Just learned our dealer, Abbie's Lighthouse, is dropping the Harbour Lights collection. All Harbour Lights in the store are 20% off. Call Carla at 425-771-2601 to see what is in stock. Tell her Al & Darlene Cook referred you.

Thanks for the tip, Darlene, but sad to hear another dealer dropping HL.
Judy

Darlene,

Did Carla tell you the reason(s) for her decision to drop the Harbour Lights line?

bobo

This is sad to hear.... I "kringe" every time I hear another HL dealer has stopped carrying HL!

We probably shouldn't be suprised too much, this has been the going trend for HL dealers since around 2000.

At this rate, besides being able to buy HL pieces from LHD, HLs will become as extinct as the dinosaurs.

I hope that my dealer doesn't go belly up and retire. I have been fearing this for about 3 years now but every year she some how manages to pull through.

We had a local dealer here that carried a few HL pieces. They only did for a couple of years. I bought every piece they had when I would go into the store, but they stopped selling HLs about a year ago. I think I was the only one around here that bought HLs. The last time I talked to them they said that their rep had had a lot of sickness in her family and had not been around much. I don't know if that had anything to do with them not selling any more. I order everything out of state now and have a great dealer that takes care of me.

My dealer has stopped ordering HL for display in her store. She orders HL for me anytime and has been a great dealer for me since I started collecting them in the early 1990s. I do worry that one day she will stop but hopefully not in the near future.
Judy

My local dealer has been a HL dealer since the beginning. He doesn't have as large a display as he used to, but still carries all the new releases.

Hi Bob,
Owner sold the shop and the new owner was not interested in continuing with the Harbour Lights Collectibles. New owner has worked at the store for a number of years and has seen the decline in lighthouse collectibles.
Darlene

Darlene,

How very, very sad.

bobo

My dealer is still in business. (Bronze Lady} at John's Pass in Madeira Beach. They have a large showcase for Harbour Lights which they just moved from the back of the store to the front. I think that was a good move. I don't see them not selling Harbour Lights any time soon.

In the early days of collecting HL's, I used to keep a list of dealers in my car from my state and neighboring states. I often visited them in my travels. It was fun and my visits often yielded some great finds.

I also had two HL Dealers at the local mall and I did purchase many pieces from them. I just checked the list of dealers for my area and the two former HL Dealers at my local mall are not listed.

My current dealer is in Oregon because of my desire to keep a low number auto ship. It seems funny that my HL's come from China to Maine, go from Maine to Oregon, then come all the way back across the country to Massachusetts. They certainly log a lot of miles just to get to my curios.

I often wonder about the target demographics of HL sales. We seem to have collectors of all ages and ways of life from all over this country and overseas. I wonder for every dealer closing if there is a new dealer coming on board in a different area. I wonder what percentage of purchasers are hard-core collectors and what percentage are people buying HL's on a whim.

The folks at Harbour Lights are moving in somewhat of a different direction from the old regime. The Youngers had a wonderful run and you couldn't ask for better people. Nancy was my favorite and I do miss seeing her every once in awhile. I do firmly believe that the new owners will be the breath of fresh air that will propel Harbour Lights back to the best of the collectible industry, and once again make collecting HL's a great thing to be involved with.

Bob

Bob,

I have been away for a while. Noticed you said that the "new owners" are moving in a little different direction... You said "The Youngers had a wonderful run and you couldn't ask for better people".. Are they gone? What happened?

Thanks

Rusty

Rusty,...The legend lives on but the business has been sold. Don't worry, there is still Younger Family participation at dealers and functions but they no longer own and operate the business.

The new owner are proactive and are making all the right moves. Smaller edition sizes and less new releases will once again make the LE's the collectible they once were. I know I have my fingers crossed and hope there business sense succeeds.

Bob

Bob,

Thanks for the information.. Does seem strange that The Youngers don't have it any more, but maybe they will bring life back to it.. It has been sad to watch. A lot has changed since I first got in.. In the 90's you could almost keep up with the new releases, but it got to the point that I just gave up because there were so many comming out. I know both of the dealers in the town I live in gave up around 2000 as well. One of them told me that he just couldn't keep up with the enormous amount of pieces that were coming out.. HL isn't the only one struggling, you see many other collectibles that fell into the same situation..

