Very interesting remarks from everyone. It seems to boil down to the fact that no one knows for sure what's happening or why the market is "soft" on HLs right now. The first 5500s are not the most beautiful to look at it in comparison to what's being done now, BUT they certainly were the best when they came out. I don't regret any money spent on them. HL has done a magnificent job in continuing to create lighthouses better than anyone else.

I love the GLOWs due to their detail, but have to agree that hand-numbering them and the revisions that have come out have been confusing - not just for collectors (thinking they were LEs) but also for dealers and their employees. Early on we thought we were buying a CH Revised - a CH Open arrived in its place. That was our first warning - we asked more questions after that.

I also think that the 10,000 edition was set up too quickly. I remember that well as several people pushed for the higher editions due to Thomas Point retiring so quickly, etc. I really would like to see that lowered again.

Tim, you'll continue to hear about "collecting what you like" because that's part of why we're all here. If we didn't love lighthouses, we wouldn't have given HLs a second glance. It's been said before that we all love lighthouses, and nobody makes them as well as HL does. We read everything we could get our hands on and talked to dealers all over gathering what information we could on HLs when we began "collecting." Perhaps that's what you want to hear instead "be an informed collector." This forum is now one of the best (if not the best) way to keep informed about HLs. I hope the "fad" continues if that's what it is - could be, you never know.

Kathy

[This message has been edited by Al and Kathy (edited 08-02-99).]

[This message has been edited by Al and Kathy (edited 08-02-99).]