This member page owned and operated by ICCC member
Dan Boschen
Amarillo, Texas, USA


Dan's first three lanterns.
My quest for the perfect Coleman started in 1994. I was running around garage sales and I came across an excellent 228D for $5. I had always wanted a Coleman lantern, but never had a reason to get one. When I saw this baby, with that nickel tank, I thought I had found the Holy Grail. I took it to a friend and he had the same reaction to it that I had. He told me stories of seeing lanterns like this when he went camping as a kid. He then told me that he would start looking for one too. I used the lantern to read the paper on the back porch of my apartment. My wife thought I was nuts.

If she wanted to find me, she would look for the light on the porch. At a later garage sale, I found a 242C with an amber globe for $7.50. I only bought it so that I could show my friend and tell him that I had two and he had none.
My third lantern was pricey at $50, but after all, it was a LQ427 Quicklite, bought at a local antique store. That had to be the oldest Coleman lantern to date in my mind. I remember getting the number for Charleen Becker and talking to her about it. I thought that I was on top of the hill when I was talking to her about my "rare" Quicklite. Little did I know, there was much more out there. Charleen told me about the club and I joined in 1995. My stranger Coleman restorations have ranged from numerous Handy Gas Plants, running a 5A Radiant heater in the dead of summer, and finally resurrecting a 1909 Model R Reading lamp. I remember having the garden hose and fire extinguisher ready to go when I lit it up. There was a short time after it was lit that I considered using either as the burner was quickly engulfed in a ball of flames. It settled down to a bright light shortly thereafter.

The Quick Lites.


The (packed) Display Case.
After it was lit, I called Matt Moore and held the phone to the burner while it was running. It was neat to see such an old lamp working again. My rarest pieces are my two NL323 lanterns. I have heard of only four in existence, and I have two of them. I'd like to hear of others if anyone has one. The first was found through a friend and the second was a poorly listed auction on Ebay. I recognized the features of the NL in the poor picture on the auction and got it for a song.

Dan's two NL323s.

Handy Dandy Gas Plants.
I have collected a smattering of stoves, lamps, irons, hollow wire, memorabilia and electrics but I have always been a biggest fan of the lanterns. I also have a soft spot in my heart for Handy Gas Plants. It seems that there are no other collectors that are interested in the big beasts, but they are neat to me.
I served as the International Coleman Collectors Club President from 1997 - 1999. That was a fun time as I got phone calls almost every day from people all over the world with questions about Coleman. It was neat to hear the stories about their collections and how they got started and that they had no idea that club existed. The excitement in their voice reminded me of my own craziness in searching for Coleman stuff. Sometimes the craziness has fought back on me. So many times I have passed a garage sale and saw that nickel fount and tall chimney from the street while in my car. I rush to park the car and run up to the table only to discover that I had found a blender instead. It has paid off too. I remember walking up to a sale and seeing a box marked Coleman with a 228F number on the side. Feeling defeated, I thought to myself that I didn't need another green late model 228 and upon opening the box finding a mint Gold Bond Yellow 228. I can never tire of hearing stories like that.


The 228D that started it all...

Dan Boschen, #100
Amarillo, TX