When and How did you first get interested in Harbour Lights?

The first time I saw Harbour Lights a friend and I were visiting the Maine beaches at Ogunquit and Wells. Wejust happenedto drive by Lighthouse Depot and I saw all those lighthouses
outside. I told my friend toseo back up, I wanted to see those lighthouses.
We went in and I thought I was in lighthouse heaven! I looked at all the Harbour Lights and I was so excited I didn't know which ones to buy!
So I didn't buy any!
The more I thought about it, the more I wanted some!.
We went into Bangor and I found a store in the Mall and I bought two. (Cape Elizabeth Light and
Bass Harbour Light), I still wasn't satisfied so
we drove back to lighthouse Depot (150 miles from
where we were staying and bought two more. (Cape
Florida and Portland Head). Portland Head was the Opem Edition, but I didn't care, I didn't know the difference!
Anyway, it's just grown from there!

For us it was a long journey to really get hooked! It all started with Stan's son Ian, who at the time was stationed in Salisbury in the south of England. He found one of the English Little Lights in a shop and bought it for his Dad's birthday. He knew of course that we were into lighthouses.
That first light was the "Grace Darling Lighthouse", Longstone off the North-East Coast of England.



Well we LOVED it and started the hunt for more. After a long time we found the Lundy Light too. But then nothing more for AGES. We looked everywhere and asked a lot of people here in England. NOTHING. In desparation, we even wrote to Harbour Lights.

Then we visited daughter Sue, who still lived in Albuquerque, NM. And there we found some "proper" Little Lights. So we bought Bolivar Point (LL120) and Matagorda (LL200) because we had seen those lighthouses. But still no further luck here in England.

Well to cut a long story short ... we got in touch with St. John of the Internet , who invited us here to the CF and the rest, as they say, is history!

Now we have 111 Harbour Lights of all shapes and sizes (including a full set of the English Little Lights) and the collection is still growing. Growing partly of course due to the generosity of our CF friends!

Funny you should ask this question this weekend.

I got involved with HL because of a visit to Hilton Head Island in 1999. I won a "trip" from my local cable company. Actually it was 3 free nights at my choice of about 10 resorts- and that term is loosely used as well- on the East Coast.

We chose the Crown Plaza on Hilton Head because we had never been to that area. We took a ride down to Sea Pines to see Harbourtown and climbed the faux lighthouse while we were there. I saw the HL GLOW while there but it didn't really catch my eye.

We also went to visit ome friends in Huntsville, AL on the same trip (right around the corner from Hilton head- not). Laura, our friend, collected Sheila's Collectibles and Esther liked them. I discoverd that Sheila's had a set of Williamsburg, VA buildings so I went online ans searched for them. I found them at a site that also had lighthouse collectibles including HL. I took a look at them.

I ordered the Sea Pines GLOW and then did a web search for HL found the website and saw all the others that they had and found out that they had store signings.

There was one not too far from me so I went and bought some more there and had Bill sign them for me. I also got to talking to another person who was there and he was involved with the NJ Lighthouse Society and he invited me to a meeting and I went and the rest is history- we've been to about 250-60 lighthouses since 1999 (including a few on an earlier trip to Maine that did not get us hooked on lighthouses strangely enough).

We have volunteered at Sandy Hook and the NJ and LI Lighthouse Challenges and been involved with other LH organizations all because of a trip in 1999 to Hilton Head.

I bet you're wondering what the funny part about asking this question this weekend is. Well, I returned to the scene of the crime so to speak about 2 hours ago. I was at Sea Pines and took some photos of where it all started. I also got some photos of the Hilton Head Rear Range LH as well.

I'm hoping to get to Morris Island and maybe Sullivan's Island LH's in Charleston tomorrow. It depends on our friends- they are not lighthouse wackos.

Dennis

We planned a trip to visit our long time friends in Biddeford, Maine in July 2003. Our visit included visiting lighthouses.

