My most memorable experience with Harbour Lights was the almost 5 hours my wife and I spent with Bill, one on one so to speak, back in 1996. He came to Gainesville, FL for a signing on Friday, and also to visit his brother while he was there, before going to Jacksonville for a signing on Saturday. Kim had called previous to Bill's visit and asked if Bill could meet with Amy and myself on Thursday evening and take us out to dinner. I, of course, said yes. We met Bill at the Olive Garden Restaurant, and then after dinner, Bill surprised us by asking if he could come back to our home and visit with us before he headed to his brother's house in Gainesville. After we arrived at our house, Bill volunteered to sign all of my lighthouses(about 150 at that time) and then we sat and talked for about 2 hours. He made me promise that I would never mention this to anyone for fear he would make others mad. I feel I have kept my promise not to talk about this for almost 15 years, and now that Bill is retired, I don't see how anyone could get upset if I tell about this experience.

We talked about many things, including the story about how Cape Canaveral Lighthouse was photographed when it was basically closed to the public, and how the base commander's wife arranged for this to take place and was provided with one of the first pieces to present to her husband when he retired. We talked about many other things, but, as time passes after almost 15 years many of the subjects we talked about are forgotten. I just hope I remembered the story about the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse happening exactly as Bill related it to me. One thing I will never forget is the conversation that Amy and I had with Bill concerning lighthouse collecting and the secondary market values. Bill asked me a point blank question about "why I was interested in collecting Harbour Lights"? "Was I collecting them because of the secondary market value increase over the retail price or was I going to pass them on as an inheritance to my children"? My answer to Bill was "I am collecting Harbour Lights because I love lighthouses and during my Coast Guard career I worked on and visited many of the lighthouses in the Virginia, Georgia and Florida area". Bill looked at Amy and myself with that little twinkle in his eyes and replied "good answer because if your collecting them for an investment, in all probability within 10 years they will most likely not be worth what you paid for them at retail."

How correct Bill was when he predicted the value of these little replicas within 10 years. However, each time I look at my collection and think about what Bill said during his visit, my collection becomes even more valuable to me, with or without a secondary market value.

I'd sure like to hear about other's most memorable experiences. Please take some time to make a post about your memories.