As many of you probably know, the government’s plan to phase out these lightbulbs, beginning with the 100W bulb in 2012, 75W in 2013, and 60W in 2014, is now in full swing. And if you’re like me, you’ve probably been hoarding these lightbulbs like gold bullion.

Think you can’t buy a 100-watt incandescent lightbulb today? Well, Newcandescent.com has made it possible to have the light you love, legally.

So if you hate the curly-fry lightbulb you’ll love NewCandescant.com. They are a US-based company making incandescent lightbulbs right in New Jersey. And it’s legal. No more hoarding. (Thank goodness.)

If you’re wondering how Newcandescent can make these bulbs legally, it’s simple. A loophole in the 2007 law excludes “rough service” lightbulbs, a category of bulb required for rugged applications such as subway cars and construction equipment.

Now that you know it’s still possible to buy incandescent bulbs, why do I recommend them when staging a home to sell? Here are just a few reasons:

1. Flip them on, and they come to full power instantaneously. This is important because we want home buyers to still be in the room when the light is at full strength.
2. Turning incandescent lights on for short periods of time (i.e. less than 15 minutes) will not shorten their lives like it does for CFLs. Yeah, I bet you were wondering why they say CFLs last longer than incandescent lightbulbs, but you haven’t experienced that.
3. The quality of light is more familiar and pleasing for most people. Another light my clients enjoy is LED. But currently these bulbs can cost as much as $30 each. Of course they will last a long time, but that initial outlay is painful – and better made on the home you are living in, not selling. So until LEDs are more affordable, it’s best to use incandescent bulbs.
4. They are one of the greatest inventions of all time. Just my personal opinion, but it’s hard to argue the point. I know I couldn’t have developed it!
5. No hazmat suit required for clean-up when broken. And if you think I’m kidding, here is a link to the EPA’s 4 pages of instruction explaining how to clean up a CFL after it has broken. Do you know anyone that follows these procedures? No, me neither.
6. They are (or were) super-inexpensive. Enough said.

The good news is that these “rough service” incandescent lightbulbs last 10,000 hours. That’s 10 times longer than regular incandescent lightbulbs and the same projected life expectancy as most CFLs. But they don’t cost 10 times as much.

On the lighter side, here’s another individual who is happy that Newcandescent.com is still making incandescent lightbulbs. Watch how Todd Robbins eats a Newcandescent lightbulb. (Kids, don’t try this at home…seriously…don’t!)

Do you still love the incandescent lightbulb? Please share your thoughts and opinions below.

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