2006 3AA LED Mini Maglites

Summary: Maglite briefly produced an LED 3AA Mini Maglite when they first brought LEDs to the market. These were the only 3 cell Mini Maglite they produced and as LEDs improved they were dropped and are very rare and collectible today.

Up until this post all of my previous posts have been about classic, incandescent, Maglites. Well I guess some of the first generation LED lights are starting to become classics as well and I've had a few inquiries about an unusual LED light that Maglite produced when they first started selling LED lights, the 3AA Mini Maglite.

Most folks know about the ever popular AA Mini Maglites. They started in 1984 and I did an earlier post about their beginnings and about the differences between the generations. Maglite started selling LED lights around 2003 and I have not covered any of them on my blog. As far as I know there isn't a collector market for any of them except the odd 3AA Mini Maglite. Before I go any further I should post a few pics.

As you can see the lights are quite a bit larger than a 2AA Mini Maglite and you could kind of say that defeats the purpose of the Mini Maglite because it has always been intended to be a compact, portable light. I believe the reason why this was done is because the first generation LED emitters were not very efficient. They required quite a few volts to produce a desirable amount of light and the run times were not very long. Folks I know that have used this light have told me that the run times were less than an hour whereas a new 50 lumen LED light on 2AAs will run for 3 to 4 hours. I believe once the second generation of LEDs came around in 2007 or so that these light were then discontinued.

Shown below are beam shots compared to a 2AA Incan Mini Maglite. The LED is on the left and the Incan is on the right. The tree is about 20 feet away or so. The LED Mini Mag is much brighter than the Incan. It is easy to see why folks preferred the LEDs even if initial run time and tint weren't the best.

As with most Maglites, collectors tend to gravitate towards large cell lights that were not popular during their initial production run. This is evident with the 7Ds, 7Cs, and 5 & 6Cs. Like those lights these 3AAs do go for a god dollar on auction sites and forums. The going rate for one new in box, NIB, is anywhere from $50 to $100 depending on the finish.

I don't have a ton of info on these 3AAs. I think they were produced from 2003 to 2006. The serial number on my black one is in the 1,000,000 range and the blue one is in the 850,000 range which makes me think there were a lot of them produced. Like most other lights though I think many were stored with the batteries in them and then tossed when they leaked which is why they seldom come up for sale today. I have seen them in the standard finishes, black, blue, red, and silver. If anyone happens to have any production ranges or any additional information on them please contact me, my e-mail address is on the right.

As always I'm looking to buy Vari-Beams and Vintage/Rare Mags. Please let me know if you have any, top dollar paid.

2005 President Bush Inaugural AA Mini Maglites

Summary: These are one of the five Maglite "giveaway" lights and were produced for the 2005 Inauguration of George W Bush. There were 40,000 given away to those in attendance. They have special laser etching commemorating the event.

I've previously detailed all the rest of the official Maglite "giveaway" lights. These were lights that were made in large quantities for special, historical events and then given away for free by Mag Instrument. There were only 5 total and 3 of them were for inaugurations of President George HW Bush and George W Bush. The complete list is as follows:

1989 President George HW Bush Inauguration AAA Mini Maglites
1994 Lillehammer Olympics AA Mini Maglites
2001 President George W Bush Inauguration AA Mini Maglites
2001 9/11 Donation 3D Lights

Maglite has produced many custom laser etched lights through their special order program but these were all for orders placed by companies and the like. None of these were produced for Maglite for significant historical events. Maglite has also produced some other small quantity giveaway lights like for the opening of President Reagan's library opening and as giveaways at small events. However most of these were produced in quantities less than 100 which makes them especially rare or non-existent today. The 5 "giveaway" lights above were produced in quantities of the thousands or more and are generally regarded by collectors as being the 5 official Maglite "giveaway" lights and are well sought after over other laser etched lights.

I've been hunting for a 2005 President Bush Inaugural light for a long time and I'm not sure why but they are tougher to find than either the 1989 or 2001 Inaugural lights. 40,000 copies of each were supposedly produced but I almost never see the 2005 ones for sale. I was able to trade one of my rare Ferrari lights for this one with another collector. I often trade if I come across something I really like as I have a ton of lights and some duplicates. It's also sometimes the only way to get a unique light from another collector.

