Today is probably the biggest day in Anglotopia history as we unveil something we have been working on for quite some time. Our first product that we’ve manufactured ourselves. The Union Jack Lightbox.
I’ve had this idea for quite some time. Back when we first started selling the London Underground Tube Lights, which were crazy popular – in fact, they kept Anglotopia going during a very difficult time – I thought that someone had to make a Union Jack one.
No one made one.
No one made one over the subsequent years, either.
In fact, finding any kind of light using the Union Jack was impossible – it just didn’t exist. When I recently rewatched Peep Show and noticed their Union Jack light on their dining room table, I began down a rabbit hole in search of any kind of light that had the Union Jack we could sell.
No one had anything like it.
So, we decided to make one.
This was a hard problem to solve. I don’t know how to make anything, nor do I have the time or skills to learn. But after months of research, and asking questions around, I finally got in touch with a factory that could create our vision for us. We’ve worked with this factory to create a unique product that until they made the prototype for us, did not exist. We went through several stages from 3D concepts to actual prototypes (and it took several prototypes to get right). Once the final prototype was perfect, we began manufacturing them.
Introducing the Union Jack Lightbox
Isn’t it beautiful?
It’s quite large – it measures 16 inches by 8.5 inches. It weighs a hefty two pounds and can stand on its own with no stand (and it can be mounted on the wall as well)
It’s powered by an included USB power cable (though to reduce our environmental impact does not include a power brick since most of us these days have many spares lying around). It’s also battery-powered, but like the Tube Light, works better and longer if it’s powered by the plug.
The frame is made of wood and comes in a nice black finish. It’s a simple device – it has a power port, and a switch. On the back is a place to put the batteries. It’s powered by LED lightbulbs that will last years and should not burn out. It’s a sturdy and quality product. It has mounts to hang it on the wall.
It will look great in a man cave, office, she shed, faux pub, living room, anywhere really. It’ll be a bit of Britain in your home. The light is so bright, it’s so beautiful. I’ve had mine on for the last month and it’s lovely to see it in my office every day. It can free-stand sit on a desk, table, or any surface or you can use the included mounting brackets to hang it on your wall.
We’re launching pre-order sales today because, well, to produce these we need to start selling them. Contracting with a factory to make 500 of these is an expensive proposition and it’s the riskiest thing we’ve ever done as a business – we need it to be a success.
We estimate these will be shipping around February 2022 at the earliest and that’s a generous timeline. The factory is almost done making them, but they have to be shipped by sea to us and there have been loads of delays with sea shipping. They could, in theory, arrive to us sooner than February – but they probably won’t.
They will absolutely not arrive by Christmas, so please do not order as a Christmas gift.
We’ve ordered 500 units as a conservative amount (based on how many tube lights we sold over the last five years, it’s realistic). In an ideal world, we’d sell out the initial production run on pre-orders (and then, of course, buy more). So, please order, if you can!
Thank you in advance! We’re really excited about this product and we think you all be will be very pleased with it!
NOTE: All pictures are of a prototype version of the product. Final version may vary slightly.
Union Jack Light Box FAQs
- Can you make the Scotland/Wales/England etc flags? We may in the future, but we have to be sure we’ll sell 500 of each because that’s the minimum we have to order. When we’ve offered products with the ‘other’ flags in the past, they have not sold nearly the numbers a Union Jack did. So, maybe in the future but not now.
- How is it powered? By an included USB cable. You need to provide your own USB power brick (we’re going to sell spares later on). It also takes two AA batteries (but it’s brighter hooked up to power)
- Does it have a warranty? Yes, if it stops working within 1 year, please let us know and we’ll either replace the unit (if we have them) or issue a refund. We want everyone to be happy.
- How much is shipping? It costs $10 to ship anywhere in the USA. It’s $25 to ship to Canada and $40 to ship anywhere else.
- When will it ship? Manufacturing is almost complete. But they’re shipping to us via sea which has experienced delays lately. We expect to have them by February 2022, maybe even sooner. But we want to be upfront that there is a slight wait. THEY WILL NOT ARRIVE FOR CHRISTMAS!
Anglotopia was founded by Jonathan and Jackie Thomas in 2007 in a closet in Chicago. Anglotopia is for people who love Britain - whether it's British TV, Culture, History or Travel - we cover it all. Join us as we explore Britain and everything it has to offer!
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