Intermediate Base ~1935 Polly's

[Noel-kat]

One of the shortest of manufactured Christmas Light sets is this Polly's 5 light Intermediate Base set which was also sold in a 5 light Candelabra Base set version as well.

[paulrace]

Fred, I see these are parallel-wired, but it made me wonder if all of those 5-pointed star sets that were wired in series took a different bulb than the standards sets?
Looks like the same wires as the 7-light strand at the top of this page:
http://www.oldchristmastreelights.com/1930_1940_3.htm

[Noel-kat]

Hi Paul, the 5-point miniature base series stars used the same voltage miniature base lamps used in 8 or 9 lamp miniature base sets. Instead of a bladed plug like what is on parallel wired 5-point stars, the stars were all originally wired with a miniature base threaded plug that would thread into a socket on a 8 or 9 light series set. Once attached you would then have a 12 or 13 light series set with dimmer, cooler burning lamps which would in turn would last longer. If you see a 5 light series star with a regular bladed plug, someone has removed the miniature base threaded plug and the 5 lamps would burn bright, hot and die quick. Is this what you were referring to?

[paulrace]

Thanks for clearing that up. I'd wondered.