What are used football stadium lights?
Used football stadium lights are previously owned light fixtures for sale. Most of the time, they are old, secondhand, yet functional, lights used in regular football stadiums. The stadium owners might have dismissed them for several reasons. But new owners can still use them for more than 3 years, generally. In the best case scenario, up to 10 years or longer.
The term refers to a number of devices that range from whole lighting equipment to specific parts such as floodlights casings, optic lenses, or shutters. However, it is usually easy to spot the content as the seller can lift any doubt quickly. In fact, most sales between private individuals have no intermediaries. Then again, you can buy used lamps through specialized resellers too.
On the market, you can find any type of light source. For example, secondhand LED, metal halide, and mercury vapor lights. They are frequently on discount and represent a cheap alternative to standard replacements. Especially if you need large quantities at a bargain price.
Generally speaking, used football stadium lights are part of the owner’s plan to stand up to the expenses. So, you can strike favorable deals even you do not need the whole lot. That is, as long as the shipping fees are not a problem.
Where do these lights come from?
You might be wondering why even consider buying old, secondhand football stadium lights in the first place. More importantly, you should be eager to know which lights to look out for or which seller to trust. So, here is a brief consideration on the origin of these lights.
When you buy from a reputable stadium owner, you know that you are getting decent quality products. After all, no owner and no holding company would risk getting bad press for such a deal. While some lights could have a shorter life span than others, they should be perfectly functional as the owner replaced or removed them for a reason.
Following are four typical reasons that explain why a market for secondhand lights exists. All in all, you will read about what football stadium owners have to deal with these days. As entrepreneurs, their goal could be to sell the old lights for the new ones. Or to vacate their storage space. In some instances, they might have to get rid of everything altogether. Lastly, football clubs can move to a new stadium, one with a better lighting design and no place for old metal halide or mercury vapor bulbs.
1. Replacement of football stadium lights with new LED fixtures
From time to time, stadium owners replace their metal halide or mercury vapor lights with LED products. So they get rid of the old lights by selling them on different channels.
Some sports lighting supplier may repurchase them at a very low price. Usually, the latter ones resell the secondhand sports lights to prospective buyers. In this case, the availability of football stadium lights for sale depends on several factors. You might not get mercury vapor light ballasts with the bulbs, for example. In fact, it is up to the supplier to strike the best deal possible with the available components.
Interventions on the electrical part of the lighting system may modify the overall layout. In detail, this happens whenever the pitch undergoes a major year-long renovation. As a result, the owner replaces most football stadium lights to install more performing luminaries.
When a football club qualifies for the top-division, the stadium must comply with stricter lighting requirements. So, replacing all the old lights could be less expensive than retrofitting used metal halide fittings.
2. Improvement of stadium lighting standard
Some soccer stadiums were originally intended for training purposes only. For this reason, the illuminance level is as low as 400 to 500 lux. However, things can change quickly and require modifications.
If the stadium qualifies for hosting FIFA, Premier League, or Olympic Games matches, the ground lux level must rise over 1000 lux. And up to 2000 lux for big events. The owner may need to buy a new lighting system. So, hundreds of used football stadium lights become available on the market on a regular basis.
More prestigious football leagues also mean more spectators in the stands. In other words, the owners need to follow more rules about security lighting, safety, and prevention. Old mercury vapor and metal halide lamps are in no way as safe as LED lights. That is the reason why most secondhand mercury vapor and metal halide lights have discount prices.
Usually, you can buy these lights for cheap. You can also install them back in training areas or parking lots. Also, the owner might provide technical data to help you consider their efficiency for different purposes.
3. Stadium demolition
It may sound odd, but sports arenas expire. To be precise, the name rights usually do. Or the construction project may be found to have gone through illegal planning. Mostly, this happens when new laws ban some materials, as it happened with lead.
There are plenty of reasons that may lead to the decision to demolish the whole stadium. Or to change the venue for a more impressive look. Then again, schools might need to renovate their stadium for security concerns. The local community could take down the old football stadium as part of their repair program.
In the end, hundreds of perfectly functional lights stop being useful. So, putting them on sale is a way to finance the main project. Sometimes, you can even get some new backup lights with your secondhand fixtures. In fact, not every stadium demolition anticipates a new sports facility construction.
The owners must remove the old used lights to comply with the local clean air laws. In fact, the controlled demotion must not cause any safety concerns. Thus, preserving the local environment and wildlife.
4. Partial failure of the original stadium lighting system
Without a doubt, some stadium owners try to get rid of shoddy stadium lights. Perhaps, the whole lot may contain up to 50% low-quality lights. Electrical contractors, sports light suppliers, and other brokers may buy them and recycle their parts. So, the risk of getting a bad deal is usually low.