So, what is it? Well, if you've been reading my blog you'll know that Tony Maglica, the founder of Maglite, is a staunch republican. As such, he's created giveaway lights for the inaugurations of President George HW Bush and President George W Bush. Tony is extremely patriotic having come from almost nothing in Croatia to making a fortune selling the most popular and for a long time the most premium flashlight in America. He's also been very dedicated to American manufacturing and jobs, refusing to send his production outside the U.S. I imagine he wanted to give a little back to the country, and his political party of choice, by producing these giveaway lights.

A 2001 George W Bush Inaugural light is also shown above with this 2005 light. The 2005 lights aren't as unique as the 2001 lights because unlike those they have knurling on the barrel. I like the 2001 lights better because the inscription is more readable and they really look a lot cooler with the smooth barrel. I'm guessing they were probably given the knurling to differentiate them from the 2001 lights. Aside from the laser etching they are a standard blue AA Mini Maglite. I do not believe they were delivered with batteries or packaging unlike the 1989 lights. This was likely done to keep cost down and because so many of the 1989 lights were ruined when their owners left them with batteries for a long period of time after the inauguration.

With this light I am finally able to complete my Maglite "giveaway" collection. Shown below are all 5 of these lights together. These really are an interesting piece of Maglite and American History. I know it's a little after the 4th but I hope I'm not too late with this patriotic grouping of Maglites.

As always I'm looking to buy Vari-Beams and Vintage/Rare Mags. Please let me know if you have any, top dollar paid.

1988 6D Mystery Serial Light

Summary: Shown below is a 6D Maglite I purchased that is new in box, NIB, from 1988. However, it has a serial with an A at the end and the serial belongs to a much earlier light. It was either a "warranty replacement" or an error in the stamping.

Through some of my contacts from the early days of Maglite, online forums, and other collectors I am usually able to research out many of the unusual lights I come across. Every so often though I am stumped. I previously posted about a "mystery" self defense type light and now I have another light that is new in box, NIB, with a very unique serial number.

As can be seen in the photos above this light has a serial number of 60087325A. It is the only light I've ever seen with a letter at the end, in this case the A. Newer, panther, style lights have either a C or D at the front end of the serial but I've never seen any lights with a letter at the end. I'm certain it's not altered since it's NIB. The back of the package has a date of manufacture of November 1988. The rest of the features are correct for 1988 as per my D Cell Quick Dating Guide. The light has the correct R bezel and still has the extended grip. One problem exists though. The serial number would have been much higher in 1988, approximately between 190,000 and 300,000. 87,325 matches up with 1983 light and that date was confirmed when I e-mailed Mag Instrument with the serial number. A 1983 light would have had a different bezel, one with the TM next to Maglite because the Trade Mark was still pending.

When I inquired about this light to some of the folks I know I got back 2 theories but no one was certain on the origin of this light:

1. An early employee of Maglite vaguely remembered re-using the serial numbers of lights that came in with a warranty issue. The original light would have been scrapped and he said that Mag Instrument may have then re-issued the serial number except with an A suffix on a new production light. This would be similar to star currency. An American piece of currency that has a star after the serial denotes that the original bill was destroyed during the printing process due to an error. This theory makes sense to me because the lights would have been just about 5 years apart so it's likely in that 5 year period that a light could have come back under warranty. The fact that an A was used and that the serial numbers correspond to actual years are support as well.

2. This could have been an error that resulted from an incorrectly set up stamping machine. Maglite quality control is very very tight. There are only a handful of error lights I've seen or heard about and none of them involve the serial number. Even the ones I've seen have had very minor errors or defects in workmanship. It is possible though that the machine either exceeded it's limit and the numbering turned over or it was setup incorrectly resulting in this odd serial.

The original owner of this light purchased it directly from a mail order police supply in 1988 and kept it as a backup for the one he used regularly. He didn't remember any special paperwork coming with it and as far as he knew he purchased a run of the mill light. It wasn't until recently he noticed the A at the end of the serial and he contacted me through my blog. I was lucky enough to purchase this light and I told him if I ever came across any info I would be sure to send it his way. If you have any info or theories please feel free to contact me. My e-mail is on the right side of the page.