John and Donna introduced me to Lighthouse Depot. I was in heven surrounded by all kinds of lighhouse items, There was a whole wall of lighthouse figurines, and that is the first time I had ever seen Harbour Lights. I was so impressed with the detail but there was to many of them to choose from and I could not decide which ones to buy. John and Donna bought me my first Harbour Lights, it was Portland Head. My collection has grown from that first lighthouse.

Bill and I had a romantic week in San Diego back in 1995 where we saw Old Point Loma. About a month later in my local Hallmark store the limited edition was sitting on the shelf waiting for me to purchase this special momento of our special trip. There was information on the membership for collectors and the rest is history. After seeing over 340 lights, filling four curios full of HL replicas, attending all the Reunions and being keepers at New Dungeness Light Station, we are definitely lighthouse WACKOS! It's an amazing addiction or should I say hobby?! There are times, however, that I have considered therapy but who wants to be sane anyhow?!
Judy

I actually started collecting non-Harbour Lights lighthouses first. The first few were gifts. I wanted to collect a replica of all the NJ lighthouse. Mostly Leftons & Scaccis, becuase I could not afford Harbour Lights at that time.

Then I tried to find a decent Navesink. No way was I going to buy the Lefton or Scaccis Navesink. So I started bidding on HL Navesinks and finally won one for under a $100. Slowly after that I added a few more HL's over a couple years.

Last year my interest in lighthouses in other area's grew and so did my collection. Last year was also the first year I started buying current releases.

I got Ponce De Leon as a birthday gift from my wife in 1994. I was stationd at New Smyrna Beach CG Station in 1973-1975 right across from the lighthouse and worked on the electronics in the lighthouse several times. It is history from there for the rest of my collection.

I attended a U.S. Navy retirement ceremony for a relative in Norfolk, VA in 2000 with my son and his family. He was a HL collector, and we decided to take a side trip to the Outer Banks, where my son purchased a limited edition Thomas Point. MD. I was hooked! I have since amassed a collection of more than 150 pieces, joined the Harbour Lights Collectors Society, and attended several In-Store and Regional events. I enjoy visiting lighthouses, and have become a supporter of several clubs.

This is so interesting everybody.
Let's hear some more stories!

My story is in the official Harbour Lights collectors guide.

My wife and I were looking for Cherished Teddies figurines at a shop for her collection in the fall 1996. While she was looking at those, I browsed the shop and saw the Harbour Lights in a display case. I immediately fell in love with Drum Point, MD. I pointed it out to Linda and we discovered we had a mutual love of lighthouses that we had not shared with each other. We had been married less than a year at the time. She gave it to me on our first wedding anniversary. We have since had it autographed by Bill. He even personalized to us as "our first HL". Little did we know then where this would end up taking us.

Mine actually started with collecting Scaasis lighthouses until I couldn't find some of the lighthouses I had visited through Scaasis. All was not lost...HL had them. Then I had the chance to see the quality in the pieces...we are only talking LLOM series at this point and I was able to do a side-by-side comparison and I decided that I liked HL much better. Then I discovered that a portion of the proceeds go to lighthouse preservation and I was sold.

Then I discovered this place and LE's...now I'm broke, had to sell everything, and on the way to divorce!

A friend asked us on a trip to Frankfort Mi. and then took us to see Point Betsie. My wife purchased a sketch drawing of the light the next day while shopping. About a week later we were in a gift shop in town (now closed) and saw the Harbour Lights version of Point Betsie and I had to have it. The rest is history and moths in the wallet (Just kidding). It has been a very interesting and worth while endever. We have learned much and met many wonderful people along the way and have gained many friends too!

I always loved lighthouses but did not care for any of the reproductions till I found Harbour Lights. Then I asked for one every birthday & xmas. Now there is over 100, and they are all over the house. Need to stop (or at least slow down); but who knows?

wow...that's alot of birthdays! Do you have multiple personalities?

There are also those I ventured & got myself! Bdays will make 60 this year.

... and if you are anything like we are, Cathy, the family gives more than one at the time!

