GAL (Great American Lighthouses)

I was talking on the phone with Daniel the other night and we started talking about the GLOWS and the different variations that have been put out. The first year issue of Cape Hatteras was not a GLOW but was a GAL(Great American Lighthouses). This was changed to a GLOW with the second year after some kind of name infringement with another lighthouse manufacturer. I do believe that this would be considered a variation and was wondering how many of our Forum members actually own a GAL variation.

I was trying to think of some of the other variations that have been put out as GLOWs and have come up with the following list:

1. Boston Harbour (HARBOUR spelling) 1st year
2. Barnegat (thin tower) 1st year
3. Cape Canaveral ("A" prefix to serial number missing) 1st year
4. Old Point Loma ("A" prefix to serial number missing) 1st year

I don't collect GLOWS so I'm really not up to speed on the GLOW variations. Would somebody like to expand on this list?

I have a GAL, besides my lovely wife Sue and it is a Great American Lighthouse... There are many others since they remade or revised several OE's..

Rich,

I have all four that you have listed.

bobo

Paul's flag photo shows another anomoly with the 1994 HL401. It is missing a copyright notice.

One was added in the 1995 and subsequent pieces on the flag.

The correction to the "Harbour" misspelling was corrected in the second year of production in 1997. All the "A" first year pieces from 1996 had the mispellings.

HL403 Southeast Block was also resculpted (HL403R) in 1999 after 4 years of production that began in 1995.

Here are some more GLOW variations


1. Hooper Strait MD -open edition. With the numbers 1201-1500 does not have a prefix letter "A". (First year)

2. Some of the GLOW Ponce de Leon lighthouses do not have the Prefix “A” (first year)

3. Some Pensacola Open Edition had the prefix “A” missing (first year)

4. First 2000 Drum Point glows have the sign “Drum Point Lighthourse”

5. First 2300 Bolivar Texas GLOWs are labeled (on the bottom) as Bolivar Point, New Jersey


I have the Barnegat, the Boston Harbour and a double digit Hatteras Gal

More about the Bolivar New Jersey GLOW
Even though there was a large amount produced with the wrong state. Harbour Lights quickly sent the correct label out to all the dealers so that the Bolivar would have the right sticker on it.

In other words this variation is relatively rare and most of the mistakes were quickly corrected. Good luck in finding one of these.

I have all of that you listed, Daniel, except for the Hooper Strait without the "A"...

There are also revised OE's of Boston Harbor, Portland Head and of course my favorite the re-sculpted Open Edition HL405 Montauk...

Think my Cape Canaveral GLOW (only one in my collection) is what Rich is referring to when he said:

My HL405 Montauk (center lighthouse in image) that Harbour Lights didn't go into production..

Thread with more about how I aquired it..

Montauk HL405

Aren't variations fantastic?! They sure make for good conversation. How the original, dyed-in-the-wool collectors keep up with all the "exceptions to the rule" is beyond me! If I ever knew, I have forgotten, so I need help. I have both of the Southeast Block GLOW's (and every other model ever made of SE Block EXCEPT for the original); why was the 1999 revision issued? Was the paint color the only reason?

I don't know if it falls in to this catagory but there were the pieces that started as glows and changed back to limited editions, Having some pieces numbered as glows and some like limited pieces.

Mark - I know that Alcatraz falls under that group and three of the Great Lakes Stamp Collection(St. Joesph's North Pier, Spectacle Reef and Thirty Mile Point) all had a letter prefix before their numbers for at least a year before it was decided to remove them. But these were released as limited editions and were not catagorized as open editions by Harbour Lights. In fact all of these releases also had a "400" number assigned to them until Harbour Lights decided to change the number and get rid of the prefix.

Here are the details on those "Open to Limited" pieces.

So now...with all these variations...does that make these OE GLOWs a form of Limited Edition? They're not in the LE series, but they're limited.

Maybe I'll start another thread on that later...in the FSB.

Anyone know the answer to my question about SE Block - was the paint color the only reason for the 1999 revision?

