I was cleaning my curios the other day. All HL's are removed, the glass shelves are dusted, the mirror and all glass is cleaned, HL's (some new, some old), are returned to the curios and the doors are secured.

In these times when collecting things like HL's isn't as popular as it was way back when, I took a few moments to reflect on what collecting HL's meant to me:

If I wasn't collecting HL's I probably wouldn't be here with you guys;

If I wasn't collecting HL's I would have missed the two reunions I attended;

If I wasn't collecting HL's I wouldn't have visited so many beautiful places with lighthouses;

If I wasn't collecting HL's I would have missed making friends with so many other collectors;

If I wasn't collecting HL's I probably would have never met the Youngers who I have the utmost respect for;

If I wasn't collecting HL's I would have never had the thrill of the hunt as I built my collection;

If I wasn't collecting HL's I wouldn't have experienced the thrill of buying, selling, and trading these little treasures.

First HL was the Summer of '94. Second HL was in September of '97. The desire to get them all came from my attendance at the Providence Reunion in 1998. Most memorable collector in my eyes? Fred Kuhlman. Hardest worker overall to promote HL collecting? John Chidester. Second most hard working HL promoter? Dave Hanum. Most famous complete collection person I know? Paul Brady. The person I liked doing secondary market business the best? Randy Kremer. Person responsible for me locating many of my earlier pieces at retail, and I thank him for that? Sean Thompson. My favorite person from the Younger Family? Nancy. Current number of HL's in stock? Somewhere over 300. Over all retail value of every HL, lens, and AB in my house? Somewhere over $30,000.

What a great run this has been, and it ain't over yet!

Bob

Know what you mean Bob. It's been a wonderful experience for me also. Only wish I had discovered them sooner.

YOu have a great way with words Bob and I have to agree with all you said. I wish I had known about this forum about 3 months earlier as I would have been able to attend the PRovidence reunion. Didn't put 2 and 2 together in time to make it. It has been a great run so far and hope it continues well into the future.

Well said, everybody. I, too, lament my late discovery of the HL Society. I started collecting in '97 but didn't join until '98 - too late to sign up for Providence, I thought. Now that I look back, I probably could have signed up late. I joined the forums five years ago in January but I didn't get involved until two months ago. I've missed a whole lot by being late, but I am really enjoying the HL Collectors Society and the forums, in particular, and I look forward to many more years of both.