Bill Collection 3rd Offering

Dear Harbour Lights Collectors,

All I can say is WOW! On behalf of Bill & Nancy Younger and myself, thank you. The second auction of Bill’s Harbour Lights collection was a terrific success, and the donation to Smile Train is going to be quite substantial.

The third auction will start on Sunday, March 17th, and there are some wonderful pieces on offer. There will be four very rare gold plated pewter pieces, lots of Edition #1 limited edition pieces and a selection of Artist Original pieces painted by Christiane Hayles.

Also available in this auction is a piece that might be of interest to many. We sculpted a lighthouse from Holland “Marken”. It was going to be the first in a mini collection of European pieces, but we decided to put the collection on hold for a while and it turns out we never got around to releasing this super little sculpture. There are only two pieces in existence as they are both Artist Originals. One is already in the hands of a Harbour Lights Collector and the other will be going to…………you got it, the highest bidder.

There are two main aims to doing these auctions. One, to make available some rare and treasured pieces to the Harbour Lights Collector family. We are so grateful for all your support over the years of our company and our collection.

The second aim is to raise money for an extraordinary organization “Smile Train”. This group make possible through its donors, thousands of cleft pallet surgeries around the world. They transform young children’s lives from being virtually unbearable to a life full of wonderful possibilities.

Again, thank you for your support.

The pieces will be posted on eBay on Sunday, March 17th using Jackie’s auction page. Her eBay handle is "Triplegemini". To find the auctions you can type "Bill Younger’s Harbour Lights" in the eBay search bar.

The pieces available in this auction are:


Cape St George Artist Original/Paint Master. (Not signed by artist, but think it was painted by Christiane Hayles

Bodie Island GLOW Artist Original/Paint Master, Painted by Christiane Hayles

Cape Agulhas Artist Original/Paint Master, Painted by Christiane Hayles

Cockspur GLOW Artist Original/Paint Master, Painted by Christiane Hayles

Cove Island Artist Original/Paint Master, Painted by Christiane Hayles

Currituck GLOW Artist Original/Paint Master, Painted by Christiane Hayles

Fire Island GLOW Artist Original/Paint Master, Painted by Christiane Hayles

Fisgard Canada 1.JPG Artist Original/Paint Master, Painted by Christiane Hayles

Hudson Athens Artist Original/Paint Master, Painted by Christiane Hayles

Ludington North Breakwater Artist Original/Paint Master, Painted by Christiane Hayles

Marken Netherlands Artist Original/Paint Master, Painted by Christiane Hayles

Mispillion1.JPG Artist Original/Paint Master, Painted by Christiane Hayles

Montauk Point GLOW Artist Original/Paint Master, Painted by Christiane Hayles

Ship John Shoal Artist Original/Paint Master, Painted by Christiane Hayles

Esopus Meadows Artist Original/Paint Master, Painted by Kevin Ryan

South Bass Island Artist Original/Paint Master, Painted by Kevin Ryan

St David's Bermuda (Artist Original) Artist Original/Paint Master, Painted by Kevin Ryan