Maintenance checks the proper functioning of the system regularly. Then, any malfunction or failure of the lighting system leads to new LED replacements. So, many used metal halide and mercury vapor lights end up being replaced by LED retrofits.
New guidelines may impose the reduction of the luminous flux for controlling spill light. So, the owner decides to install new lightweight fixtures and put the old ones on sale.
Emergency maintenance may spot performance issues related to old floodlight models. For example, some fixtures may lack water insulation or dust protection.
In most cases, secondhand lights become available due to replacement programs. Stadium owners should replace the luminaries as soon as they deteriorate. The goal is to maintain their state of luminous efficiency unaltered. That is, to keep the lumen maintenance at optimal levels.
Where to buy used football stadium lights for sale?
1. Sports lighting suppliers
The first people you should look out for are authorized resellers. After all, these professionals deal with sports lights the most. Sometimes, they even offer you a limited guarantee on the whole lot.
Some LED sports lighting suppliers or manufacturers may gather and buy used lights from different football stadiums. Of course, you can just ask these companies if they have secondhand lights for your stadium.
Dealers may offer you used football stadium lights as a bonus for a new purchase. Usually, they will try to sell you a large stock at a bargain price. But the most experienced sales reps will try to entice you with some new tech while you are there. In that case, they might even throw in the used lights as a free extra.
When you contact them, ask if they could find the lights you want for you. Most dealers have various storage areas or partners in different cities. So, they could make a call and see if the lights you need are available elsewhere.
2. Craigslist
Craigslist is the brainchild of Craig Newmark. Today, the website has become one of the most popular sites on the Internet. Mr. Newmark founded Craigslist in San Francisco back in 1995. Then, it became the ideal place for classified ads.
Here, you can find several offers, job listings, personals, car services, pets, household items, and more. In detail, the website structure is built around local communities. So, Craigslist offers separate sites for hundreds of cities and many countries around the world.
Getting the stadium lights on Craigslist is utterly possible. But, you need to take precautions. On the positive side, you get to browse through numerous listings and offers. The sheer number of secondhand metal halide and mercury vapor on discount is proof of that.
On the negative side, the seller might be unavailable. Some people might reply after days since you contacted them. In short, you might end up dealing with private citizens who own some sports lights. It might be great if you are looking for a few items, but it might be hard to find lots of used LED lights all at once.
3. eBay used stadium lights
You can always turn to eBay to hunt down that particular model that you want to replace. Plus, eBay Buyer Protection does a decent job at protecting you from scammers. But, you must use PayPal to pay for the item(s) and take ordinary precautions.
Before buying or bidding, you must be sure of what you are getting. So, contacting the seller for more info and pictures is a good idea. For example, if you want to buy a specific LED or metal halide floodlight, ask for a photo of the laser marking on the fixture.
The pros of buying on eBay are as follows:
- Constant availability of several offers to choose from
- Many sellers to contact
- You can switch to worldwide offers to further save on your purchase
Sadly, browsing countless listings can be a time-wasting activity. In fact, the eBay algorithm usually favors paying advertisers. So, you will have to spend quite some time searching and refining your queries. Lastly, be aware that eBay hosts a plethora of scams.
Scammers create fake ads (or duplicate existing, legitimate ads), but they will not ship you anything. So, make sure you review the seller’s rating and contact him or her first.
4. Contact the stadium owner directly
If you own a stadium, you are probably a busy person. In fact, you must deal with several people and contractors. And you might not have spare time to put your used football stadium lights on sale. So, this method is less effective than the previous ones.
Of course, you can buy secondhand LED lights for cheap if you are lucky. You can start by sending emails or calling the stadium staff. In any case, presenting yourself will do no harm. On the contrary, it could also lead you to find out that they are upgrading the football stadium lighting system.
Sports arena owners have hundreds of old stadium lights that need to get rid of. But it is all about timing. The moment you read a piece of news about a stadium renovation is too late for making a deal. Most likely, the LED lights have already been sold to a reseller. Sometimes, resellers take care of the removal as well. So, they save the owner time and money.
5. Asking on online sports forums
The Internet lets you find new ways to search for secondhand sports lights. One of these is to create a post in a specialized forum about the product you need.
Different scenarios can open up:
- Someone might be interested in selling used stadium lights for cheap.
- A user could tell you about some online reseller that gives you a huge discount.
- You might find out someone selling a LED retrofit for your old mercury vapor fixtures.
Just be sure to register in a sports forum. For one thing, you need the right audience to place your requests. Most users write on various platforms for different purposes. Then again, you might have to chime in on several discussions before trusting someone’s suggestions.
