When is enough, enough?

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bykfixer

bykfixer

Flashaholic
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Dust in the Wind
Perhaps this goes out to long term fans, or minimalists? Recovered flashaholics?

Is enough, enough because nothing strikes your fancy? Perhaps you yawn at the latest offerings from SHOT Show? Is it because you just aint got anymore room? Maybe because you are out of money? To keep the peace in the home perhaps? Tired of dusting them all?

For me it was just losing interest in adding more lights to my collection. Simply put, I had all I wanted. Yeah, one gets added here and there but the frenzy buy, buy, buy is no longer present.

If enough is enough for you, how long did it take?
3 years in my case.

Thoughts please.
 
I've also found equilibrium after about three years. I'm confident I have the best lights in the categories that interest me. Gone are all of the early fears about dings and scratches. Using my lights brings me joy every day, but I have zero interest in acquiring anything new. I can't claim that I'm reformed, though, at least not until I stop buying knives...
 
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Just last night I was thinking on how many light I own, they are scattered all over the place because I really don't want to hunt for light.
..so I'm not sure.
Over the last 15 years a good 25% of my lights have been sold or given away;; so right now from aaa up to 26650 powered---- I maybe have 25 in my collection.
Is that alot, depends on who you talk to. J. Leno might have an interesting answer on collections & what's enough.

There are at least 4 brand new lights ready for gifts in my collection
Giving lights away helps the cause...:whistle:
 
You know I must have not turned the corner yet. I have plenty. Lots it fact. And quite honestly I could cut my collection in half and have all the lights for any situation that I might need for the rest of my life. But I’m still buying. Still putting Dropins and hosts together. I’m always looking for something better or longer lasting and tougher etc etc. guess I haven’t found it or maybe I’m still just a kid and like new toys. 😁
 
It’s never gonna be enuf!!! I want them all!!!! I only had 2 malkoff drop ins the last 20 years one for a mag charger and something else I don’t remember. I bought my first malkoff flashlight around March and have been soaking them up ever since. Woohooooo! A new tangent to my collection.
 
I check Malkoff’s site two times a day looking for his new models to show up. It must be close! It has to be close!😂😂
 
Due to continuing advances in technology that allows so much beam performance in smaller flashlights, and more beam performance and improved beam profile per given size flashlights, enough has not happened yet. I am up to a total of 30 real performance lights, including five on order. I just got a bigger safe to store them in
 
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Just remembered something::
Ordered up a bunch of 5Ah Samsung 21700 batteries on sale from illum, yet I don't have any 21700 lights :caution:


Safe to say, I'v conceded the idea that I may have to get a couple 21700 lights lol
Soooo, right back to the original question
 
I went from aquiring and deciding what worked for me to refining the collection. Yes, I admit to it being a collection not just a few here and there for various needs. Took me longer than you, but everyone has their own journey. I'm happy with where things are now. I don't knee jerk reflex an "I'll take it" post anymore if there's something I like... 😁
 
I am always on the hunt for the perfect light - beam quality, reliability, reasonable size, does not get uncomfortable to hold when used on max brightness, maintains maximum brightness for extended periods, easy to carry in a pocket, long battery life....I have found that takes many different lights and I am always looking for the next one to close the gap. The buying goes in waves. Probably going on to 14 years now. I have given away more than I currently own, and I do know that those whom I have given a Surefire, Streamlight, Maglite, Fenix, etc. appreciate the difference in a good quality light.
 
dan05gt said:
... I am always looking for the next one to close the gap. ...
Click to expand...
That is how I first got into needing multiple lights. The gap between the Four-Sevens MMU-X3 and the Niwalker MM15. The gap between the Eagletac SX25L3 and the Meteor M43. The gap between the Fenix TK75 and the Acebeam K70. The gap between.... ... ... ... .

...I have given away more than I currently own...
Click to expand...
That is very spiritual, another reason to be not done yet. I have not given away that many, but the first mention on my witnessed and notarized will, before my real property, is who gets my flashlight collection.
 
bykfixer said:
Recovered flashaholics? If enough is enough for you, how long did it take?
3 years in my case.
Click to expand...

I have been a member here since 2007 and called it quits in 2016. My interest had started to wane a few years before, mainly moving towards mods etc.

BUT now I'm back .... maybe ... maybe not ..
 
I go through cycles of not buying anything for a while, and then buying quite a few new lights and selling some old ones.

The LED technology isn't changing as fast as it was in 2005-2010. Now I'm usually looking for a better interface rather than chasing the brightest emitter.
 
The last thing for me to buy is an m61 219b v3(not shipped yet). My buying has certainly slowed, i know i have more than enough for several lifetimes. I am content with my work lights, have enough back up headlamps. But still keep an eye out, the new fenix headlamp is tempting, but cool ss40 saves me money.