So we are not counting birthdays any more (50 for me and 76 for Stan ... )

So here is to more generous family memebers. Ours think it is great that we have such an EASY wish list

How did I get started? About an eon ago in Dallas, TX, I went to a Hallmark Store to purchase a card for a wedding that I was going to that afternoon. When looking for a card, I happened to glance over and see a beautiful representation of Wind Point. I recognized it piece immediately, since I had been brought up in Racine, WI.

It was late autumn and Christmas was just around the corner. I purchased the Harbour Lights piece thinking I’d give it to my sister-in-law for a Christmas present. (She also grew up in Racine.)

Unfortunately she never received that present, I left the store forgetting the wedding card and that’s how the whole insane preoccupation with Harbour Lights got started.

bobo

Hello everyone!

It's been quite some time since I've posted on the forum (6 years?) and I'm happy to see so many of the "old" folks (no pun intended) are still here. I have visited a time or two over the past few years, but just recently began reading through the threads to see what's been going on. Wow, how things can change in 6 years...

Anyway, I was reading through this particular thread and was inspired to reply because of the wonderful responses thus far.

I'm not really sure what prompted me to start collecting Harbour Lights. None of my family or friends had any relation to lighthouses, so I can't say that my great-great-great grandfather was on a boat that saw a lighthouse once or twice, or something like that. No... I think my obsession started quite young, but I didn't fully realize it until I was in my mid-20s.

I grew up in Richmond, Virginia and every year or two we would take a family vacation to Savannah. Mainly because my father was stationed there while in the Air Force and considers Savannah as much 'home' as Richmond, but also because my parents had an interest in purchasing property in Hilton Head, but liked to stay in Savannah and trek back and forth - in the early days at least. So, every time we visited Savannah, we would take a ride out to Tybee Island. My dad would ramble out old stories and point out landmarks that reminded him of the times he and his Air Force buddies would have a weekend off and ride out to Tybee to enjoy the beach. He would always make sure to remind me of the night they were coming back from Tybee to Hunter AFB on that long stretch of marshland road on US 80, when there had been severe storms and the water was lashing over the roadway, cutting them off from returning to Savannah. The good ole days... for my Dad, at least.

Well, when we would 'all' go down there, Fort Pulaski became one of our favorite stop-offs. Being from Richmond, you grow up being well versed with the Civil War and Fort Pulaski was/is the epitome of civil war forts for several reasons, with the main reason being that Robert E. Lee (a Virginia native) helped with the architectural duties after his graduation from West Point. As many of you may or may not know, Fort Pulaski resides on Cockspur Island, which of course has a 'little' lighthouse we all know and love; "Cockspur Island Lighthouse." But Cockspur lighthouse still isn't the main reason my affection for lighthouses developed. No, it wasn't until my parents took me across the channel, to Tybee Island, to explore where Captain Gilmore had placed his now famous rifled canons that took down Fort Pulaski, did I find an utter and complete admiration for lighthouses.

The first time I saw Tybee lighthouse, it was, to say the least, in shambles. The grounds were overgrown, the outlying buildings and keeper's homes were in a state of despair and the lighthouse itself was so faded that you could barely tell it had a day mark. But I still fell in love. The combination of history, architecture... lore, fascinated me, and still does to this day.

It wasn't until 1996 that I found Harbour Lights. Even before I purchased my first one, not knowing what was available, I hesitated and investigated other makers of lighthouse sculptures, such as Lefton. But after finding a brochure for the "Collectors Society" and finding out what Harbour Lights had to offer, I took the plunge... and never looked back.

I look forward to participating again!

Mark

Welcome back, Mark! Thanks for joining up and participating again.

Thanks for joining us, Mark.

Thank you Mr. Chidester and Kay!

Welcome Back, Mark!

Judy (from Richmond, Virginia )

Judy,

Did Midlothian, Virginia, get renamed to Richmond?

bobo

Hello Judy and thank you!

I see you're from Richmond! That's where I was born and grew up. Northwest side of Richmond - off Hermitage Blvd.

The majority of my family still live there; I have an Aunt in Mechanicsville, a cousin living in the Crestview area and also still have an uncle that lives downtown.

I miss it... and don't get up there nearly enough.

Mark