Thread: Bigs lots-- $1.00 black light bulbs

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I was in bigs lots yesterday and noticed they have $1.00 black light bulbs. I remember one year Walmart had them for that cheap but since 2009 they have upped the prices on them. Thought everyone should know!

Unless they are florescent bulbs (either a U shape or a corkscrew) then they are not real blacklights, and dangerous if you're not careful.

They don't put out any real visible glow (poor UV reaction since it's just the colored wood's glass and not the florescent UV filament), so it's extremely dark, purple-ish light, and they get SUPER HOT and can melt plastic fixtures and burn nearby objects...

I wouldn't advise anyone to waste even a dollar on these. Get some real compact blacklights for a few bucks more.

Oh wow. Thanks. I didn't know this, glad I only wasted 2 bucks.

there cool but they dont do a whole lot. But hey for a buck you cant beat it! i got some Orange,Red,and black lights last year... i put the black light bulbs inside the house! At the front door we have a fan with 4 lights on it and i put the black light ones On the 1st of OCT and when ever we wanted to get somthing from the closet or it was dark and needed light i turned it on and couldn't see anything lol The red and orange ones worked great tho! i had those outside on the motion lights!

I've been looking everywhere for cheap blue or green lights. Anyone can help me?

Originally Posted by CookieMonster

I've been looking everywhere for cheap blue or green lights. Anyone can help me?

I found some orange and purple (you mean the ones for regular light fixtures, right?) at Walgreens a year or two ago. Was a pack of 2 orange/2 purple for $5... I wish I could find that again!

Check the home improvement stores, party stores and Wally World/Target. They sometimes have them pretty cheap.

I've got a bias against those darn cheapy blacklight bulbs... it made me so mad when I did the research on what exactly they were and the little loophole that allows all the stores to sell those darn things without them really working... (since all light technically puts out UV rays on the spectrum, and the wood's glass is one of the integral parts that make up a real blacklight, they technically DO put out a VERY small UV reaction... but it's horribly weak and they up the output of the bulb itself, causing it to be much hotter than regular bulbs)

So the cheap blacklights are technically okay as long as you don't expect things to visibly glow and know it gets super-duper hot (I melted a plastic cover on an outdoor light the first year ) and they give out such little light. Do test it out and see what you think if you've got a safe (non plastic/no where near where someone could accidentally come into contact) because if you've got several of them in an overhead fixture, it might work as a very dim purple light. You can always return them if you don't like them... at least I think Big Lots lets you return stuff?

But also check out the same stores mentioned to get a compact florescent... I put two in a foyer light fixture, use a black cloth to drape across the entrance, and have a ton of florescent and glow in the dark things arranged and it GLOWS so nicely. I picked up a bunch that would fit in most light fixtures for something like $4 each and they are definitely worth it - not as good as the long tube blacklights, but still pretty impressive!

there just purple lights lol! the good black light are like 8 bucks still thats not even that bad!

Originally Posted by Frankie's Girl

I found some orange and purple (you mean the ones for regular light fixtures, right?) at Walgreens a year or two ago. Was a pack of 2 orange/2 purple for $5... I wish I could fined that again!

Check the home improvement stores, party stores and Wally World/Target. They sometimes have them pretty cheap.

I've got a bias against those darn cheapy blacklight bulbs... it made me so mad when I did the research on what exactly they were and the little loophole that allows all the stores to sell those darn things without them really working... (since all light technically puts out UV rays on the spectrum, and the wood's glass is one of the integral parts that make up a real blacklight, they technically DO put out a VERY small UV reaction... but it's horribly weak and they up the output of the bulb itself, causing it to be much hotter than regular bulbs)

So the cheap blacklights are technically okay as long as you don't expect things to visibly glow and know it gets super-duper hot (I melted a plastic cover on an outdoor light the first year ) and they give out such little light. Do test it out and see what you think if you've got a safe (non plastic/no where near where someone could accidentally come into contact) because if you've got several of them in an overhead fixture, it might work as a very dim purple light. You can always return them if you don't like them... at least I think Big Lots lets you return stuff?

But also check out the same stores mentioned to get a compact florescent... I put two in a foyer light fixture, use a black cloth to drape across the entrance, and have a ton of florescent and glow in the dark things arranged and it GLOWS so nicely. I picked up a bunch that would fit in most light fixtures for something like $4 each and they are definitely worth it - not as good as the long tube blacklights, but still pretty impressive!

WOW, thank you for the great information! I really feel like i new nothing about black lights at all after reading this! haha. Thank you, Frankies Girl

Sometimes you can find them at the dollar store.