As always I'm looking to buy Vari-Beams and Vintage/Rare Mags. Please let me know if you have any, top dollar paid.

1997 Maglite Racing Lights and NASCAR Lights

Summary: Maglite Racing lights were introduced in 1997 to capture some sales from the increase in NASCAR popularity. They preceded NASCAR lights and are very rare today. NASCAR lights came later and in many variations. They stopped being produced around 2002.

Maglite has done many licensed lights over the years starting with their earliest Cabela's lights. The most popular are likely the many variations of the NASCAR branded lights. However, prior to acquiring the license to produce NASCAR branded lights Maglite tried capitalizing on the stock car fever that swept America by producing a line of Maglite Racing lights.

During the late 90s and early 2000s NASCAR viewership was at an all time high. Ratings frequently approached the NFL's and for a while NASCAR looked like it could rival America's most popular sport. NASCAR merchandise was seemingly everywhere and many companies took advantage of the increase in viewership with lucrative licensing agreements for NASCAR branded products. This was a natural agreement for Maglite. NASCAR's viewership base, trade workers and outdoorsmen, likely overlaps greatly with folks that have need for a flashlight.

Shown below is my small collection of Maglite Racing lights. There are 3 different D cell models total and I have 2 of them. The 3Ds with the car screen printed on the light are the toughest to find because from what I've heard there were many QA/QCs issues involved with screen printing the details of the car. These issues were so common that 2 different versions produced. The earlier version is on the top and the later version is on the bottom. The car lost some detail on the later version to try to make it easier to print. The third version, that I don't own, simply had the Maglite Racing logo and lacked the car. The third version is the easiest to find but the first and second versions with the car are far more difficult to find and are worth much more. Maglite would later use this same style but with the NASCAR logo and branded as the Victory Series when they acquired the NASCAR license. Maglite Racing lights were also done in AA Mini Maglites and AAA Solitaires in a similar color scheme.

I have a very small collection of NASCAR lights as well but they're not as rare as the Maglite Racing lights because they were produced in greater numbers. I'm not a huge collector of these but I did wind up with a few. Shown below are my Spectrum Series light and 1st and 2nd generation Select Series lights. The 1st generation is very rare. It's hard anodized with a die cut decal. Later Select Series models were anodized regularly with screen printing. Maglite also produced a Victory Series model with the checkered flag like the above Maglite Racing lights.

In addition Maglite produced a number of driver lights. These were their standard 3D lights except they had the driver's name laser etched over the grip and the driver's number laser etched on the head. The rarest and most sought after one is the orange Tony Stewart light because the orange finish was  only produced for a very short time. I have one New In Box (NIB) that I've shown below. There were also many variations done in AA Mini Maglites and AAA Solitaires.

I don't own the other Signature Series models but they are:

#2 - Midnight Blue - Rusty Wallace
#3 - Black - Dale Earnhardt
#8 - Std. Blue - Dale Earnhardt Jr.
#8 - Red - Dale Earnhardt Jr.
#18 - Dark (Std.) Green - Bobby Labonte
#24 - Red - Jeff Gordon
#24 - Std. Blue - Jeff Gordon
#31 - Std. Blue - Mike Skinner
#88 - Midnight Blue - Dale Jarret

As always I'm looking to buy Vari-Beams and Vintage/Rare Mags. Please let me know if you have any, top dollar paid.

1990 2C U.S. Air Force Light

Summary: Maglite started laser etching lights in 1988 but didn't start accepting custom laser etched orders until around 1990. This is one of the first custom laser etchings and it was done for Edwards Air Force Base in California.

This 2C Maglite was ordered by the U.S. Air Force Purchasing Department for use at Edwards Air Force Base near Mag Instrument's headquarters in California. Edwards Air Force Base is home to many experimental aircraft and it also served as a landing strip for the NASA's space shuttle program. The owner of this light was stationed at Edwards and used it frequently during the course of his deployment there from the 1990 until the early 2000s. This light has some great stories from all of the activity at the site including late night top secret air craft tests and historical space shuttle landings.