I don't think it was a paint color issue, Grace. I think it was that they could make a better sculpture than the original GLOW piece.

At one time, Kim said they were going to redo all the GLOWs to include lights, but that's not been the case.

Most, if not all, of the new GLOWs for the past 3-4 years have been lighted, though.

Perhaps Paul could pop in images of the two GLOW versions of SE Block for a side-by-side comparison. - Doesn't have to be a new photo of the two together.

Here's a thread that I posted some images of the revised and the originallighthouses both LE and OE on 7/3/1999...

Southeast Block Revised

Thanks to John and Paul. Very good comparison pictures, Paul. Good way to see the differences. Thanks again!

I seem to have all of the variations listed with the possible exception of the Bolivar piece (haven't located it yet to check). Here are the three 401 variations:

The number on the GAL piece is A54, the number on the piece with a copyright "O" symbol is D3676, and the piece with a copyright "C" symbol is D2968.

Gary: can you shoot us a photo of the copyright "O" symbol flag?

And does anyone out there have a B, C, D, or E HL401? What does the copyright symbol look like?

Grace--As to your question about Southeast Light on Block Island. I remember there were at least two structural inaccuracies in the original 403. It did not have the window on the gabled end of the keeper's house, and there was no date of construction plaque on the "North" side. As it is in the 403 R , they still got the date wrong (should be 1873, not 1878) and the color of the brick is still off...We had wanted Kim to make a corrected 403 RR so that Southeast Light would have more editions than Hatteras, but she wouldn't buy it...My wife Carolyn is the real authority on all this if you have further questions...Regards to you..Frank Carbone, NELL

Thanks, Frank! I never really took a good look, and I missed those inaccuracies because I have both versions displayed in such a way that I had to pick them up to see the problems. I am really looking forward to seeing you and Carolyn in Virginia in June. Lots of the Chicago bus trip people are going, so we should have a mini-reunion of bus riders - let's plan to get together at least for a picture.

While you are in the process of comparing the accuracies/inaccuracies of the various versions, don't forget to include HL662, "Block Island on the Move."

Danny

I think I have everything except the original:

- two GLOW's
- the ornament
- On the Move
- the spyglass
- the thumbnail
- LLOM

Danny--Now I'm very intrigued...what are the problems with 662 Southeast light on-the-move? And Grace- yes, we should have a mini-reunion...Frank Carbone NELL

Danny--Now you have me really intrigued...What did you find as inaccuracies in HL 662 Southeast Light On-The-Move? And Grace-We should do nothing less than a mini-reunion. Certainly it should include a yoast to Dave Hannum...Frank Carbone, NELL

Frank, I will send an email around to everybody; not all of them check the forums.

Frank,

I didn't mean to imply that there WERE inaccuracies....I just noted that it had not gotten looped into the discussion, even though it was in the same, general dimensions of the other pieces.

Danny

Danny--That's a relief! My wife, Carolyn and I, with great advice from Paul Brady, convinced the Youngers to produce that model.(In preparation for the Southeast Light Benefit NELL sponsored two years ago). That being so, Carolyn sent them the video of the move, and numerous photos..I'd be very disappointed if there were inaccuracies with all that. Thanks again...Frank Carbone NELL

Obviously, we owe a huge thank you to Frank and Carolyn. Convincing the Youngers was a terrific "move" on your part. Those of us who love Southeast Block are very grateful.

I recently saw a split rock HL124 (low profile) go for over $100 on ebay. Is there a variation in this light?

Chuck

When the Split Rock came out it was with the wrong state named on the flag, it had MI instead of MN.. I believe only around 250 were made like that, they usually sell for several hundred dollars..

Flag Variations at HarbourLights.com

I must have missed that one. I have not seen a Split Rock on Ebay for over $100 recently.
If you can tell me the number I can tell you the variation.

The variation you are talking about is probably a L.E. Split Rock with a lighting rod. Either a Malaysian or a Canadian with original box can go for around $80 to $120.
There is a more rarer version that Paul is talking about. That one will go for a lot more than a $100