Posted By: DANIEL
The Book -The first review - 11/07/06 06:54 PM
I do not have my "Offical Collectors Guide" yet, but I was a reviewer. Though I mainly focused on the variations, I did get a chance to look quickly over the contents.
I also wrote a little article in the book about my personal collecting experiences.
For those of you that have collected during the good old days should appreciate this and bring back some memories. For you new collectors this will give you a taste of what life was like for us Harbour Light pioneers.
Looking at this book the first thing that comes to my mind is that Harbour light is still alive and well. This book is like a symbol that supports the collect ability of Harbour lights. As the opposite way that Graffiti on walls and broken windows on the old factories shows defeat and despair, this book show success and Hope for Harbour Light collecting.
My second reaction to the book was that I am overwhelmed. Pictures, pictures everywhere. The book is fun to look at and well worth the $39.00. Even if you are not a studious collector, you will enjoy all the many lighthouse figurines and HL accessories that this book is packed with.
What does the book do for collectors?
1. The most important thing this book provides is that it identifies the Lighthouses and gives its production number and the edition size. (When known.)
2. The second thing this book does, is let the collectors know what is out there to collect. One of my favorite phrases was, “More people would collect this one if they knew about it”. Hopefully this book will help change that.
3. It tells some history about the lighthouse. Besides being a great collectors guide it is also a lighthouse information source.
4. This book is also a source for Harbour Lights facts, history and stories.
As it comes to variations, John took the traditional approach with manufacturer changes identified as variations, not the artist preferences. This is understandable since covering all the paint variations enacted by artist would be a book in itself. Paul’s photography is excellent and I think everyone will enjoy the side-by-side comparison of the variations.
Some collectors may be disappointed that there are no market values for the lighthouses.
That again is hard to give an accurate value with fluctuating prices on ebay. Ebay values are stimulated by the season of the year and how long since a lighthouse like it has been on ebay. Also this forum has a strong influence on lighthouse values.
Example; The Minots “Made in Canada” green water is now going as high as $280. This summer it was lucky to reach $100. What is it value?
I feel that this book is the greatest accomplishment (that I know of) that John and Paul have done. Moreover, I think most collectors will want at least two. One for home and one for the office. Anyone that follows ebay will want this book for a quick reference. In addition, this is a great Christmas present for anyone that likes lighthouses and not necessarily just Harbour Lights. No John is not paying me for this review; I am just saying what I believe.
I also wrote a little article in the book about my personal collecting experiences.
For those of you that have collected during the good old days should appreciate this and bring back some memories. For you new collectors this will give you a taste of what life was like for us Harbour Light pioneers.
Looking at this book the first thing that comes to my mind is that Harbour light is still alive and well. This book is like a symbol that supports the collect ability of Harbour lights. As the opposite way that Graffiti on walls and broken windows on the old factories shows defeat and despair, this book show success and Hope for Harbour Light collecting.
My second reaction to the book was that I am overwhelmed. Pictures, pictures everywhere. The book is fun to look at and well worth the $39.00. Even if you are not a studious collector, you will enjoy all the many lighthouse figurines and HL accessories that this book is packed with.
What does the book do for collectors?
1. The most important thing this book provides is that it identifies the Lighthouses and gives its production number and the edition size. (When known.)
2. The second thing this book does, is let the collectors know what is out there to collect. One of my favorite phrases was, “More people would collect this one if they knew about it”. Hopefully this book will help change that.
3. It tells some history about the lighthouse. Besides being a great collectors guide it is also a lighthouse information source.
4. This book is also a source for Harbour Lights facts, history and stories.
As it comes to variations, John took the traditional approach with manufacturer changes identified as variations, not the artist preferences. This is understandable since covering all the paint variations enacted by artist would be a book in itself. Paul’s photography is excellent and I think everyone will enjoy the side-by-side comparison of the variations.
Some collectors may be disappointed that there are no market values for the lighthouses.
That again is hard to give an accurate value with fluctuating prices on ebay. Ebay values are stimulated by the season of the year and how long since a lighthouse like it has been on ebay. Also this forum has a strong influence on lighthouse values.
Example; The Minots “Made in Canada” green water is now going as high as $280. This summer it was lucky to reach $100. What is it value?
I feel that this book is the greatest accomplishment (that I know of) that John and Paul have done. Moreover, I think most collectors will want at least two. One for home and one for the office. Anyone that follows ebay will want this book for a quick reference. In addition, this is a great Christmas present for anyone that likes lighthouses and not necessarily just Harbour Lights. No John is not paying me for this review; I am just saying what I believe.