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Buying Guides

Read this before you buy.

Category guides and comparisons, revised as the market moves. We cover multiple vendors on purpose — the best answer depends on your room, not our affiliate spreadsheet.

Published

IPS Nixie clock on a modern oak desk beside a laptop.

The Ultimate Guide

The Ultimate Guide to Nixie Tube Clocks in 2026

History, buying criteria, real-vs-IPS tradeoffs, desk archetypes, and the practical short list for first-time buyers.

12 min read Read the piece →

Nixie tube clock on a walnut desk beside a brass lamp.

The Teardown

Real Nixie vs. IPS Digital Nixie: The Full 2026 Teardown

Physics, visual fidelity, lifetime math, ownership cost, and the two cases where authentic tubes still win.

11 min read Read the piece →

Nixie tube clock built into an industrial lab instrument enclosure.

Maker Guide

The Nixie Clock Makers Worth Knowing in 2026

A multi-vendor field guide to EleksTube, Dalibor Farny, Millclock, TubeClock, Nixie Shop, and the craft signals that matter.

10 min read Read the piece →

Nixie tube clock arranged like a museum archive display.

Collector Notes

Buying Vintage Nixie Tubes: What to Check Before You Pay

IN-14, IN-18, ZM1040, pulled tubes, NOS claims, poisoning, sockets, photographs, and the questions that prevent expensive mistakes.

9 min read Read the piece →

Nixie tube clock adjacent to a blue-green VFD clock on audio shelf.

Display History

VFD Clocks: From Calculator Displays to the Blue-Green Revival

How VFDs emerged after Nixie tubes, why the blue-green glow still matters, and where VFD fits beside modern IPS clocks.

9 min read Read the piece →