Like other early custom lights the logo is laser etched on the head. Because the light also has a laser etched bezel but lacks the Panther logo it is considered a "transitional" light and was produced in either 1990 or 1991. For those interested in dating the lights this info can be found on my C Cell Quick Dating Guide. Please enjoy a couple pics of the light below.

It is very similar to the 3D Laser Etched Chevron Light that I posted about earlier. It is a very early example of laser etched customization that Maglite started to offer around 1990. I also posted about a couple other military lights I have including one issued to the Australian military and one that was personalized by an aircraft mechanic. Because of the Maglite's rugged durability and long run time it was much preferred by the military for years until smaller more compact lights came about in the late 90s. I should note that I've also seen a 3D U.S. Marines light too with the laser etching done on the head of the light as well.

As always I'm looking to buy Vari-Beams and Vintage/Rare Mags. Please let me know if you have any, top dollar paid.

ASP Maglite Batons

Summary: ASP made an expandable baton attachment for C and D cells in the early 90s that didn't work all that well and is very rare today.

I am putting the finishing touches on this post today, 5/11/18. This is also the one year anniversary of my blog. My first post was to simply explain the differences between a Maglite with a letter in the serial and ones without because I'd seen this question asked so much. I never intended this to be a blog with regular posts but merely a one time dump of all of the Maglite information I amassed from 8 or so years of collecting. It took me about 6 months to post everything I had. I took a hiatus for Thanksgiving and Christmas and during that time I found some new, interesting lights and researched out some more info I was curious about. I've been posting just about twice a month since March and I think I'm pretty close to complete again. In the meantime, please enjoy one of the most interesting lights I have and happy one year anniversary to me!

At first glance this may look like a run of the mill 6C Maglite which is rare enough considering they were discontinued in 2003 after only 400,000 or so made. This model happens to be a 1990 or 1991 due to the laser etched bezel and a lack of the Panther logo as can be seen in my C Cell Quick Dating Guide. What makes this light unique is what's hidden inside!

This particular 6C has a suprise inside, it deploys an "attitude adjuster" more commonly known as a baton. These expandable batons were designed and manufactured by Armament Systems and Procedures, more commonly known as ASP to replace the end cap and take up 3 cells worth of space in a Maglite. They re-used the stock tail spring. They worked on 5, 6, or 7C cell lights. The bulb also needed to be changed to the correct voltage rating after subtracting 3 cells. In this case the light uses a 3 cell Maglite Krypton bulb. A 5 cell light would be reduced to a 2 cell and a 7 cell reduced to a 4 cell.

These batons are very rare now mainly because they were produced in very limited numbers around 1991. The reason for this is that the already long lights became even more unwieldy when coupled with a 21" baton. Shown below is a pic next to a 7D and of the "ASP 21" stamping at the base of the baton.

The lights were very difficult to swing and were more menacing looking than anything else. It's no surprise ASP went on to work with Kevin Truax to develop the Nightstalker which added a compact CR123 light to the end of their baton and then later Don Keller to develop the Tac-Lite (Triad) as a baton attachment. Both of these lights offered their compactness as an incredible advantage to make the baton more manageable and easy to control. It's worth mentioning that Surefire also went on to develop a similar CR123 light that allowed for attachment to a baton too.

I'm surprised these attachments were produced considering a large C or D cell Maglite is a really a baton itself and doesn't need an additional baton. The baton, like most ASPs, is difficult to close and requires that the end be pounded against a solid surface like pavement or concrete. I managed to break the filament on a bulb closing this one so after repeated use in the field it's easy to see how it might not work so well. Even when coupled with a 7C the light output of the reduced voltage, 4C, bulb is still unimpressive when compared to a Streamlight SL-20 or Mag Charger.

As unpractical and unpopular as these C cell baton lights may be they are still a very interesting light that is a natural evolution from the super long earlier Kel-Lite Baton Lights. As far as I know these were put out in very limited numbers for D cell Maglites, C cell Maglites, and some Streamlights.

This one came from a survival instructor in North Carolina who bought it directly from an ASP sales rep in 1991 for self defense. Unfortunately the 6C he had it on had a battery leak and the light was lost. Luckily he saved the ASP attachment and I was able to purchase it. I installed it on one of the 6Cs I own which is from around the time the baton was produced.

