Has the Fresnel Market Settled?

Did you get yours or are you still looking?

I got mine, Bob, but it wasn't the usual number I get. If you're keeping an eye on eBay you'll see the bidding has slowed and people aren't willing to pay as much as they did last month.

Bob

I was able to get mine because my dealer had one of her autoships drop and I got that one. Otherwise, there wasn't one to be had anywhere in Florida. I'm kind of disappointed that dealers did not receive their normal shipment amounts and only received one or two lens', yet some sellers on ebay were able to get five or six lens'. I still don't understand how that was able to happen.

Joanne

I'm still waiting...hope to get it next week.

TGIFIF

We just made a trip down the Oregon Coast. One dealer had a Fresnel on display. The little sticky price tag on it said $600.00! "$600.00!" I said in a loud voice. The proprieter said yes, that they were very hard to come by. I said that I knew that you could get them on the Internet for $150 or so at the most. She told me that they had ordered some from the Internet and they were all damaged. Since my friend and I had each been able to get our lenses at MSRP, we weren't impressed - but if Florida is out of them, you could try the Blue Heron Gift Shop in Depoe Bay, OR - LOL!
Dixie

Dixie... that's one for the "You've got to be kidding" file. The proprietors must have been smoking something really good when they placed that price on their Fresnel! Sad thing is, someone out there will probably pay that price.

Tim - Keeping the flame lit...

curious if anyone knows.......

Does Harbour Lights allow their dealers to sell above MSRP ? That price on the lens is terrible.

What a joke . $600.00 for the Fresnel Lense!
As the old saying goes BUYER BEWARE !

While Harbour Lights dealers agree to not discount the line, there is no rule about charging more than list price.

About 700 Fresnel lenses have not yet been shipped so the retail supply may increase soon.

As of a week ago LHDepot had and was still delivering Fresnel's at the 79.95 price! I think the Fresnel scare is a bit artificial as I had no trouble getting one at MSRP just a weekago!



[This message has been edited by pharologst (edited 01-19-2001).]

$600!?

Makes me wonder if that dealer could possibly be the high bidder on so many ebay auctions ($190+). If so, I hope they get stuck with them!

Joanne

I agree with you, Joanne. It is nice to believe that something we bought for $80 could be worth twice that, but we all know about reality.

Any frenzied buying of a new HL product gets all of us excited. Like with any commodity, what goes up must come down (in most cases). Personally, I enjoy some of the older pieces increasing in value as they age over a new piece right out of the shute.

Bob

Beyond eBay, I decided to look in on three different collectible brokers who sell retired HLs. The quotes I received for the Fresnel ranged anywhere between $165.00 to $250.00. I wonder if they are getting those prices?!

Tim - Keeping the flame lit...

It's a shame to think that the 4,000 edition size and limited availability might be causing price gouging by some dealers.

Joanne

The whole point of Collectibles is they are *not* a commodity.

The secondary market is what it is. There will always be people looking to make a profit. Without that motive there would be no secondary market, and without a secondary market there would be no Collectible.

Most avid collectors are knowledgeable about what they collect. Its not like we haven't known about this piece for a long time. One phone call to your dealer will reserve a piece in advance. Mine gladly takes my committment to buy even before they hear about the piece from their distributor. This is one of the benefits of forming a relationship with an established dealer.

I for one welcome lower edition sizes and limited availability. Its part of the fun. The trick is to learn about what you collect and this Web site is the best place in the world to gain that knowledge!

__
/im

It is certainly nice to see a demand similar to the rush for Thomas Point.



Yes, Yes, Yes!!!