These rescued relics are ready to light up your place

Atlanta native Rodger Thomas is a self-proclaimed "corporate American" who decided to take his lifelong passion for lighting and make it a career. Through Etsy, his company Benclif Designs now offers an entire collection of nearly 40 upcycled lamps built up from vintage relics he found during an ongoing search for old knick knacks with a storied history. From flame throwers to lawn ornaments, we chose our eight favorites, offered up below.

1960s Lamp
Price: $171.08
Why? The most "normal" of the bunch — after all, it was actually a lamp in its past life — its value lies in the nostalgia it brings with it, of the days when grandma, nana or grammy would join you in the living room, totin' snickerdoodles and whole milk as you sat and watched Matlock with her. Doesn't the smell of mothballs just bring back so many good, lazy memories?

Copper Relic
Price: $419.63
Why? Not even Rodger knows what the original purpose of the tray was. But it looks to us like it belongs in a testing facility at an old mental ward, with Nurse Ratchet hovering around the rotary dial ready to knock you up with some serious voltage.

Electric Fan
Price: $186.14
Why? Well, it looks pretty damn cool. We just hope the fan doesn't work anymore. Turning it on seems like a bad idea.

Industrial Vice
Price: $279.75
Why? Just as the '60s lamp brings up memories of grandma, this will take you back to granddad's workbench out in the garage, where his calloused hands with swollen knuckle would be fixing a wobbly leg of the chair that broke under aunt Bertha's weight. You're obviously the invaluable helper, holding all his tools for him.

Automobile Jack
Price: $153.86
Why? There is a disclaimer that this is "HEAVY." Manliness always is. An old car jack? Does it come with blue oil-stained overalls? And '50s pinup posters?

Blow Torch
Price: $128.12
Why? It's a blow torch. No points lost here for being a non-functional vintage blow torch. It's still a blow torch. If you ever Google "badass table lamp," we're pretty sure this is what comes up.

Melnor Garden Sprinkler
Price: $344.31
Why? Looks like it fell out of those home movies they cut into films to show "happier times." Even reminds us of hot summer days of our own youths. Strongly recommend not trying to jump through this one, though.

Fisher Price Turtle Pull Toy
Price: $76.39
Why? The turtle's wearing a top hat — c'mon! Turtles don't wear top hats ...