i'm guessing either a huge load of lamps for a new fixture?

lots of colorful tape! i don't mind taping new boxes but ones that are older i try to preserve somewhat and use clear packing tape, im going to guess that you have a bunch of mainlighters inside?

Yep! How'd you guess?
This box was really falling apart so I had no choice....

Cause you love mainlighter lamps

are mainlighters 40W or 34W?

They were 40w, the 34w lamps were called and are probably still called "Watt-Miser" by GE.

oh duh! I don't know what i was thinking when i typed that lol. when did the first watt-miser lamps roll out? during the 70s energy crisis? BTW, going back to the Restore tomorrow!

I think so...and here's why...
These lamps pictured have an interesting story: A couple years ago the local community center/city hall/library was throwing away a bunch of florescent bulbs. Since I didn't have the resources, space, etc. I didn't grab them but instead donated them to my mostly (and at that time totally) T12 school. A few got used (especially the Noreclo F40CWs that were also with these) but I ended up getting many of these lamps back!
A couple years ago when I originally saved these I threw out a couple of the boxes that were REALLY tattered and one of them advertised Watt-Misers (I'm guessing the classic red-etch (and maybe even Lite White) ones? by saying something like this... NEXT TIME: CUT YOUR ENERGY COSTS" and then advertised Watt-Misers.
But the first 35w (before they shaved one more watt off) energy savers (like GE Watt-Miser 35, Westy Econ-O-Watt, Sylvania "Supersaver 35", Norelco "Econo-Miser", etc (a name also used by Philips on reduced-wattage incandescents in the 80s during the Westy takeover) came out in 1974 in response to the 1973 oil crisis. My Universal Therm-O-Matic ballast (which is running as I type) is rated for 35w lamps (although I'm sure 34w ones would act the same) and my Advance Kool-Koil and GE Bonusline ballasts are rated for 34w and 35w but I only use 40w lamps on those...
But Mainlighters are 40w and are GREAT lamps! Most of my florescent lamps in my collection are these.

okay, i brought homw to identical reflector strip lights today, both with almost new looking Oct. 1977 Universal Therm-O-Matic ballasts! I'll probably end up selling both fixtures, one with my Val-Mont ballast and the other with no ballast. Then again, maybe i'll keep one of them... I don't know yet... i also bought the troffer light thing with one leaked ballast. the ballasts were indeed 0.8A Bonusline ballasts. they're from november 1984 (date code LX). Unfortunatly the unleaked ballast was a dud. Only one lamp glowed and it was super dim and it happened once. After that nothing happened. I put my ear up to the ballast and there was no audible sound of life. The thing was totally dead. I still have it but i chopped off the leads since the yellow leads were soiled in the other ballast's tar. the tar was all stickey but since the ballasts said no PCBs i don't have to worry. The two universal ballasted fixtures came with a pair of red etched 34W GEs and a pair of 40W "Do It" lamps, all cool white and all work. i also got an NOS Philips pre-alto 3500K F20T12 lamp marked F4 which is June 2004. i don't think it'd be '84... i thought the altos took over by 2004 though.

Did you try a lamp between the red& blue wires? I have a few weak RS ballasts that only work with one lamp

aw crap no i didn't. one of the blue wires snapped of right at the ballast and one of the yellow leads got destroyed by the other's tar so i cut off all the wires.

Maybe you can open the casing and solder on a new wire?
Does the leaked ballast work? My leaked Bonusline works great....

no i really don't think it's worth all the hassle.

i never tested the leaked one. i can't anyways since the red and blue leads were dissolved by the tar quite a bit.

I've still got these gathering dust in my shop attic...one day I will finally burn through all these tubes.