HL604 - the full size Reunion Exclusive - was available to purchase for those attending the 1997 Collectors Reunion. The price was $70 each and each registered attendee could order 2 of these pieces. Orders were placed at the time they registered for the reunion.
The secondary market was hot at this time; eBay had not started yet. It was clear to some that this could be a 'hot' item with very limited production compared with the 10,000 issue sizes of the day.
However, some of those attending only bothered to order 1 piece -- and some couples attending even only ordered 1 per couple.
Perhaps 600 were on order by the 460 attendees when the reunion started. But the Youngers decided that those who had not ordered up to the limit (of 2 per person) would be allowed to increase their order during the reunion with the late ordered pieces delivered later in the year. The production count thus grew to 950 pieces from 460 attendees (I know, the math is not precise).
The HL605 was a surprise - a 'miniature' version of New Point Loma. It was a 'gift' (built into the cost of the reunion). Limited to one per attendee. Production count was 460.
The secondary market for New Point Loma was active even before the Reunion. Side deals were made with those attending agreeing to sell or trade one of their HL604 full size pieces to other collectors.
Secondary dealer prices for HL604 shortly after the reunion shot up to over $1,200. But with a fairly ready supply, the price soon declined. Basically, every attendee had at least one 'extra' to sell. Couples might have 3 'extras'.
More than one attendee figured they could recoup the entire cost of attending the Reunion from the sales of their HL604 New Point Loma!
The piece was very well done -- and a bargain at $70 compared with the first skeletal towers then available. Or course one reason was it was sold direct to collectors.
GLOWs had been out a number of years at this point and the Youngers were saying to those attending the reunion "we'll never do a GLOW of the New Point Loma". And they kept their word on that one!
It's rather a surprise that the price on the secondary market for this piece isn't higher today.
New Point Loma was the first "Reunion Event Exclusive"; in 1996, Store Events were started and the first store event exclusive was HL602 Sunken Rock NY.
For those with the Official Collectors Guide, Refer to page 221 for the history of New Point Loma -- the real lighthouse.
On page 220, you'll find a thumbnail of Mark Sherman's watercolor of New Point Loma. No reproductions of this image were made and the original was given away during the 1997 Reunion.