Brant Point GLOW Artist Proof

Point Pinos Artist Proof

Presque Isle Artist Proof

St David's Bermuda Artist Proof



110 Foot Island Class Limited Edition #1

44 Foot Motor Lifeboat Limited Edition #1

Amelia Island Limited Edition #1

American Shoal Limited Edition #1

Ballinacourty Point Limited Edition #1

Boon Island Limited Edition #1

Bremerhaven Limited Edition #1

Buffalo Limited Edition #1

Cape Canaveral Limited Edition #1

Cape Florida Limited Edition #1

Cape Hatteras Beacon Limited Edition #1

Cape Henlopen Limited Edition #1

Cape Romain Limited Edition #1

Cedar Island Limited Edition #1

Cleveland Limited Edition #1

Diamond Head Limited Edition #1

Dunkirk Limited Edition #1

East Brother Limited Edition #1

Eldred Rock Limited Edition #1

Fort Jefferson Limited Edition #1

Goat Island Limited Edition #1

Hillsboro Inlet Limited Edition #1

Hook Head Ireland #1-1.JPG Limited Edition #1

Long Beach Bar Limited Edition #1

Longships Limited Edition #1

Marblehead Limited Edition #1

Minots Ledge Limited Edition #1

Navesink Limited Edition #1

Needles Limited Edition #1

New London Ledge Limited Edition #1

Nobska Limited Edition #1

Peggy's Cove Limited Edition #1

Pigeon Point Limited Edition #1

Point Fermin Limited Edition #1

Point Judith Limited Edition #1

Ponce De Leon Inlet Limited Edition #1

Portland Bill Limited Edition #1

Portsmouth Harbor Limited Edition #1

Sandy Point Limited Edition #1

Sapelo Island Limited Edition #1

Seven Foot Knoll Limited Edition #1

Sister Island Limited Edition #1

St Simons Limited Edition #1

SW Reef Limited Edition #1

The Columbia Limited Edition #1

The Nantucket Limited Edition #1

Toledo Harbor Limited Edition #1

Trwyn Du Limited Edition #1

Whaleback Limited Edition #1

White River Limited Edition #1

Yaquina Bay Limited Edition #1

Marble Head GLOW Open Edition A1

New London Ledge GLOW Open Edition A1

Oak Island GLOW Open Edition A1

Spectacle Reef GLOW Open Edition A1

Split Rock GLOW Open Edition A1

Thirty Mile Point GLOW Open Edition A1



North Head Limited Edition #139

Sandy Hook Limited Edition #181

Statue of Liberty Limited Edition #4

West Quoddy Head Limited Edition #635

Cape Hatteras Revised Limited Edition #875

Sunken Rock Limited Edition Not numbered



Fort Tompkins Fall GOLD Limited Edition GOLD Plated pewter

Lightship Relief GOLD Limited Edition GOLD Plated pewter

Race Point GOLD Limited Edition GOLD Plated pewter



Heceta Head GLOW Master Casting (NOT PAINTED)

Piney Point Little Light Master Casting (NOT PAINTED)

Port Washington Master Casting (NOT PAINTED)

Sandy Point Little Light Master Casting (NOT PAINTED)

Mark Twain Little Light Sample casting. (NOT PAINTED


Many thanks for your support,

Best regards,

Harry Hine

I have always been an admirer of Bill Younger going back some 15 years. While I am very supportive of Bill’s efforts to make a generous donation to the “Smile Train campaign”, I would like to see the other objective reached. “To make available some rare and treasured pieces to the Harbour Lights Collector family.” Sadly for me, it seems that commercial investors are buying most of Bill’s collection. Wouldn’t it be nice if the average guy or girl collector, had a chance to purchase something that to them and me, would be a “VERY SPECIAL” and cherished possession.

For those of you lighthouse collectors who have been fortunate enough to win the Ebay bids on the truly Very Special and Very RARE lighthouses, I applaud you. You have my respect and admiration, I do not wish to offend you.

But some members have voiced their disappointment with their rejected bids. Please consider the following observation:

Based on available ebay information: roughly 2/3 of all the lighthouses sold in both of the first two releases, were dominated by only 7 buyers. They purchased at least 10 lights each and 3 of them purchased 15 or more. These buyers appear to have bought no matter what the price and no matter what the item. As the third group of lighthouses has been on ebay less than 12 hours, some of the same 7 buyers have already started the frenzy, putting bids on 30 plus items each. I don’t know if these 7 buyers are actual collectors or just indiscriminate profit takers. But I recall reading on this web site, when big ebay buyers would intentionally inflate prices just to charge more for resale later. Do we now have mostly commercial resellers buying these treasured items?

As an avid collector of Harbour Lights lighthouses with over 111 and still growing, I collect only those that have some meaning to me. Either climbed them, taken photos or just visited them over the years, but they are all special and have a story to tell. I have enjoyed and paid for several commercial and fund raising lighthouse tours. Almost 1/3 of my collection have been signed by Bill, Nancy or Kim and I even have some Founders Collection lights. Every lighthouse I purchase, is for my enjoyment and not necessarily intended to make a buck. I just hate to see Bill’s treasures go to persons who’s goal seems to be a greedy profit.