Buying used football stadium lights via forums is no different than using Craigslist or eBay. However, each poster has a reputation, so you need to factor in that element as well. Get to know the person via Skype, WhatsApp, or any social media before striking the deal. After all, forums are all about getting to know other people with similar interests.
6. Finding used high-power lights from different locations
Basically, stadium lights are nothing more than high power flood lights. So, you might find used football stadium lights for sale by bidding on other light types, such as:
- Outdoor parking lot lights
- Airport lights
- Luminaries used in the shipyard industry
Search online by using different keywords. In other words, think as a reseller would tackle the problem of getting secondhand high power lights.
Concert lighting is another source for potential discounts and sales. Although they might not sell cheap products, they could provide you the best secondhand lighting equipment you can find. Big concerts always need to surprise and fascinate the audience. So, they only use reliable and high-quality LED spotlights.
Search engines let you find the nearest concert lighting designers in your area. Thanks to services like Google Maps, you can get their contacts quickly. In this way, you can call them and find out if they have any used lights on sale.
Pros & Cons of buying used football stadium lights for sale
Pros
1. Cheap stadium lighting cost
Buying new stadium lights can cost you a fortune. Instead, getting secondhand football stadium lights will save you a big part of the budget. On balance, the price lowers by 30 to 50%.
Saving on the lighting can allow for other improvement plans for your football/soccer stadium lighting project. After all, a cheap LED light will work as good as a new one. Especially for training and low-level championships.
You might want to consider buying old lights to capitalize on a discount. If the seller is making such a proposal, you can use the new lights for the main events only. Or replace the old lights in the parking lot areas and gate entrances.
Keep in mind that getting used LED lights is a better option than buying new metal halide or HID lamps. In fact, secondhand LED lights will last longer and let you save on the electricity bill. Also, new mercury vapor bulbs still require regular maintenance to run smoothly. Instead, even used LED lights need virtually no maintenance at all.
2. Instant availability
One of the best perks about choosing affordable used sports lights on sale is their instant availability. No need to wait for the manufacturer to prep the order: you get all the lights instantly. In most cases, the seller will offer a local pick-up or has the lot ready for shipping.
When you order new sports lights, a manufacturer takes anywhere from 30 to 60 days to ship you the goods. Depending on the quantity and quality, you could have to wait for long periods. Creating customized fixtures such as products with a precise beam angle, LED optics design, and adapter parts for the installation slows down the production chain.
If the seller used his or her lights in a similar stadium, the chances of getting satisfying replacements are high. Plus, you will not have to deal with any non-functioning light due to faulty production or inspection processes. A reputable seller will give you fully functional and tested used football stadium lights on any day of the year.
3. Eco-friendly solution
You might think of using secondhand football stadium lights as a way to save the Earth. In particular, reusing the stadium lights protects our environment and resources.
From an environmental point of view, the benefit of buying secondhand lights is twofold. For starters, it plays an essential role in economic production and demand for a more sustainable production process. And it is also a form of recycling.
Each year, large-scale production of light sources creates more environmental threats. HID lamps like mercury vapor lights contain hazardous metals that can contaminate the soil. But, buying used sports lights helps to prevent functional lamp waste. And at the same time, it keeps the lights out of the landfill sites.
By embracing what is best for the environment, you can use the secondhand football stadium lights to their full potential. You can avoid premature disposal before recycling them safely.
The recycling process of old sports lights involves many machines and qualified staff. In detail, each component of the light fixture is separated and collected for later use. Usually, recycling facilities sell them as raw materials for other products or compounds like cement.
Cons
1. Limited choice of light sources
When shopping for used football stadium lights, you will mostly find metal halide lamps. To be honest, there is quite a shortage of secondhand LED stadium lights available on the market due to their higher demand.
LED sports lights are a better light source than mercury vapor or HID lamps in general. Plus, they are long-lasting products that ensure thousands of operating hours. So, stadium owners rarely replace them.
In a way, secondhand LED lights represent a worthy deal for you to even consider contacting resellers on a regular basis. But, you might have to wait for a really long time. Most sellers will not withhold any used LED lights even if you ask them to because they have no trouble selling them.
In the end, you might end up being stuck with what is available at that moment. For this reason, you should look for a big sale way before you actually need the lights.
2. Unknown remaining life span
Estimating the remaining life span of used football stadium lights is hard. For one thing, you cannot be sure because the only indication is the luminous flux depreciation. And that is not easily measurable.
Some lights might end up going off in 2 or 5 years. So, you get a risk factor with the cheap price of the sale. Even if you know the rated life span of each luminary, you will not be able to foresee any failure.
Each LED light follows a lumen maintenance curve. In brief, this means that the luminous flux dims down until it reaches 70% of the initial lumen output. Then, it slowly produces less light every time until it dies. This process can take up to more than 40,000 hours.
