I posted something for sale in the Trading Post a couple of days ago and was reminded by one of the Saints that I was breaking the rule -- the item I had for sale was not a Harbour Lights product. I took the posting down.

But this Saint also suggested that maybe we should revisit the rule as to what might be sold on this site.

So, what's your thinking?

Should we broaden it to include other lighthouse-related items? Coins, Stamps, Patches, Books, clothing, knick-knacks? If so, how do we define what's acceptable and what is not?

Let's hear from old-time members and newbies as well.

Let's hear from YOU!

I'm in favor of opening it up to other items. Perhaps any "lighthouse collectible" could be a broad definition. This would include most of the items you mentionsed (except possibly clothing) plus postcards, paintings, books, etc.

Let's face it, as Harbour Lights fades we need other items to buy, sell and discuss if we want the forums to continue.

Larry

I have been in favor of a broader "for sale" base forum for several years now but have been shot down each time I mentioned it.

I think any item that meets the collectible criteria should be allowed and SHOULD NOT be limited to lighthouse related items.

I feel that another Forum be made entitled "The General Store" and described as "Collectibles Other Than Harbour Light Items".

I will volunteer to be the moderator if no one else wants the job. The rules and regulations could be the same general guidelines as we now have for the Trading Post Forum

The Forums do not need to become a flea market, that is what eBay is for.. The Trading Post has been limited to Harbour Lights since the Forums started and there is absolutely no reason to change that now..

The Trading Post was created as a service to Harbour Lights collectors and it has worked well all this years as a service..

I agree with you, Rich. Call it "The General Store." Hardly anyone posts here anyway, including me. Maybe it would drum up some interest! Keep up the good fight, Rich! Sooner or later, you might just win out!

As I am a dealer I will abstain from the voting. Don't think it would be prudent to register an opinion on this particular topic.

i agree with Paul. this is not a flea market.

Interesting question. Paul and Rich make good cases, for opposite actions.

I'll add what is probably an unpopular third choice. Shut the forums down.

I just looked and of 38 displayed Forum sections, only 13 had entries for this month. Only 23 had entries for this year.

As discussed elsewhere, most of the HLs dialog these days takes place on Facebook. I'll guess that includes buying, selling and trading too. Ebay also does a lot of traffic in all things lighthouse, including HLs.

Have the forums becomes like that favorite restaurant in the sleepy coastal village that we all like to return to, even though it is mostly our recollections of what it once was, and not the reality of what it is today, that brings us back?

Rick

I think that is bound to happen, Rick, when we run out of funds to operate them, which will sooner rather than later..

This was a major reason I was encouraging people to join facebook and the Harbour Lights group there..

Closing the Forums would be a shame. But probably as inevitable as the final loss of Harbour Lights. At least with Facebook the citizens of the Forum community have a place to continue to gather and catch up. If they choose to.

With Harbour Lights? That's a different kettle of fish (or lighthouses) because I don't think there will be a viable alternative for a long, long time.

Rick

I think that we ought to let the Forums continue until we are out of funds. We still have Wisconsin Point lighthouses to sell and I have also mentioned having a sale with a "buy one and get one free" sale. This has been defeated also so now we will end up with quite a few WPs left and no Forums at all.

I think we should leave the Trading Post as is.

If you want to sell your Hummel or Hallmarks, etc, they have their own collector boards.

I believe it's time to put the forums down.

It's time to stop living in the past and embrace the future.

Wow !!!

What's with many around here.

First you want to see Harbour Lights dead, which it looks you got your wish.

Now you want the CF dead.

The only topics that draw any postings are : it's controversial, someone's birthday, or mystery lighthouse. The other topics are in a contest to see which will last the longest without having a new posting. This Forum has outlasted Lighthouse Depot Lighthouses , for how long is anyones guess.

There are SOME of us that don't want to move into the future and would prefer to let the Forums run until out of funds. That's what the ELL and WP lighthouses were developed for so let's let the course of the Forums run until all money is exhausted.

Now, the subject of this topic was do we add another Forum for selling other collectibles. We need to stick to that topic. While others frequent Facebook and some of us diehards do not, there is a distinct possibility that adding a Forum for other collectibles COULD bring in fresh members to the CF and get them interested in lighthouses.

I know when I first started collecting HLS, if it had not been for the CF and other Forums I may never have continued without the knowledge that I collected from these sites.

Maybe we ought to set up a poll to get a simple yes or no about the additional forum for other collectibles.

John - what do you think about the poll for voting idea?

If you don't want to be here - nobody's forcing you to be! There's no need for some of the things being said here. I always enjoy the positive stuff....

Rich, I don't think a poll would be the way to go. As we all know many of the 2249 members joined only to frequent "The Trading Post". If we opened up a poll on this topic there could be lots of other folks with "other than HL" stuff who register, then vote in the poll. If a change was voted in we might wind up with more than could be moderated.