It's interesting to see how the thinking really diverged in the 1990s. Up until then the mantra was basically "bigger is better". 3Ds or larger were the norm. It seems like with the advent of the collapsible baton, taser, and pepper spray there really wasn't much of a need to carry such a large light anymore. Out of all the officers I work with I almost never see a D or C cell light anymore unless it's in their cruiser as a backup. Streamlight Stingers and Surefires are by far the most popular lights I see. I've even seen a couple getting back into Maglite with the Mag-Tacs too.

As always I'm looking to buy Vari-Beams and Vintage/Rare Mags. Please let me know if you have any, top dollar paid.

C Cell Colors

Summary: C cell colors are very rare because C cells did not sell as well. I do have a few different finishes and they are shown below including one rare special order finish.

C cell colors are pretty rare. As I've detailed in earlier posts C cells have traditionally been fairly slow sellers compared to D cells. As such, Mag Instrument has not put as much effort into marketing of the C cells. This is a bonus for collectors like me because these lights are rarer and tougher to find! I have a handful of C cell finishes and I've seen of heard a couple more so I'll share all of the info I have.

The lights at the left are the earliest C cells, both TM and R bezels from 1982 to 1989. The 2 center lights are transitional lights from 1990 and 1991 and the 3 lights at the far right are Panther bezels from 1992 on as detailed in my C Cell Quick Dating Guide.

I've covered some of these lights before. The early C cells are extremely rare in anything other than black. The silver 3C I think is a prototype light due to its odd end cap. The blue 4C is mentioned on an early Maglite insert and I've covered it under my Personalized Lights post. I've covered the gold 2C too and as with other full sized gold lights it was likely done for a commemoration or special occasion.

The transitional C cells I haven't covered. Both came from large lots of Maglites I purchase either at estate sales, thrift shops, flea markets, Craigslist, Letgo or Flea-Bay. The transitional C cell lights have a laser etched bezel but without the Panther logo and they were produced in 1990 and 1991. Up until I found these lights I thought just a handful of early C cells were produced in some one off colors and then there weren't any C cell colors until Mags became very popular in the late 90s. Anyway, here's a pic of both of those lights. The dark green 3C is in great shape and the blue 3C has been well used.

I'd eventually like to have all of the finishes Mag has offered but for now I have a pretty small collection. So, what colors were C cells manufactured in? Well, I only know of colors on 2Cs, 3Cs and a few early 4Cs. I have seen or heard of the following but please feel free to contact me if you know of any others:

2C
Blue

Silver (1985, 1992+)

Red

Standard (Dark) Green (1990+)

Grey (1992+)

Purple (1992+)
Manufactured in both letter and non-letter serials

Lime Green
Special order finish
Manufactured in non-letter serial only, approximately 1999-2003

Gold
Only a handful manufactured

3C
Blue

Silver (1985, 1992+)

Grey (1992+)

Standard (Dark) Green (1990+)

4C
Blue (TM Bezel 1982 to 1986)


As always I'm looking to buy Vari-Beams and Vintage/Rare Mags. Please let me know if you have any, top dollar paid.

1999 Y2K Maglites

Summary: Maglite capitalized on the power outage fears of Y2K by producing a special Y2K model in 1999.

For those of us old enough to remember Y2K, the year 2000, it was an exciting but also frightening time. There was a lot of uncertainty, namely how technology would react. In response to this consumers stocked up on essentials, water, canned food, generators, batteries, and flashlights in advance of the celebrations. I can certainly remember clutching my Maglite as the countdown to 2000 happened. Luckily, we didn't need any of it.

Maglites have been the go to light during natural disasters and power outages for many years. Maglite has made many donations to disaster relief efforts like 9/11. So, it is no surprise that they capitalized on the Y2K fears by promoting and selling Maglite flashlights. Can you blame them? After all it was an entirely man-made fear that looking back seems to be very silly and fun.

Shown below is a very special 3D light they put out for the Y2K celebration. It is one of their first screen printed lights and shows a map of the world that wraps around the light with the year 2000 on one side and on the reverse the "MAG 2000" logo. Very few of these were made and I believe they were done as part of a marketing campaign for the supposed Y2K power outages and sold through regular retailers. If anyone has any of the marketing materials or ads for that campaign I would love to see them. My contact info is at the right.

