Found during recent forum archaeological excavation; originally posted 2-20-99

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Harbour Lights 1999!

The Year in Review - Part 1 of a Series

Behind the Scenes, As it Happens, Before it Happens, If it Happens

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Point Pastie, Michigan UP (PFNW) - Planet Fresnel News Wire is proud to announce the first in a new series of on the spot investigative reports about Harbour Lights events as they are about to unfold in 1999.

Early in the year considerable tension built among dedicated collectors as they awaited the much anticipated release of the Harbour Lights line for 1999. The year started with great excitement as collectors were informed of the announcement to retire early the Wind Point and Round Island models. Rumors abound over the prospects for further early retirements.

These events temporarily threw the new model purchasing engine into reverse as folks scrambled to acquire Pt.Pinos, Selkirk, Cape Meares etc. with speculation these models will be cut off near 6500. This reversal was hastily mitigated by a large unruly contingent of new collectors squealing "What's still on the shelf stays on the shelf - we refuse to buy proven non-sellers, we buy what we like." Sales of newer more likeable models are expected to resume.

In January, in a last ditch attempt to re-enfranchise the line and avoid more early demises, HL packed remaining Selkirks into a large van and began driving it from dealer to dealer. The van has a colorful realistic picture of the North Head model painted on its side assuring it can park unmolested almost anywhere on streets across America. Few dealers are takers although a reported trade of 2 Navesinks for 9 Selkirks took place at 'The Pottery Shack & Gifts' in New Mussell, Indiana.

With a cry of 'Expect the Unexpected in 99' HL not only announces a model of Hillsboro Inlet with an edition size of 6,500, they secretly decide to complete the edition for Burrows Island by issuing an additional 2,397 models. Hoping to lure in collectors reluctant to pay $65 for Kilauea, these were intended for use by Bill Younger to give as surprise gifts "to small childern" at signing events. As the original mold for Burrows was destroyed in 1994, a new mold was created.

Due to 'technical errors' at the manufacturing plant in China, two large dormer windows and a picnic table were included on the Burrows statue rendering it 'more likeable' but historically inaccurate. Upon discovering this glitch, Harry Hine was immediately dispatched with a crowbar and some stern words to effect the destruction of all the 'New Burrows' models, along with the remaining dormer windows, reputedly left over from Chatham production. Reports from the East suggest HL is confident they got them all, however "an unpainted Burrows with extra Windows" (dubbed 'the Sasquatch Thumbnail') is rumored to have appeared on E-Bay.

Local residents of Yorba Blanco, California are up in arms over the vandalism that took place recently at the Bob Younger Memorial. Police reports indicate that sometime between midnight and 4:00am on February 12th, the Bob Younger Memorial Shubbery - a large Sugar Maple donated in Bob's memory by the citizens of Klangston Vermont - was uprooted and replaced with a garden variety LobLolly Pine. For reasons still unclear, a rusty Flexible Flyer was left beneath the pine. This forced cancellation of the local St. Alphonso Society's pancake breakfast. At the time, Bill Younger was in the South American Andes searching for the 'Lost Lighthouses of the Incas' and unavailable for comment. The theft remains under investigation by local authorities.

In late February the first of the 99's began to arrive at dealers. Reports indicate many collectors are keeping their hard earned dollars in their pockets, with only one out of four collectors making a purchase of a new model. Given that the '99 models ('cept for Zilla) have a 10k edition size and will likely remain available through 2001+, HL practically encourages window shopping for those still building a collection. Paradoxically, if wallets are opened and dollars succumb to the '99 newbies, HL may quickly de-limit more dusters such as Mantinicus or Ida Lewis Rock.

In a fit of twisted logic this prospect has lead to the unlikely cry from a band of Radical Wackos encouraging smaller edition sizes: "Boycott Ida Lewis, Buy Cape Agulhas". One Wacko was reported to have his slip privileges revoked.

At an early signing event held near Sacramento, Harbour Lights staff were seen ushering out a couple with a baby carriage. Despite best efforts at secrecy, word of the 'Sasquatch Thumbnail' giveaway apparently leaked to a select few. The couple was asked to leave when it was discovered their small child in the carriage was actually a full grown American Beaver dressed in bunting.

LATE BREAKING NEWS: Eyewitness reports have helped us pinpoint the Selkirk van in upstate New York. A collector in Sackett's Harbor spotted 3 Selkirk models displayed at a local Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant. The van's driver was last sighted licking his fingers in the parking lot of a nearby mall.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of '1999 - The Year in Review' as it may actually happen!
© Planet Fresnel News Wire

Ah, so now I finally know the origin of the "Selkirk Van"!
Bob

All very interesting....

...but the little tune is absolutely ANNOYING !!

Next time, leave the tune out....