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Mother’s Day was a big time for Generation Store! Martini Lamps, Floor Clocks, Starlight, Laserpod, Light Show Coasters, and Nature’s Fire were just a few of the hot selling items this year. Many mothers are being reminded of their years gone-by with gifts of retro décor, reminiscent of the 60’s and 70’s. The classic Lava Lamp has remained a staple of American culture for decades, but more recently, retailers are showing a large increase in Lava Lamp sales, especially in the weeks approaching Mother’s Day.

This perfected recipe of oil, wax and other solids had a large gold base with tiny holes to simulate starlight, and a 52 oz. globe that contained red or white Lava and yellow or blue liquid. Edward Craven-Walker marketed the Lava Lamp in Europe under the name, Astro Lamp.

When the Lava Lamp was first introduced years ago, local retail merchants thought it was not only strange, but assumed no consumer interest. Luckily, the “Psychedelic Movement” and the “Love Generation” came to dominate merchandising in the 60’s in Great Britain, and sales of the Lava Lamp soared. It was the perfect piece of decor for modern times.

U.S. retailers noticed the idea later at a German tradeshow, and the Lava Lamp is still celebrated today.

In the late 60’s, at their peak, more than seven million Lava Lamps were sold all over the world every year. This number dropped off tremendously in the early 70’s, but the 80’s kept the Lava Lamp alive. By 1998, manufacturers in England and the United States were selling more than two million Lava Lamps per year. Actually, more Lava Lamps were sold in the 1990s than in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s combined.

After so many years, the Lava Lamp has remained a staple of retro décor, and many felt that sense of nostalgia this mothers day.