This light, unlike other full size lights, has no knurling. This was done to aid in the clarity of the screen printing. The screen printing offered many advantages, like the addition of color, which couldn't be obtained with their standard laser etching and was much more durable than die cut decals Mag tried for a while. An AA Mini Maglite was also produced in an identical design scheme but I unfortunately don't have one. I heard they may have been packaged together as a set.

There weren't very many of these lights produced and they are coming up on 20 years old so they are very rare. I haven't seen very many come up for sale but if they did I don't imagine they'd be worth a ton of money like the 7Ds or 7Cs because not a lot of folks know about them. I was lucky enough to find two from a fellow collector and ex Maglite dealer. The serials are 23,205,194 and 23,205,197. They are very close together, only 3 units apart. All of these lights are going to be around 23,205,000 serials. Shown below are both of my Y2K lights with their nearly sequential serials.

I'm always up for trading for lights I don't have or ones I'm really interested in so I'll likely trade one of these away to another collector in the future.

As always I'm looking to buy Vari-Beams and Vintage/Rare Mags. Please let me know if you have any, top dollar paid.

Lithium Ion Maglite Conversions

DISCLAIMER: These Maglite modifications are to be performed at your own risk. Maglite does not recommend them and I take no liability for them. You need to be well versed in electrical principles as well as lithium ion battery safety before attempting.

I previously posted about mods for vintage Maglites as well as some awesome lithium ion Adventure Sport Maglite conversions but what if you really want to take it a step further and build a great, bright, rechargeable Maglite yourself? (I also wrote another post about custom lithium ion LED lights too.)

The idea behind the light is to use lithum ion batteries as a power source. Lithium ion batteries are nominally rated for 3.7 volts but actually put out around 4 volts. An alkaline cell puts out about 1.7 volts on a good day. What you're getting is more than twice the volts out of a rechargeable cell of a comparable size. It's a win-win. The trick here is sizing a bulb or LED that matches up with a larger number of alkaline cells and then substituting a lesser number of lithium cells at the same voltage. The most common mod is 2 lithium ion cells powering a 7D or 6D bulb.

7D and 6D PR based bulbs are nominally rated for 6.3 and 7.5 volts and put out more than double the amount of lumens vs. a 2 or 3 cell bulb. 6D batteries actually put out 10.7 (1.7 *6) volts and 7Ds put out 11.9 (1.7*7) volts so these bulbs are actually rated for more than what they are labelled. These bulbs can easily be installed and run in a 2 cell light with 2 lithium ion batteries for more than double the brightness out of a smaller package.

The most common platform is a 2C Maglite. The C lends itself well because most lithium ion batteries have a smaller diameter than alkaline. 2 C cells are also the exact same length as 2 - 18500 lithium ion cells. The D cell lights aren't as lucky. None match up with lithium ion cells and all D cells require either modification to the end cap or barrel or the use of a not so easily found spacer. The 18mm diameter of the 18500 cells (18mm diameter by 500mm length) is a little narrower than a C cell (26 mm diameter by 500mm length) but this is easily remedied with a small length of 3/4" PVC Pipe that acts a spacer as shown below. As a side note make sure you order button top cells so they will work in series. Flat tops will not work in series and the light will not power. A protected or safe chemistry cell is highly recommended. Also, there are 26mm lithium ion cells but they all measure greater than a 26mm diameter and will not fit in a C cell Maglite so I stick with the 18mm lithium ion cells.

Drop in the 6D or 7D bulb of your choosing and you have a nice little thrower!!

I went a step further and picked up a TAD Customs bi-pin setup. These bi-pin setups are pricey but there are a lot more bulb choices. (i.e. brighter) The bulbs are commonly used in track lighting and as such come in a large range of wattages and voltages. The bulbs do put out a bit more heat though so you'll want to switch to an aluminum reflector, like the one from KAI Domain, and glass lens so you don't melt the stock plastic reflector and lens.