I still keep an eye out here and there for the odd surefire, but crazy output chinese lights have little interest these days. Dont get me wrong, they still impress me, but i know that the higher the output, the shorter its going to last thanks to something called physics. I also know i probably need 300lm for 98% of my uses, be it work, walking dog, scanning around house etc. So as much as 100000lm and 2kcd impresses, i just dont need or care for it. Give me a good quality useful reliable beam, its enough.

My love for triples and quads still is strong, the p60 format and decent hosts. So in this area still, some could be added. These days i am enjoying reading up and checking the new gear out others buy, more than buying myself.
 
Life forced me to cut back to one light one knife and one gun a couple years ago. At first it was very strange but as the time went by it somehow became rather comforting in an odd way. Now recently I have found myself on a rather substantial buying spree and I must be honest, I woke up this morning with some regrets. I was fine those couple years with the quality tools I had in my pocket, all the rest is just gravy and gravy makes you fat! I can say that with certainty have just lost my 100th pound. So today I can say that I’m going to take another hard look at what I have and evaluate use vs want and make some cuts or at the very least call it good.
 
When is enough, enough?
That's a good question. Some will require more or less than others, but the basic rules may apply (at least for me)

Perhaps it is when you have sufficient lights and batteries to get you though any particular planned (or unplanned but somewhat possible) activity. For example, that which introduced me to CPF and my initial buying spree, was because my son and I were going to join a wooded area SAR team. Therefore, a flooder, a thrower, and headlamp for each, and sufficient batteries to get us through a night and a little more.

Another activity may be to prepare for a power outage. For that just about any ceiling bounced light and a headlamp will do the trick (with sufficient batteries).

Camping: One may want dedicated camping lights packed and ready to go. (go bag)
When camping I like to bring a couple of extra SAR lights in case a kid goes missing. Fortunately they have never been needed.
But otherwise, my go-to light is typically a Convoy S2+ 18650 and a D25A AA (as back-up) A headlight, and a low output tent light ( a S2+ with biscotti firmware and a diffuser).

Car light or three (especially at least one red diffuser cone). Again... extra's to give away to others who may need one to assist at a scene of a crash or whatever. Therefore typically relatively inexpensive ones.

Additional lights scattered around the house, basement, garage, and additional plug into the outlet auto on power failure lights also scattered around.

Once I obtained that and discovered that I had more than that, I became really hard-pressed to buy another light. I think I am at the point of one in, one out. If I buy one, I have to give one away. Already too many of my lights are just wasting away in a drawer, or a box in the closet.
 
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Like my other obsessions, knives and multitools, I have yet to get to the "I have enough" stage. I will go several months without buying a light, due to temporary waning interest, but all of a sudden something comes along that brings it back!! :eek: For example, before the holidays I saw a great deal on a Lumintop FW3A. I had been eying it for a while, then pulled the trigger when I was able to get it at around $30.00. At first I did not care for it. It was quirky and got hot too quickly. I was able to resolve most of its issues, got used to the UI, and now I own 4 Anduril lights!! I also got several more during the holiday break. Now I seem to be settling into a dormant mode for lights, but have been busy buying traditional pocket knives, which I used to only collect when I started. It is kind of a brutal circle!!
 
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Been thinking about this & there need to be full disclosure regarding my posts, my light collection & this thread.
(knowing I may get a 1 month 'time out')

I'v never purchased a Modified light, Custom light, Surefire or HDS.
Why am I saying this,, it's a genuine factor on my light collection & investment

If Surefire makes a 21700 light using a XHP35 HI (w/ deep reflector) that has flat regulation.. it could be my last light.
 
When is enough, enough? Good question grass hopper! Well I definitely have slowed down on buying new lights after buying lights at a quicker pace for the first 3 or 4 years, the last 3 or 4 years I still have been getting some lights but I'm more picky nowadays.
Another question could be "what is it you're looking for in your next light" and why?
Ask your self that grass hopper:thinking: .
 
Outside of adding classic incans to my collection, I've had enough for a couple of reasons. For the most part, I was buying lots of lights because there used to be a real need for more lumens and more runtime from LED flashlights. I've found that 500 lumens is more than enough for all of my pocket light applications. Then the runtimes got better. So, now that I have the brightness level I need with the run-times I need, I don't really see a need to keep chasing down new lights. I'm good with what I've got. And actually for the most part I've just been using my incan's anyway. I EDC a surefire EDCL1-T which is everything I've been chasing in a light since LED flashlights became popular. The other two lights I use every day are two incan 6Ps.
 
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