Again, thanks for the info.

Rusty

I started my H-L collecting by taking advantage of a tourist area store's discount on multiple purchases a good while back. As the months and years passed, more local stores dropped H-L or caved in totally, giving me great prices. As the years have passed, I am now limited to but one store in Alabama - and that is in Gulf Shores. A trip down there gets expensive... but makes my wife happy!

So the 'deals' whet my appetite... which grew - but, the stores were gone, my 'deals' were the result of their demise. I was a vulture! I bought spottedly through the mail - with mixed results - my first list price H-L purchase was Middle Bay, AL - and basically, my collection stagnated. The last light I bought before I declared a moratorium was Sand Is, AL. My next, and most recent purchase, was Mobile Point, AL - a bit of a gap - and bought from Evil-Bay.

My wife was more fortunate in her collection... Harmony Kingdom 'Treasure Jests". Paralleling my experience, she was saved by a Ma-Pa gift store - which will still order her selected pieces for her, despite the new owner's. Those pieces are mostly 'Made in England', an improvement, IMHO, over the 'Made in PRC' alternative, like H-L. The local store keeps her interest up as local H-L availability did mine. I miss those days!

John

Good Wednesday AM!
I think this is a good time- given the state of retail to post!

In this morning's economic report, the Wall Street Journal reported traffic trends down at both Wal-Mart and Home Depot (close to 5%) for the 3rd Quarter.
In speaking with our Dealers, their "foot traffic" is off in the double figures! Many are wondering what Christmas will bring!

Let me start of by reporting that Harbour Lights sales are strong; while we are not setting records we have stopped the down trend in sales that was happening before the company sale.

We are however working with fewer dealers and honestly, I expect more to go out of business after Christmas. Independent retailers are having several problems; overhead is hurting them - the cost of rent, employees etc. is high also, many of our Dealers have been in the Gift\Collectible business for years and the next generation is just not interested in continuing on and of course the "Big Boxes" are discounting like crazy! Malls are working hard to get rid of the independent retailer and rent to the "Big Boxes." We have lost 15 Dealers, in 2007, that have been "forced out" of their mall locations!
Most importantly, the taste of the American consumer has changed. I know you are all tired of my saying this but I have been managing Collectibles for 27 years and collectibles are not the power house they were in the 80's early 90's. To make you smile, I have been in stores with the word "collectible" in their name and have the owners deny they even sell collectibles. BE CALM - the trend to collecting will change. Will we see the 80's and 90's back again in collecting? I doubt it! Here is the positive I see: fewer catagories of collectibles, smaller edition sizes, fewer introductions - all this takes time.
Collectors once had to have one of everything released, we now see a trnd towards "What I like!"
Do not be alarmed; Harbour Lights has a great line up in 2008! Will it be harder to find a Dealer? Perhaps! New independent retailers are few and far between and those new account we open (35) in 2008 are buying very cautously and honestly do not have the resources to buy deep - we will work with them. It is all about relationships and Customer Service. Our Field Sales Reps have the relationships - we have the BEST Custiomer Service in the industry.
I'll leve on this note, we have a mid-west dealer, that has (12) Hospital Points on lay-away and could not be happier!

AJC

Hi Tony,
Thanks for your opinions, insights, and expertise.

The high quality of HL product will continue. Those of us on the CF will not be effected by the number of dealers. We don't have to see and feel the product anymore. (PB's photo's are all we need to get the juices going.) More of us buying from fewer dealers mean more sales by those who are left. I actually see more dealers (some have closed but more have opened) in the Long Island area carrying HL than when I started collecting, and was even more surprised by how many new ones are carrying the LEs! I'm still loyal to my original dealer who is feeling the pinch of collectible market. He's a 100% collectible store.


Bob

Thanks for your insight, Tony! It's really refreshing to have your input here at the CF. I'm sure it makes everyone here feel like I do, and that Harbour Lights really cares about its collectors.

