a new obsession: blow molds

from wikipedia: "Blow molding (also known as blow moulding or blow forming) is a manufacturing process by which hollow plastic parts are formed. In general, there are three main types of blow molding: extrusion blow molding, injection blow molding, and stretch blow molding. The blow molding process begins with melting down the plastic and forming it into a parison or preform. The pareson is a tube-like piece of plastic with a hole in one end in which compressed air can pass through.

The parison is then clamped into a mold and air is pumped into it. The air pressure then pushes the plastic out to match the mold. Once the plastic has cooled and hardened the mold opens up and the part is ejected."


i think they are frappin awesome and i want some for the house! there are a bunch of listings for them on ebay and etsy. not all of them are listed as "blow mold lights", though. some of them are just vintage patio lights. they are so awesome and great! look for yrself:











the person who the last 3 pictures belong to, i commented on one of their posts on flickr asking if they would ever part with them.
and there are flickr groups dedicated just to blow mold lights. i've always been aware of them and i'm sure my family owned some when i was younger. the holiday variety, though. but i never knew exactly what they were called!

NOMA is a brand that seems pretty popular for this style of lights.

from wikipedia, again:

"NOMA was an American company best known for making Christmas lights. It was once the largest manufacturer of holiday lighting in the world, but since 1967 has existed only as a licensed trademark. It is currently held by Inliten, LLC, of Glenview, Illinois.

NOMA was formed in 1925 as the National Outfit Manufacturer's Association, a trade group made up of 13–15 smaller manufacturers hoping to gain competitive advantage by combining their marketing and purchasing power. In 1926, the association’s members officially incorporated as the NOMA Electric Corporation and began selling NOMA-branded light sets."

they introduced the bubble light innovation to the holiday lighting world, too! as well as fused safety plugs.
when i first started working at the market, in 2010 one of my co-workers gave me bubble lights because i had been so nostalgic over them at the holidays. they were some of the only lights i fully remember from christmases with my family. i still have the lights, even though i don't work there anymore. i'm so happy she gave them to me!