ABOUT OIL LAMP PARTS
In the winter of 1977 I moved to a remote valley of NW Montana. My intention was to live off the grid and raise my own food, including livestock. It was my introduction to kerosene (coal oil) lamps. My interest in the lamps led to a search for parts for lamp restoration. Following visits to antique malls and shops I realized that the availability of those parts held a business potential.
With a newfound access to a phone line and a laptop computer in May, 2000 I was able to locate oil lamp part wholesalers and began selling parts online through ebay. Subsequently I learned the basics of HTML and ooened my own website. Although it began as a supplemental income, it is now an entirely not-for-profit enterprise.
For years I shipped oil lamp parts worldwide, the majority of parts being of U.S. manufacture. Except for some glass lampshades, now all of my products are made overseas - except for USA-made wicks and some glass shades. Worldwide attack by terrorists brought about an array of varied customs restrictions, so I stopped exporting five years ago.