Lamp shades may seem like an unimportant object unless you need one. When you start hunting for its price, it’s likely to pay through the nose. Really exorbitant! To shock you more, even a small decent looking lamp shade wills et you back at least $50.
There are a few reasons why lamp shades can be pricey. In this blog post, we’re going to bring facts about the cost of lampshades and many more. Stay with us!
Lamp shades are usually made from high-quality materials by hand. It also requires a lot of care and attention to detail. The preparation process of a lamp shade is also quite intricate.
Why are lamp shades so expensive? Lamp shades are pricey because of the costly material used in preparation. It requires high-quality fabrics such as silk, cotton, and linen. Also, it requires skillful people to ensemble the shade to look elegant and classy. Its shipment and size can also increase its storage and delivery cost.
The main function of shades is to make the interior of your room elegant. It acts as a shield to protect the eyes from the harmful glare of light. It is also used to focus the light on a specific point or direction.
7 Reasons Why Lamp Shades Are So Expensive
If you’ve ever shopped for a lamp shade, you know that they can be pretty pricey. But why are they so expensive? One reason is that they are made by hand and require a lot of time. Why is this so?
Read on to know other reasons in detail:
#1- Manufacturing Cost
The manufacturing process of shades can be simple to complex depending on the material you choose. For glass shades, it may require complex molding techniques. Fabric shades also require a manual job. The whole process is handy to give variety to this decorative product. In this attempt, the price can go up by adding the cost of hiring professional shade manufacturers.
#2- Costly Material
It can be made from a simple sheet of paper or cardboard supported by rings to complex expensive fabrics and ceramics. Mostly silk or other expensive fabric is used in its preparation. This fabric is further decorated with ornaments or embroidery to enhance its look. It also adds a few more bucks to its actual cost. Interior designers choose to match a piece of fabric with a curtain to decorate lamp shades. Its again a costly phenomenon.
#3- High Labor Cost
It requires skillful people to manufacture elegant and classy shades. Not everyone can do this. It is done domestically by labor. That’s why the labor costs are too much for this process. All the decoration that we see on shades is manual. No machine is involved in its cutting, designing, and painting. It becomes really hard to find this product below$50. This is time taking process and even a most skillful worker cant prepare more than 2 or 3 pieces of shades per day.
#4- Shipping Cost
Shippers charge according to the size and weight of the object. The shades are intricate and require a lot of cardboard to wrap for safe shipment. It adds more to the actual cost of the product. To make the delivery safe, shippers cost too much for lamp shades. They have to arrange expert packing and delivery staff for this purpose.
#5- Warehouse Storage Cost
It requires a lot of space and cares to keep the lampshades in the warehouse. This cost too much for distributors and suppliers. Also, the space they occupy in the warehouse depends on the size of the shade. The manufacturers have to buy the shades in cartons about 5 to 10 per box. They have to invest money in rent to store the shades in the warehouse.
#6- Electricity Cost
The practical use of a lamp shade is to either stop the extra glare of light or to direct the light in a certain direction. After manufacturing the shade, it is tested to whether it stops the glare or not. For this, the manufacturers have to switch on the bulbs or lamp lights. If the light that passes through the shade has no glare, it then passes the test. It increases the cost of electricity. No lamp can go without light and no light can go without electricity.
#7- Size Matters
The size of the lamp shade matters alot. If it’s too large, it can affect the cost of shipping, labor, storage, and material. The medium size shade cost ranges from $20 to $200 depending on what material you may choose. The small size shade is relatively cheaper with a price range of below $20. However, the big or extra large size cost is always higher than $80 to even more than $1000 depending on your choice and preference. If you want to save big, choose the medium or small size.
Is Lamp Shades So Expensive?
Yes or No both, it all depends on what you are looking for. It is expensive due to the hard work involved in its preparation, and the cost of raw material used in the making of lampshades and other commodities. However, it will cost you nothing if you make it with the simple process using cardboard or paper.
It can have a huge impact on the aesthetics of your home decor. That’s why people love buying pricey shades. They dont care about the money they spend but they do care to enhance the look of interiors. It’s just a matter of personal choice, budget, and preference to buy cheap and expensive shades. The market is full of both options.
How to Save Money on Buying Lamp Shades
It would be really an exaggeration to compare the price of lamp shades with gold. It’s true they are expensive but not more than gold. You may have many options available to choose from cheap to costly both online and in local stores. It all depends on your personal preference regarding what to buy and how much to spend.
There are ways to save money on buying lamp shades. Firstly, never try to order online it will add more shipping costs. It’s better to make your purchase from local stores. Secondly, buying small-size shades can save big money. Also, it is easy to ship and place. Finally, buying silk wire cost lower than heavy-duty electric wire.
How to Buy a Lamp Shades Online
Many suppliers of lampshades are Chinese. You can order it from Walmart, Amazon, and Alibaba. However, getting the right product safely is a major concern. It’s extremely costly to deliver big-size lamp shades without any scratch.
If you want to buy lamp shade online consider choosing the right color, size, and delivery method. For individual buyers, it will be pricey indeed. But for distributors companies offer discount packages. For online delivery choose payment on delivery method. Most of the time delicate shades may break during the loading and unloading process.
Where to Buy Cheap Lamp Shades
The more you know about where to buy lamp shades, the easier it will be to find just the right one for your needs. Out of hundreds of options, the cheaper lamp shades are always available near your home at local stores. The far you go to get it, the more you have to spend on it.
For USA and UK residents, it’s cheap to book orders online from Etsy, Amazon, or Walmart. It can cost you as low as $25 to as high as $20,000 depending on what type of stuff you buy. For offline purchases, nearby stores are good to deal with.
Is It Worth Spending More On Lamp Shades
It actually is worth spending a little more on lamp shades because it will make a big difference in the overall look of your interior design. The people who love classy interiors spend thousands of dollars to purchase shades. It’s worth spending depending on your affordability.
If you have a high budget you should go for a high-quality product, no matter how costly it is. For low-income buyers, it’s worthless to spend more on such an unimportant thing as shades. They can make simple shades using paper or cardboard sheets. It all depends on your needs.
What is The Most Expensive Lamp Shade in The World
The most expensive lamp shade sold so far was Pink Lotus Lamp Shade. Its price was $2.8 million. It was sold to Christie Auction House Newyork. T was unique in the sense that t was made up of stained glass and it was manufactured around 1895.
If you know of any lamp shade that cost more than this, please let us know.
Butterfly pattern lamp shades are very costly around $10,000 per piece. The reason is that 100 butterfly colors and patterns are used in its decor.
What is The Average Price of Lamp Shades?
The cost of a lamp shade depends on the size, fabric, and style. On average, shade buyers can expect to spend about $60 to $90 for a medium-sized drum lamp shade. If a lamp shade’s diameter is 14 inches or less, that’s considered a small size, and it costs $40-$80. A medium-size lamp shade is between 16 and 20 inches in diameter, and it costs $60-$90. A shade with a diameter of 22 inches or more is a large size, costing $70-$100.
If you want to add embroidery to your lamp shade, decorative trim, beaded fringe, or tassels, it will cost an additional $50-$200. If you decide to have your shade made from silk with a hand-rolled edge or silk shantung with self-taping, that will cost an extra $20-$30 per yard.
Final Words
To sum up, The price of lamp shades is determined by the materials used in preparation. The simple rule is the higher the quality, the higher the price. In addition to material costs, there are other factors that determine a lamp shade’s cost.
The good news is that buying cheap shades is possible. By following the tips mentioned in this article you can save a lot of money. So, read this article thoroughly before you go on to make your purchase.