I also added a FiveMega recessed tail cap that allows me to use a slightly longer 18650 battery for more capacity and to dress it up a little I added a FiveMega scalloped bezel. You can also machine out the standard "Store-A-Bulb" end Cap to recess the spring and accomplish the same thing. Shown below is this very powerful 2C along with a beam shot. It easily lights up my neighbors tree at 100yds away and will likely throw much further. The warm white tint is easy on the eyes. too. It's not an overpowering light up close.

I can't take credit for this mod, it's been kicking around the various hobbyist message boards in one form or another for at least the last 10 years. As my fellow hobbyists say: "It's a 7D Maglite in a smaller package". So, how about a 7C in a smaller package? Shown below with my very rare and newly restored 7C.

As always I'm looking to buy Vari-Beams and Vintage/Rare Mags. Please let me know if you have any, top dollar paid.

1994 Remember Sarajevo Mini Maglites

Summary: The "Remember Sarajevo" Mini Maglites were produced for use in the closing ceremony of the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics and were intended to raise awareness of a growing military conflict in Tony Maglica's home country. They are one of five lights Maglite has produced as giveaways for historical events.

Mag Instrument has only produced a handful of "giveaway" or donation lights. These are special lights that are laser etched as part of a donation or promotion. These lights are highly sought after by collectors because of their rarity and history. I've detailed the George HW Bush and 2001 George W. Bush and 2005 George W Bush Inaugural Mini Maglites and the 9/11 3Ds. There is a 5th that I've been searching for and it is the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics "Remember Sarajevo" Mini Maglite.

In 1994 the Winter Olympics were hosted in Lillehammer, Norway. That year's Olympic games were fairly typical as far as the competitions go. However, at the end of the games there was a special closing ceremony that offered remembrance and hope for the site of the 1984 Winter Games, Sarajevo, Bosnia. Sarajevo was a booming town when it hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics but around 1992 it was be-seiged as part of the Bosnian conflict. Thousand of civilians were killed, displaced, and the city's infrastructure was bombed during the siege. The siege lasted almost 3 years, the longest in the history of modern warfare.

So why would Maglite produce lights for a Winter Olympics and conflict half way around the globe? Well, Tony Maglica was born in New York City but was raised in Croatia. At the time Croatia and Bosnia as well as handful of other states were all part of the former communist Yugoslavia. Tony loved his homeland but detested the communist government. He moved back to California near the end of his youth and started Mag Instrument. In the democracy of the U.S. his business flourished and he supplied flashlights to the world.

As the 1994 Winter Olympics was drawing to a close Maglite sent 40,000 AA Mini Maglites inscribed "1994 Lillehammer Olympics" and " Remember Sarajevo" to the closing ceremony as shown below. The lights were used during a the closing speech where a speaker offered hope for Sarajevo.

Like the George W Bush lights 40,000 were produced. So, why are they so rare today? Like other giveaway lights they came with batteries and like many other Maglites the batteries were not taken out before storage which destroyed the lights when the batteries leaked. Also, because all of the lights were sent to Norway they very rarely show up on the second hand US market. I see about 1 every year or 2 for sale and they never fetch more than $50 or so likely because most collectors don't know the history of them.

What's also interesting is that the head has TM after the panther logo. As per my Mini Maglite Dating Guide this is because the lights were produced in 1994 but the panther logo registered trademark wasn't approved until 1996.

UPDATE: I received a picture of a 2C "Remember Sarajevo" Maglite from a reader in Norway so I wanted to post it along with some info. This is basically an up sized version of the AA "Remember Sarajevo" Mini Maglite. It is one of the few lights displayed on my blog that I don't own. From what I can gather these appear to have been made for VIPs attending the Lillehammer event and were likely made in only very small numbers. I would love to be able to purchase one eventually so if you have one or know where I might be able find one please don't hesitate to send me an e-mail. My contact info is at the right.

As always I'm looking to buy Vari-Beams and Vintage/Rare Mags. Please let me know if you have any, top dollar paid.

1979 Test Color Lights

Summary: Maglite started production in 1979. During the first year of production Maglite put out some "test batches" of different color anodized lights to see how the anodizing process worked and how well the lights sold. These examples are extremely rare today and a few examples are shown below.

I knew that I'd probably add to the Maglite knowledge base over time and that my last post might not really be the last. However, I didn't think I'd run across such rare lights so soon.