Interesting observations! I too have wondered as these auctions progress how they are meeting one of the goals--"to make available some rare and treasured pieces to the Harbour Lights Collector family."

Like myself whose been a HL family member since 1995, I am sure most average or serious collectors don't have the funds or inclination to bid to win at these very high prices, especially when HL went out of business the way they did and made most of our collections practically worthless in terms of monetary value.

Max

We will have to track some of these numbers to see if they end up on Ebay at a later time.

I can assure you that I'm not one of those buyers. Never bought nor sold a single item on EBAY. I know what they've done to the secondary market and I just don't see the need to help them crush it even more. I'm doing my best to help the collectors who have contacted me get what they can for their pieces. Without EBAY, I'm sure I'd be able to get more for them. Just as I said about the Lighthouse Depot bargains, the more collectors who will fall for the tactics, the worse it will be for everyone involved.

In response to "beachbumbill" comment above....

I applaud you in this observation, speaking up, and making this known as I have been tracking all three groups of HL listing and have noticed the Exact same observation. SAME buyers with multiple items won. Check on the data....

I would agree that it is GREAT if indeed a HL collectors gets the chance to win one of these beauties, as I have won one in the last batch, but it WILL cost you "big bucks"!

I don't know if the average HL collector has this kind of cash. The one that I won almost killed me in its final price, however keeping it in perspective, proceeds are going to a worth while good cause.

Perhaps the "powers at be" may reconsider as to how the remaining items from Bill Younger's collection are disseminated, but I would agree that it doesn't seem that the average HL collector has a reasonable opportunity to own one of these awesome "1-of-a-kind" items unless you are willing to shell out some money and sometimes even play dirty by "snipping" an auction within the last several seconds of an auction.

What ever the out come may be, you can't deny that these auctions are quite an "eye" opener and very interesting..... These auctions are some of the biggest Harbour Lights news we have heard of in years, and probably the last!!!

I personally doubt that there is 7 different buyers who are buying to resell, maybe 1, Are there collectors with deep pockets ? The correct answer is YES ! If you had deep pockets and could pick up some rare and unique pieces in a (nearly) once in a lifetime opportunity, you would too.

The thing about auctions is it weeds buyers out at certain price points, if I were buying to resell why would I expect to sell something next month for more when that same pool of buyers wasn't willing pay that much this month.

If there is some one buying to resell, I think they are going to wait a long time to attempt to break even.

I agree with Mark!

I agree with Paul above. If you've got the bucks, spend them. Add to your collection and help Bill and Nancy's charity.

WOW!

The Marken light from the Netherlands for sale! Back in 1997 or so, I helped Bill with acquiring copies from the original building plans from the Dutch authorities!!! I really would like to have this model since I've been looking forward to its release for years. HL promised me a copy of it, but since this one is the only one still available I guess I'm going to do a bid...

Even though it's for the good case - 960 dollar is a bit too much for me :(

Sold for $1780.55!

Got one, new London ledge glow. Had pt Judith until last minute then got blown out.

The third round of pieces totaled $13,208.68!

I don't believe this round was quite as exciting as the second round, but it still offered some EXCELLENT "one-of-a-kind" items that you and I will probably never see again like the Marken light from the Netherlands (1 of only 2 in existence), Gold Race Point, and the non-painted "white-ware" to mention a few!

I can't wait to see the fourth group of pieces......

Sorry Jim, at these prices, I liked the idea of getting both an important light and lifesaving station on the same #1 sculpture.

I have bid and won items in all three batches to date. Two in the first, two in the second (the white tip Cape Hatteras being the crowning item to our collection) and now 8 in this batch including 2 paint masters and 3 of the Master Casting. While my wife and I will never match Paul's Collection, we are buying them for ourselves and to preserve some of Harbour Light's history. You won't see these on Ebay or anywhere else again.
Can't wait to see what shows up next.