I know I'm opening myself up to all kinds of fellow-collector criticisms but I found the latest Legacy to (again) be a bit disappointing...although it has never looked better, most of the info in it has already been known for months...perhaps HL needs to be a bit more tight-lipped in the future?

I don't know if you observation is a plaudit or a criticism?
The Forum has about 500 registrations and the Collectors Society is 25,000+! There are about 10-15 people on the chatroom - once a week. So for the WACKO few who stay up-to-date with the forums and chats, I'm very happy to get my info before 98% of the other HL Collectors who are waiting for the news to arrive via snail mail. I get a kick out of telling some of the dealers - what's happening in the HL World.
So I think "I've smelled what the Rock is cooking" in a different way.

I guess it's more of a criticism (though I hate admitting this)...I enjoy getting collector info before the rest of the crowd as well, but I used to look forward to receiving my Legacy as part of my membership...now (after waiting 3-4 months to receive it) I'm thru reading it in about 3 minutes...I just wish HL would tell us LESS thru the rumor mill beforehand and MORE in the Legacy upon delivery...

It's been a constant effort to obtain information on new issues at least when the Legacy has been mailed. It's almost impossible to get it before hand.

I guess you could stay away from www.HarbourLights.com and allow the quarterly newsletter to surprise you.

There's still a lot of content in the Legacy that you don't find on the web site.

I think Bob's point is well taken. I know I forget or take for granted the amount of timely info I have since discovering the forums a year or so ago. We are a very small minority of the HL collectors.

I had joined the society a few months before (at years end) and devoured the information in the first Legacies sent to me late in the year. I was also on the phone constantly with the girls at Harbour Lights adding to my knowledge. The Collector's Guide and Greenbook were like bibles, trying to get a handle on the nuances of the market. But the forums with all its threads and marketplace was the biggest help of all.

I don't mind the info in the Legacy being somewhat second hand. I much prefer the vast amount of knowledge I've picked up from the forums. I look at the Legacy as one of the lighthouse publications I receive.

Donna

I think its great that we can get so much information from the forums and chats as well. I especially like trying to get Mombo Sue to tell us what here HL piece will be (so far to no avail) during the chats. We are blessed to have Mo and Kim on the chats from time to time but generally only get confirmation on what has already been guessed on the forums.

I agree with Saint John that there is a great deal of information in the Legacy that is not found anywhere else.

I enjoy reding the Dear Harbour lights Letters, and all of the backround information on the different releases, thekids corner and especially the "Those Who Kept the Flame" articles.

Even knowing some of the information before hand doen't mean I don't look forward as much to the legacy. In fact I like to confirm what has been stated on the forums by the Legacy so I look forward to recieving it even more.

Dale

Just look at the Legacy as a permanent printed record of the forums and chats. Just think if you had to print out all the forums and chat logs how much paper you would need. And the Legacy has color pictures also - wow.

A more serious thought - how many collectors would be willing to have the Society dues increased to allow HL to mail the Legacy first class. As of this date, Tues. March 28, I still do not have my copy here in southeast Michigan. I will be the first to state that an increase of $25 dollars is not too much for faster delivery of this nice magazine.

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Jim

Dr. Who ?

$25 increase??? I don't think it's worth that much...lol. Especially when that's almost the price of a membership in the Collector's Society. Be patient...it will come.

Bob

Hey Doc, if you send $25 we could all get it quicker, lol!

$25? No thanks......I'll wait!

I've conveyed to HLs before my willingness to pay a bit more in membership dues to get the Legacy delivered via first class mail instead of bulk rate. I think the difference in rates ought to amount to something less that $1.00 per issue.

Not only would we all get the new issues sooner, we'd all get them closer to the same time. And first class mail is forwarded by the post office if you move, bulk rate is not.

Rick

We agree with Rick. First class would be better than bulk mail. We just got our Legacy
yesterday. We still enjoy reading it for the articles on lighthouses and the letters people have sent to HL. Plus, all the info is in one place. It can take some hunting to come across things here in the forums at times.

I can stick with the "status-quo"....doesn't make much difference one way or the other as long as I get it!!

$25 is not a lot of money to spend on friends like I have found here.

Still waiting for my Legacy. I contacted HL via e-mail on Monday and received a nice reply that they are sending a replacement issue. I will be interested to see which arrives first.

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Jim

Dr. Who ?

I haven't been part of the chat yet, even thou I do get in there and read the logs from time to time. I do spend some time in the forums, and enjoy them immensly. But, for some reason I still enjoy getting the Legacy.. I guess it is the personal stories, and as Jim says, it is a great printed record of what has been said in the forums...

Rusty

Finally - my copies of the Legacy have arrived. Well, they arrived last week, but I forgot to post a message here until today.

The one HL sent by bulk mailing arrived last Thurs. while the replacement one they sent by 1st class last Tues. arrived on Fri. Just goes to show that 1st class is much better and would make many people happier.

Anyway now I have an extra Legacy to share with a friend sometime. I send a thank you to HL for sending out the duplicate issue as that was something they did not really have to do. Just goes to show what a great company they are.


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Jim

Dr. Who ?

I thoroughly enjoy both the Legacy and HL.com. They seem to me to compliment each other in many ways. Sure, there's some overlap in information; it needs to be that way because the Legacy reaches many, many more readers I imagine than the website. But, the content of each is significantly different.