For the record - as of the turn of the century, we had 593 registered forum members and 22,526 posts in the 'Collector Forums'. The Forum software did have a Y2K bug, but that looks like it will be easily solved.
Rod? What's the update on the number of Harbour Lights items as of 12/31/99?
Bill Younger will be doing far fewer signings in 2000. He'd been doing around 90 a year. In 2000, it looks like there will be about 30-33. Bill's planning on traveling to interview people who have lived in Lighthouses.
And as HL enters the new Millennium, they will be launching two new product lines:
This Little Light of Mine - open edition 'Miniature' size lighthouse sculptures (about 3") beginning with 24 pieces in January and adding another 24 in June.
The Pharos Collection - designed for Europe. Starting off with 5 Great Britain lighthouses.
Anybody else got anything they want to stuff in this e-Time Capsule before we seal it shut and ship it over to the Fog Signal Building to bury to be dug up some time in the future?
Lifted from the on-going list, and frozen in time on 12/31/99........
Step #1: Main Catalog Does *not* count any mold, flag or color variations as extras. Does not count CH#2, Assateague#2, Barnegut/ Boston/ PH/ SE Block GLOW#2, etc. either as extras. The "straight" total count. Since spyglass lights are only sold in sets (not individually) I only counted the 3 sets vs 18 total. Ornaments can be sold separately, so I counted them separately. Thumbnails could be sold (secondary) or handed out seperately too, and with individual HL #'s they are counted separately.
Limiteds: 140 GLOWs: 23 Signature Series: 3 Society Fullsize: 5 Society Gift Sculptures (excluding spyglass): 3 Society Ornaments: 4 Society Minis (Pt. Fermin): 1 Christmas Ornaments: 20 Christmas Full Size: 5 Reunion Full Size: 2 Reunion Minis: 2 Rose Island Society (REXM): 1 Event Pieces: 4 Legacy Lights: 2 Spyglass Sets: 3 (including society version) Keepers & Friends Sets: 1 Thumbnails: 8 BY Memorial Tree: 1 TOTAL= 228
Step #2: Complete Re-molds Add in Cape Hatteras#2, Assateague#2, Barnegut GLOW#2, Boston GLOW#2, SE Block GLOW#2, and Portland Head GLOW#2 Add in 6 more TOTAL=234
Step #3: Paint Variations Add in Green water Michigan City, NLL, Barnegut & Minots Ledge (counted all 4 possible Minots Ledge paint variations), Round Island "brown" version, & Beavertail "tan" version. Add in 9 more TOTAL=243
Step #4: Mold Modifications Correct spelled Admiralty, Misspelled Burrows, Misspelled Split Rock, Highland without "s", Misspelled Boston GLOW, Great Captain tower date variation, Misspelled Mukilteo. (Only one extra version of Mukilteo added: misspelled only, not the various different repaired versions of the lettering.), Mislabeled Cove Island (flag edition size.) Add in 8 more TOTAL=251
Step #5 : Production & Assembly Variations Add in Scituate and Concord open metal railing production variations, (3) different Grays Harbor assembly variations (7 possible variations, but only 3 discovered so far to date assumed), Hudson-Athens continuous railing variation, 7 Foot Knoll "mast" variation, and newly discovered Big Bay alternate lantern room variation. Add in 8 more TOTAL=259
Step #6 : Other Variations & Special Pieces Add in (4) "completely unpainted" ornaments from '97 reunion, rare Point Vicente artist proof, rare Montauk GLOW mold#1 artist proof, rare Kilauea mold#1 artist proof, Cape Hatteras GLOW with "Great American Lighthouse" sticker variation, Tybee GLOW with special re-lighting event sticker, Sapelo Island with special re-lighting event sticker, Reunion '98 badge (since it has its own HL number), and the 2nd Point Fermin mini version (2 versions technically available, one is included in the step#1 "Standard Catalogue" above). Add in 12 more TOTAL=271
Step #7: Lightning Rods Add in each piece with a lightning rod for those who collect both "one with a rod and one without" (many actually do this). Since CH#1 & #2, Coquille, Green water Michigan, misspelled Split Rock & misspelled Burrows automatically had rods and counted above, they are not counted a second time. Only counted lights that have rods on some versions, and no rods on other versions (which have not been counted yet). I am not counting the different combinations of Californian vs Canadian vs Malaysian vs Chinese.....too complicated & not that realistic for most collections. 19 extra pieces would then be added with rods if you wanted one version with a rod and one version without in the collection. Add in 19 more TOTAL=290
That’s far enough....still did not even bring up: *The "Original 17" w/ the "rough" windows and specs from California before the minor Malaysian mold modifications (MMMM) *The Limiteds that were originally GLOWS with different HL stickers on the bottom and an "A" in the serial number *GLOWS missing the "A" in the serial number *Rare "B" series Great Lakes stamp sets *Certificate of Authenticity mistakes or variations *Typical Artist Proofs & Paint sample proofs *The Bill Younger "statue" or "rare metal tree" pieces from the '98 reunion *Having every piece signed in the collection (The P.Brady Factor) *Matching serial numbers in the collection or a low serial number collection *Having the *original* brown or white boxes where applicable ...yadda, yadda, yadda.
Then we have the 21 brochures, 12 buttons, 6 calendars, 5 pocket planners, 2 bookmarks, Rare t-shirts, Christmas cards, The HL watch, auctioned bus & dispay signs, Mark Sherman paintings, prints, & notecards, rare Scituate & Thomas Point postcards, Grosse Point Cup holder, Old advertising slicks, and all the numorous old or rare or widely available "scrap" stuff.
Lastly, lets not forget the Anchor Bay line with the newly *extremely rare* retired regular versions to really confuse everyone! WOW
This info may help in evaluating the ever important question... What is a complete collection? from 140 Limiteds to over 290 pieces counting "most" accepted variations is one heck of a range of guesses!
