I should post a follow-up note to clarify my earlier one. Sometimes its good to repeat information for the benefit of new collectors.
Not all dealers are on the autoship program - that's the dealer's choice. So unless you know your dealer participates, you may not want to assume they'll have any. Ask 'em. I suspect once a dealer hears about the 'Special Edition' piece and its limited edition size, they'll try to get some stock.
Once the autoships are allocated, the distribution of the remaining pieces - the majority of them - is between the rep and their customers. Bigger dealers, like Lighthouse Depot, will get more. If I recall correctly, the regional reps have their own territories, and different regions of the country get different amounts from Harbour Lights. Those that typically sell more will get more.
When a piece is close to retirement HL sometimes gives first crack at the remainder to those dealers who are closer to the light. I suspect this won't be a problem with Hillsboro. My guess is it will go SOBR - Sold Out Before Release - just like Sanibel Island. (We'll see if we need a *new* acronym, SOBA - sold out before announcement; but I suspect not - not enough collectors are on the web yet to cause a pre-announcement stampede.)
As JC has pointed out on various occasions, some collectors will occasionally 'sign up' for a piece at multiple dealers but take delivery from just one. Sometimes dealers get stuck with more than they can sell because they order based on these sign-ups. This is where the deposit comes in to play.
I called my regular dealer the day after Terry let the cat out of the bag in the General Forum. Of course they didn't know anything about it, but they know me and happily created an new entry on their reservation list.
If you want to know more about the distribution system, post your questions. St. John is a good source for this info.
Here's a shortcut to the HL dealer locater mentioned by Debbie:
HL DealersRgds,
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/im
[This message has been edited by JTimothyA (edited 12-22-98).]