I have some good contacts with some ex-Maglite employees and one of them is from the very early days. From time to time I am fortunate enough to acquire some very rare and one-off lights. One of these lights that recently came into my possession is hands down the rarest Maglite I have seen and one of the oldest. It is also a super interesting peek into Maglite's early days and their very early R&D. So what is it?

It's a 1979 Burgundy 4D, serial number 932. 1979 lights have many unique features due to the design still being a work in progress. I've posted about these features before but this light goes a step further as it is even earlier in the Maglite R&D process. This light has many previously unseen features. For starters it is the second lowest serial D cell, and second oldest Maglite I've ever come across, the oldest being a 1979 2D that I also own. I previously did a post about the oldest NIB Maglite and this light has an even lower serial. I've discussed some of the difficulties in dating the very early serials in that post but I do believe this light to be the oldest Maglite for several other reasons.

Unlike other early lights this one has the word "Patent" spelled correctly. As per my D Cell Quick Dating Guide, and based on every other light I've seen, all early lights had the word "Patent" misspelled as "Paten". I've heard several stories about this but haven't been able to confirm or deny any. Some say it was Tony Maglica's broken English from have grown up in Croatia. I've also heard it was because the original stamping machine didn't have enough characters. Another less interesting, but more plausible story is that it was just a common oversight because spell check was nonexistent in 1979 and by the time it was caught thousands of barrels were already stamped and the patent was approved. I believe that this light was a prototype light that was hand tooled by either Tony or Don which is why the spelling is correct. Mag Instrument has subcontracted various phases of production during the early days and when they were very busy which has contributed to a great variety of finishes and features of lights. This is a fairly common practice across many industries. Only the earliest lights, likely before serial 1,000, have "Patent Pending" spelled correctly.

The most obvious difference between this light and a standard production light is its finish. This is a non-standard finish and was only produced on this one light. It is officially "Burgundy". It is shown above compared to the standard Red finish on a 1990 Transitional light.  This finish is an interesting look into what could have been on early Maglites. It was a finish done to examine how different red anodizing would appear and unfortunately this beautiful Burgundy finish wasn't chosen as a standard color for Maglites. This single example was kept and used by the Mag Instrument employee until very recently.

I also recently found a 1979 Blue 2D. Before I found this light and the Burgundy light I was under the impression that only black lights were produced during the first year. The original owner of this light lived very close to Ontario, CA where Mag Instrument is headquartered, and told me this light was from a test batch that Mag did to see how well the anodizing process worked and how well the lights would sell. I confirmed this through the original owner of my Burgundy light who worked at Maglite in the early days.

Maglite also did another test finish that was rather surprising and is seen below. I know silver didn't come out until the later 80s. The serial is right around 10,000 which puts it even earlier than the black 1979 2D I have. Both are pictured below along with a pic of them in my collection. The light is not faded but is a very light blue, almost silver.

I've also run into a third very early and surprising light. I always welcome e-mail from other collectors and just really anyone with a good Maglite story or question. My contact info is at the right if you want to get in touch. A little while ago I was contacted by someone whose grandfather left him a Maglite. The Maglite sounded super interesting and unlike anything I've ever seen before.

It's a 1979 Gold 4D. This light is Maglite's attempt to see how gold anodizing worked long before they made production models in 1989. Like the owner of my blue light the original owner of this light also lived close to Ontario, CA. The gold finish came out great and my contact from the early days of Maglite says about a dozen were produced in various lengths to test the anodizing process and its effect on the lights. Once complete they were packaged up and sold to re-coup some of the R&D cost. Unfortunately they didn't sell well even though they are some sharp looking lights.

The serial number is a very low 1,935 and is the fifth lowest D cell serial number I've seen or heard of. This is the only light I've posted on my blog that I haven't owned and the pictures are courtesy of the grandson of the original owner. I don't imagine he'll ever sell it and it's so rare that I had to find a place for it in one of my posts.

I should note that Maglite did later experimenting with "test finishes". One of these lights is a camo light that I've detailed in this post for those that are interested.

As always I'm looking to buy Vari-Beams and Vintage/Rare Mags. Please let me know if you have any, top dollar paid.