bouncing off a modded orange-peel reflector.

Further research on the Vari-Beam led me to a collector's website—-where I learned this particular light is a desirable low serial number from 1980, with a typo of "Paten Pending" stamped on the barrel.

https://maglitehistory.blogspot.com/2017/06/vari-beams.html?m=1

At this point I decided not to modify the light, but rather post it for sale to someone who'd truly appreciate it.

Here are some photos:

[JasonGotaProblem]

That's really cool. How much did it go for?

[cbar45]

That's really cool. How much did it go for?

Thanks.

It went for a little over $650.

[Brewcrafter]

Yes, flashlight geeks (I am sure there are more than a few in the AT Community) are every bit as insane as fishing reel geeks.  I have a buddy that is waaaaaay into it.  Believe it or not, you can drop almost as much coin into modifying a plain old base Maglight (not a rare one like Cbar's) as you can hotrodding a 113H.  And afterwards you have a $300+ Maglight that also can function as a tanning bed or an arc welder... - john

[JasonGotaProblem]

That's wonderful. Glad you recognized it for what it was.

Former coworker used to say

"cada loca con su tema"

Basically, we're all kinda nuts, and there's something for everyone.

[cbar45]

Yes, flashlight geeks (I am sure there are more than a few in the AT Community) are every bit as insane as fishing reel geeks.

This is true.

They will catch you in the flashlight/camping aisles and talk for hours on end about such things as lumens, lux, hot-spots—-and how their light had zero PWM, but "was a floody neutral-white sending 10,000 lumens into my backyard at night".

I have more reels than flashlights though, so obviously the sanity still holds..

[Bill B]

I carried a Mag-Lite while working in the prison.  This was before we were issued batons 

[cbar45]

I carried a Mag-Lite while working in the prison.  This was before we were issued batons 

I bet that was to the tune of a 4C Cell, or thereabouts?

Been looking at those aftermarket crenelated bezels; not so much for impact use, but so that the light can stand on its head, and allow for area lighting.

[cbar45]

That's wonderful. Glad you recognized it for what it was.

Former coworker used to say

"cada loca con su tema"

Basically, we're all kinda nuts, and there's something for everyone.

Yep. Similar to us reel-heads, I learned that the flashlight guys consider it sublime when one of the hard-to-find lights has its original packaging intact.