Maybe those who frequent the forums on a regular basis would be better off posting their items on Facebook or another venue.

As far as what to do with the forums, or not, that's another question than originally posed here.

Yes, I think that closing the Forums would be a real shame. I know I haven't logged in for a month or so but I have been reading the Forums. I don't know how to post pictures and I don't know how to start a new topic so right now all I have been doing is reading the posts. I think it would be okay to broaden the Forums to include other lighthouse related items - for sale, for conversation, etc., such as lighthouse related items we may have on display in our houses or yards, such as I had a large wooden lighthouse in my back yard for many years that had a solar light on top. I would have never heard of Lighthouse Digest magazine if it hadn't been for the forums. I don't have any of them but I might be interested in buying used from someone not wanting much money for them just needing to pass them on, for instance. I would not be for using the Forums for the sale of non-lighthouse related items. In my opinion, the Forums don't take the place of Facebook nor Facebook doesn't take the place of the Forums. I have lived in various states during my lifetime and Facebook has been like a miracle in finding and posting with old friends, classmates, people I've worked with, neighbors, etc. Lighthouse forums is a special thing and I would find it sad to see it close.

Kathleen Pence

Wow...I have been sick and have only been checking to see if anyone got the Mystery lighthouse. I am amazed (though I probably shouldn't be) that some are talking about closing down the forums. I had been hoping that as things changed the focus would shift more to lighthouses and the forum would find a new life. This forum works in ways that Facebook cannot replace. I am sitting here wondering if I want to cuss or cry.

Agree 100% !!! I couldn't have said it any better !!!

How about just doing away with the Trading Post and let those who want to buy and sell do it on EBAY???

And the craziness continues....

The original question posted by John was "Do we broaden the rules for the Trading Post Forum to allow for selling other items"? Somehow we have migrated to closing the Forums altogether to getting rid of the Trading Post Forum and selling on Ebay.

The question John asked should only require a NO or a YES and any pertinent information or reasoning for the Yes or No reason.

I for one again say that we should either broaden the Trading Post Forum or create a new Forums to allow for the selling of other collectibles. Thhe reasoning is we might get some new blood in the Forums if other collectible are being sold. Heaven knows we need some new blood.

"Heaven knows we need some new blood."

There is no new blood.

How about a Forum Yard Sale
This issue about opening the market place to other items has come up before and
I have always thought that the compromise would be a spring and fall cleaning week that could be called the “Forum Yard Sale”.

If it goes well maybe even have it four time a year or more.
Basically what we would do is have a forum folder separate from the “Market Place” for those items that forum users would want to advertise for sale that are not Harbour Lights. This forum could be open for a week or two and then after that time the folder would be locked until another Yard sale.

We could do massive email advertising to all Forum members about the Forum Yard Sale. I believe we have on hand a massive list of email address that was used to sell the Forum exclusive. We could stir up some excitement and possibility brings back some old members.

During the time of the Yard Sale we could focus on making the forum more interesting. Each of us could commit to some topic and diligently follow all the forum topics and keep them moving. This would be a group effort and could be fun.

This would also bring in more buyers for our Market place.

I see nobody likes the name "Yard Sale", so let’s go with the name

Forum's Clearance Sale

It is awful being the last poster, you never know if you said something that covered all the bases and left everyone speechless.

Or it is the dumbest thing you ever said and No one will touch that idea with a ten foot pole.

We could at least give it a good try. Is there a reason NOT to try it?

The only reason that we have not tried this in the past is some do not want to change the format because they feel that this is a HL Forum and this will degrade us into a EBAY type Forum. I disagree, but, it's not my call.

Most of us have other collectibles and hobbies that I'm sure would be of interest to other members. And I know that some of us have extras of these other collectible that we wouldn't mind selling.

That’s why I suggested just a two week spring cleaning event.
Then end it. If it goes well do another either this fall or next spring.
Maybe this could open up some bartering, like trading HL's for coins or some other hobbies.
This would let the members out their see their fellow collectors other interest.

Like I said before pick a date and send a group email to all members. It will get many collectors attention and do a jumb start to this forum. After the two weeks the lock down the “Forum's Clearance Sale” folder.

This might even help sell some more Wisconsin Point WI

Why not post links to other collectable boards in the "Nothing to do with anything" forum.

This way we don't junk up the "Trading Post" forum.

Did we just drop this subject for lack of interest (not on the majority of the member's part) or because it is too hard to set up?

In favor of opening the trading post for selling/trading/buying other collectibles.

Over the years I have collected other collectibles than Harbour Lights.

Dept. 56 Snow Village
Dept. 56 Snowbabies
Franklin Mint cars
Swarovski crystal

With the slow economy, ebay fees, it would be a nice jesture to offer another way to sell/trade/buy other lines. With all knowing many of the forum members, it's a safe way to offer collectibles to others.

Please think about this!