Many of my fellow collectors are concerned about fewer dealers carrying the HL line. Then there major problem is no area dealer that these collectors can drive to to view a piece before they purchase it. Some folks do not like to purchase things sight unseen.

Another thing that deserves our focus is how do we get new blood into the collector family. The fact older collectors are downsizing because they can no longer afford to purchase, display, or store their treasures means we need new people to pick up the slack and take an active roll in purchasing the new releases. The question is, how do we get new people into the collector family?

Bob

Very good question! Those of us who are familiar with the line and know the quality of Paul's pictures, can take it from there, but what about new collectors? I've lost four dealers from whom I bought regularly and more from which I purchased on occasion. I've known many new collectors who got started because they fell in love with HL when they saw them on display. How are they going to discover the line? Actually, when I think about it, I discovered it when I received a catalog from Lighthouse Depot. But I'm a big catalog and online shopper, so I get tons of catalogs. I guess there are no easy answers.

Tony, Thanks for the "State of the HL dealers union" message.

I know there used to be over a dozen HL dealers in Toms River, NJ area just a few years ago, and now there are just a few. Lucky for me my local HL dealer, who has been a HL dealer since the begining, is doing fine and has no plans of giving up the HL line.

Now if I could somehow get to be an autoship customer with a two digit piece number, and still stay with my local HL dealer, I would be so happy.

Good Thursday Morning!

The toughest part of my job is finding new Collectors!

I am open to any ideas from present Collectors.

At the beginning Collectors' Societies were the way we got new Collectors! Today, very few of our active Dealers want "to push" Collectors' societies. Why? Dealers do not want to give information to companies - many are rightly concerned about vendors selling direct!

So if you have any insight write me!

AJC

We have a substantial network in place here at the CF. The majority of people visiting this site come to read and not post. That is not a bad thing because if people don't come and visit we would only be talking to ourselves.

The fact that we have a representative of Harbour Lights posting at the CF is a definite plus. That alone will bring extra people in just to see what the latest news from the home office is.

Getting new blood to start collecting is not the easiest thing to do. Expendible cash reserves are probably at an all-time low with the gas and oil prices up as high as they are. That effects everything we do, eat, or wear. This is why the LLOM are a great thing for new collectors. They are relatively inexpensive and easy to display or store.

The key to new collectors may be with the Collector Clubs and Lighthouse Restoration groups. Obviously, if you're a lighthouse lover, you could possibly be converted into a HL Collector. Then there are always the Regionals, Rep Events, and signings if they are still meant to be.

I think we need the one-on-one contact with current and future collectors to increase our collector base. Bill and Nancy Younger were especially good at that. Just where those appearences should be and when is the difficult question to answer.

Go fishing! Go to Cape Cod in the summer! Go down south in the winter! Go where the most tourists go! Ask area dealers if they would be willing to give up one of their display windows for a weekend or week. Put in a real eye-catching display to lure potential collectors into the store. Tell them for each piece they purchase they will receive a free gift. Rate the gifts on the amount they spend. After being baited, hooked, and reeled in, you may find a few keepers in the group that will return for future HL's.

(to be continued)

Bob

I proudly display my HL's and show them off to anyone I can, they are impressed with the detail. Everyone that knows me knows that I love lighthouses and that I am very much into lighthouse preservation. But I grew up on the West Coast and it is very hard to get people here in West Tennessee interested in lighthouses. If it doesn't have anything to do with Graceland or hunting, they just are not interested. It makes it difficult to fine any dealers in this area. I bought up everything one dealer had everytime I went into the store, just hoping they would continue to sell HL's. The last couple of times I have been in the store, they have not had any. They have always had an other lighthouse dealer on display. But only had HL's for a short period of time. And a very small selection to chose from. I order everthing from Cape Annies Lighthouse now. I really don't need to see each piece before I buy and I am very happy with the service I recieve. But I just wish I could build up some interest in lighthouses from my neck of the woods.

In my opinion, much of the problems with fewer collecters comes down to a lack of interest in lighthouses. At least, I believe that is the case down here on the Texas coast.

