If you have a chance to make the chat tonight, you should be able to see previews of the 2001-2002 Collectors Society Exclusives including the gift piece and the Boca Grande Ornament.

All are invited.
www.HarbourLights.com/chat.htm

IS THIS A TEASE?????? [img]http://www.lighthousekeepers.com/forums/smile.gif[/img] [img]http://www.lighthousekeepers.com/forums/smile.gif[/img]

Absolutely, Bright Eyes.

Those who can't make the chat will have to wait until Friday.

0 :>)

All right guys.... its Friday!

I've been waiting very patiently for several minutes. What are the new Society pieces?

Jack

Man, I'm lovin' Coney Island big-time. For people who haven't been able to get New Point Loma, it bears a nice similarity (at least the tower). For those who do have NPL, what a great companion piece. At any rate, I think Harbour Lights will draw lots of new members and sell lots of Coney Islands over the next membership year. Bravo! (but no "Wow!™" yet until it's in my hot little hands).

The freebie is nice, too. At the same time, though, I'm ready for one that's a little more whimsical, homey...inviting. The last four have an isolated, vegetation-less, and/or "purely functional" feel to them. Something with more of a Sunken Rock feel to it (the very first event piece) would be welcome.

I've got to totally agree with Bill on the point of the freebies. They're definitely NOT WOWS, and aren't the kind of piece that screams out, buy me, to new or renewing members. They're just way to "Plain Jane" for my tastes.

The best things about the club are the Club pieces, the newsletters, the ornaments, and the prints.

As far as I'm concerned, eliminate the current "free" piece, up the price of membership a few bucks, and make the current membership piece the "free" piece. In my opinion, the money saved in not making the current "free" piece would more than offset the lowering of the "membership piece" price down to the slightly raised club membership price. (hope that makes sence).

Just my opinion though.

I would not call Cold Spring Harbor a "plain jane" piece. I really like the initial look of the piece. Coney Island looks pretty sweet as well. I will be looking forward to both pieces.

Inquiring minds want to know. Where are the pictures?

Sorry, we were making a few tweaks to the page.

www.harbourlights.com/society/2001/

Don't forget you have only a few more weeks to join and order the Boca Grande FL and receive the Southwest Reef LA gift piece:

www.harbourlights.com/society/

Thanks John! Looks like 2 more great looking pieces! (SORRY - make that 3!)

[This message has been edited by Randy Kremer (edited 03-17-2001).]

I am also lovin the Coney Island piece. I agree that I think the Society will draw lots of new members for this one and sell a lot of these. I also agree with Naders that I would like to see the freebe dropped and the membership price increased to include this piece. I am sure that the present membership almost 100% purchases the piece each year. I believe the reason this isn’t done, is because it may hurt new membership with a higher price. How about dropping the membership price and including the freebe as an optional purchase. Any thoughts on this? GerryBu

My vote would be to keep the Society lighthouses as is. I enjoy receiving the smaller lights as a gift and having them in my collection.

I'm with Mombo on this. I think it works great the way it is setup.

The free gift is quite often one that would probably not be as popular as an LE or Society Piece.

And it also helps to get new mwmbers. They feel they are getting something concrete for their membership dollars.

And it's nice to get a little gift now and then.

Dennis

personally I think the club is set up fine and as the old saying goes if it ain't broke leave it be.Bill O'brien oseabee

I would like to see Harbour Lights give each Society member a fully paid title to a real lighthouse as a gift, including the next ten years taxes also paid in full. Since that isn’t possible (not enough lighthouses in the World to go around), the way it is being done right now is just fine with me.

SaintWackoPaul '
Keep the Flame

I agree with Mombo, I like things just the way they are. I appreciate the freebie as part of my dues and this gives me the option to purchase the other or pass on it. I never do, but I like that option. Tain't broke, don't fixit!

Bert MtnHkr

Ditto!! Mombo's infinite wisdom is only exceeded by her wonderful common sense!

.

[This message has been edited by SThompson (edited 04-08-2001).]

I agree with Bill O'Brien's comment: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

I'd have to vote for keeping the membership the way it is. The free pieces are the only part of the collection I can hope to own all of.

Well, everyone has an opinion, and I guess in this case mine is the minority. The nice thing about these boards is that I can post it without really worrying about being majorly flamed, or called an idiot, or worse.

Guess the free pieces are here to stay. I get the feeling after reading all the posts, that if the "free" piece was to disappear, memberships might actually decline. I would be in the majority when I say we really don't want that to happen.

Don,t worry Naders, no flaming goes on here. They just have me BURY you!!!

Getting a free HL by joining as a member of the Collector's Society is a great perk. In the words of one of my old buddies, Jerry Zundell, "Cheap is good but free is better!"

Bob

Maybe I am somewhat biased based upon my location, but I have to say that I am very happy with the "freebie" piece, simple or not. As a matter of fact, the Cold Spring Harbor piece was part of why I joined the Collectors' Society this year. I'm thrilled to be getting a Long Island lighthouse for free with my membership...especially one that is essentially one of the lost lighthouses of Long Island. It was abandoned by the U.S. Coast Guard and moved from its original location on a shoal at the entrance of Cold Spring Harbor to the lawn of a private residence nearby in 1965. This has really become a forgotten lighthouse, and I commend HL for remembering it in a way that many others will take notice.
You can view a historic coastguard photo of the lighthouse at the following link: http://www.scroope.net/uscgphotos/coldspringharbor.htm

[This message has been edited by kscroope (edited 04-22-2001).]

I may think differently than many of you other collecters but I feel good about every piece that I get.I don't feel that I have a collection of light house replicas rather I have a collection of little pieces of history and when I look at them they remind me of my times at sea when they were depended upon much as street or directional signs.I can remember when I went to my grandfathers in Nova Scotia as an 11 year old and went with some of the fishermen on sword fishing trips.Later my time in the navy in the English channel and up in the north sea and baltic and down the Elbe river to Hamburg germany.from there up the coast of Norway to Bergen and trondhiem after that
I did a few years with ESSO on tankers in the carribean and a trip around south america thru the straits of Magellan and back thru the canal.at another time thru the med and suez canal to the persian gulf to abadan and ras tanora.looking at these pieces of history brings back memories of these times past and many memories.Bill O'Brien oseabee

I have to weigh in and join those in favor of keeping the Society exclusives as they are - free. I also joined the society mainly for these lights. These are lights that I may not have purchased if they were priced as a LE. This way, I learn about a light that I was not familiar with and get a nice piece to boot.

HL shouldn't change a thing....after all this society has been very successful for 10 years.

KYKEEPER - Pat

I like receiving my "free" gift. The way I see it, it is definitely worth every penny of $30. Perhaps the reason for choosing the society gift lighthouse as a "plain jane" is that if it was a LE, it might not be special enough on it's own to warrant being made, but as a free gift, well, it's wonderful. I happen to think that Cockspur is one of the nicer pieces and I love my little Baltimore.

Joanne

I must weigh in on HL keeping the Society set-up the way it is currently. Not only is it great for me, but at the price I can give a membership as a gift and the recipient gets not only a membership but a neat "free" lighthouse as well. This may encourage him/her to start a collection.

Keep up the great work, HL .... and thank you!

Iris

I agree with Joanne- I too love my Cockspur and my Baltimore. Knowing that I got something of real value when I joined the collector's society was a real incentive for me to join. I too agree with keeping it the way it is.

chris g