To ensure that you don’t end up being fobbed off, do your homework on the different types of antique oil lamps. Some of them are:
Cruisie lamp – 16th Century – Typically made of cast brass and had a second oil reservoir to catch the spills from the first – Extremely rare to find one in good condition
Betty Lamp – 17th Century – One of the most common and popular types of oil lamps, the betty lamp was a marked improvement over its predecessors. It was more efficient and prevented oil wastage
Argand Lamp – Late 17th Century – Also known as the Central draft lamp, the Argand lamp is considered as the inspiration behind many of the popular oil lamp designs that followed. It spawned numerous spin-offs like the Quinquet, Lewis and Bude lamps. The original argans are quite rare. They are top heavy and cast a very unique shadow far away from the flame.
Tiffany Lamp – 19th Century – Tiffany lamps swept through the modern world in the Art Noveau period. The incredibly ornate stained leaded glass lampshades are every collector’s dream.
This is not by far, the most exhaustive list of vintage oil lamps. Brass lamps were made in almost every country in a variety of designs with influences from ancient Roman, Victorian and Indian culture.