Sadly, metal halide and mercury vapor lights do not follow such a generous lumen maintenance curve. These light sources drop their initial lumen output by 30% after the first 5,000 hours. After that, they reach failure more quickly than their LED counterparts. Most of the time, no discount is worth the trouble of getting used HID lamps from disreputable sources.
3. Lack of customization
Each football stadium comes with a different design. In detail, the football field size differs. The number, position, and height of light poles change according to many factors. For example, here is a short list of common problems and determinants:
- availability of stable power supply
- the geographical position of the location (humidity, frequent sandstorms, strong winds, etc.)
- the interaction between lighting and the orientation of the pitch
- electrical cabling problems
No lighting solution fits all scenarios. Sadly, when buying secondhand lights on sale, you cannot customize:
- the lumen output
- beam angle
- color temperature
- any other parameters you might need
Sometimes, the light supplier can help you find or modify the beam angle for you. In fact, the transparent lens in front of the LED chips affects the beam angle. So, the supplier can replace the optic lens with one that suits your needs.
Generally, a large beam angle is ideal for short-range illuminance. By contrast, a small beam angle is better for covering long-range distances. Anyway, you can consult us for more detailed information on such technical aspects. We will quickly help you find your personalized solution.
4. Installation issues
The wiring of a used stadium light may not be compatible with the new stadium cabling system. On top of that, modifying the wiring of the lights could take a large sum of money and effort. Lastly, the stadium may have different voltage input/output requirements.
You may need to get several transformers (drivers) for the used stadium lighting fixtures to work. Of course, a LED lights cannot be screwed into a mercury vapor lamp casing. Before you can do that, you need to remove the ballast and connect the wires to the driver and the latter one to the LED light.
On most occasions, you do not even detect faulty wiring until you try to install a LED retrofit. Some loose wire issues, for example, include flickering and overheating. So, installing different light sources might prevent you from finding out the real problem that keeps burning your lights sooner.
Used stadium lights for sale FAQ
1. Is it worth buying the used football stadium lights that are on sale?
Depending on the stadium lighting requirement, yes, it is worth it. For example, buying them for training purposes or non-professional football matches is recommendable. You can find many cheap professional sports lights on sale.
The lighting quality is not as good as using new, fully customized lights. But secondhand luminaries are ideal for less demanding lighting standards. As in the case of a training field lighting standard, whose lux values are not so high.
Secondhand stadium lights save you money. However, you should not buy them if your stadium is designed for professional/national or international football tournaments such as FIFA, CONIFA, etc.
High lux and uniformity requirements leave room for high-quality LED sports lights only. Along with a perfectly designed lighting layout.
2. How much should I pay for used stadium lights?
Used stadium light suppliers should offer a large discount and cheap shipping fees. After all, buying secondhand stadium lights is all about convenience.
Here is an estimate of the range of the new LED stadium light cost: $0.8 to $2.4 per watt. By contrast, the acceptable price range of used LED stadium lights is between $0.3 and $0.72 per watt.
For example, a 1,000W used LED stadium light should cost around $300 to $720. For a 1,500W stadium light, the price should be $450 to $1,080. For a 2,000W light, it should be $600 to $1440.
Charging any more than this would not be convenient as buying new LED lights.
3. What can you do with a used stadium light?
Apart from lighting up the sports field, you may the used stadium lights to light up your backyard. A 1,000W LED used stadium light can light up an entire garden. With such a high-power light source, you can even play a 11vs11 friendly football match in your backyard!
Unlike metal halide and mercury vapor lamps, secondhand LED lights are safe. Although some IR and UV LED lights are available on the market, each football stadium light is certified and harmless. You only need to place them in the right spot to avoid glare. After all, they are high-power light sources designed for high mast floodlighting.
You can install them on a light pole or under any building roof, as long as you can wire them up. But you can also rent them to school event managers, local theater lighting designers, and YouTubers. Just place an ad on Craigslist or make a post on a local online forum or Facebook page/group.
Of course, you can always install the used stadium lights in a parking lot, warehouse, factory, or seaport. The lights are basically the same anyway.
Conclusion
As you have seen, there are quite a few options to find used football stadium lights. Given that old fixtures do not mean ineffective products, you can keep up with the latest stadium renovation news to snatch a deal. Or you can contact an authorized reseller regularly over a long period of time for the best discount.
In the meantime, you can use websites like Craigslist or social media like Facebook to contact stadium owners directly. Or to find someone who sells secondhand LED, metal halide, and mercury vapor lights for cheap.
Be aware that not every sale is going to be a bargain as you will find plenty of scammers. But you can surely find pretty great products online. And you can count on us for any question, suggestion, or recommendation.
