So here is the straight story, direct from Department 56!
In 2002, new UL regulations stated that a cooler bulb needed to be used in the Village pieces. Although the "Village Replacement Bulb" (56.99245) has a low wattage, it can still generate enough heat to make a building warm to would burn much cooler and stay within UL regulations.
What is the difference between these bulbs? At first glance, they appear to be very similar. In fact, the socket size is exactly the same!
However, the two bulbs are not interchangeable.
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The old bulb required 110 volts of electricity to light. Therefore, if an old bulb is used in a new socket,
it will not receive enough power and will remain unlit. This may make it appear that the socket is defective.
However, if the other features on the building work, such as LED lighting, sound or movement, then the
interior socket will work properly with the correct bulb.
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If the building has a plain plug in, then it will require a "Village Replacement Bulb". Examples of these
buildings include "Abner's Implement", "J.D. Nichols Toy Shop" and "Rt. 1, Home Of Mr. & Mrs. Claus".
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These bulbs are used with the "Village Light Set" (56.99028) and "Village Auxiliary Cord With Light"
(56.53039).
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The new bulb requires only 3 volts. If a new bulb is used in an old socket, it will receive far too much
power, causing the cord to overload and short out.
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The best rule of thumb is that if the building uses a box-like adapter to plug into your wall socket, it will
require a "3 Volt Bulb". Examples of this include the "Empire State Building", "Radio City Music Hall" and
the "Polar Power Company".
The old bulbs will remain in our product line, since there are 25 years worth of Village buildings that require this bulb. However, many dealers began carrying the "3 Volt Bulbs" in the past year because so many new buildings require it.
We hope this information is helpful. If you are still unsure, please feel free to contact our Consumer Services division for further assistance through our toll-free number, 1-800-LIT-TOWN (1-800-548-8696).