From personal experience, I remember my father taking me across the ferry as a kid and pointing out the Bolivar Lighthouse. I was fascinated by it, but that was about it. In all honesty, I didn't think about lighthouses again until four years ago when I met the woman who would eventually become my wife. Her grandfather passed along an interest in lighthouses with her and she got me interested. After we made a trip down the Texas Coast to Half Moon Reef and Port Isabel (where I proposed to her) we were hooked. We even made our honeymoon a lighthouse trip down the New Jersey and Virginia coastline.

After that, I discovered Harbour Lights, and they were the perfect way to share our love for lighthouses and bring these structures home with us.

Anyway, my reason for mentioning this is that I am now 40 years old and my wife is 37. We have met very few people in our "real-life" community that have an interest in lighthouses here. The few that we have met are all older than us. The rich history of lighthouses doesn't seem to be taught to youngsters nowadays, as many of them just see them as "another old building." And if people don't have an interest in lighthouses, they probably won't collect Harbour Lights. (Some will, but it seems most Harbour Lights collectors I've met also love lighthouses).

Now, any chance I get, I make sure to pass on the history of lighthouses - especially to kids. For example, it amazes me who few people in our area (near Galveston) realize that the Bolivar Lighthouse saved many people during the devesating 1900 hurricane. The best thing is, people seem really interested and fascinated when you tell them about the role lighthouses have played in our country.

Anyway, sorry for writing such a long and rambling post. I do realize lighthouses are much more popular up north (We were amazed at the preservation and interest up there), but down here in Texas many people need to be turned on to the history and beauty of lighthouses. And if that can be accomplished, more people would begin collecting, just as I have done.

Just my 10 cents.

Billy

In my opinion what Harbour Lights releases are there biggest advertisements.

When they release lighthouse replicas from NY, MI, MA, etc., they spur new and old collectors to buy them.

I feel HL needs to release replicas from every coastal state more often. I'm not saying more releases, just a more balanced selection.

My local dealer said it didn't help sales that there hasn't been a NJ release in a few years, none of this years mugs or ornaments were NJ lighthouse either. We are a state with alot of collectors.

I started out buying only NJ lighthouses and now buy just about everything HL releases.

This can be also be said for other coastal states that have been ignored for a few years.

Good Thursday Morning!
Just so everyone is paying attention; there will be Events in 2008. While limited, Bill has promised to meet with Collectors in 2008!

Remember Bill is retired and has a long "honey do" list from Nancy!

AJC

Billy,

Yours was not a long, rambling post. You said what I've been saying for years--when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.

Stan and I have been on numerous lighthouse cruises in the 6 or 8 years we've been lighthousing. When the cruise is not a "sponsored" cruise made up of other lighthouse buffs, I become the director--not by choice, but because I usually come prepared with printouts of the history of the lighthouses we'll be seeing and share that information with those on board. Ironically 9/11, in awakening my patriotism, made me want to find ways to hold on to the historical background of this country. Lighthouses and what they meant in the building of this country has given me the perfect outlet.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

Sandy

One of the problems in Texas is that most of our lighthouses have disappeared. Where lighthouses are so prevalent, they become a part of the culture such as in the Great Lakes and the East coast. So, those of us who know about them, treasure the few lights we still have in Texas. However, since only one of those lights is really in the public domain, most people don't know or care about them. Collector clubs don't last for long - except for the one in Austin. I think they still are in existence.

Anyway, Billy, I had the same experience; I grew up not too far from the Point Isabel Lighthouse but didn't really develop an interest until much later. Of course, when I was a kid, we had to cross over to Padre Island by boat - dates me a bit!!

Gee, Grace, I didn't realize the Ark sailed into the Gulf . . . . .

I'll get you for that one!!

Tony, are there such things as collectible shows anymore? I remember at Rosemont that Nancy Younger seemed to sign up quite a few people as Society Members. Don't know how many stuck with HL but it was certainly good exposure. Perhaps it's not worth the costs of attendance anymore? As previously stated seeing the quality of the product is what made many of us start collecting. As the dealers dwindle there is less opportunity for the public to see the product. Maybe you could put on some kind of road show to promote HL?

I thought I'd add a retailer's point of view to this thread.
We have been selling lighthouse collectibles for 3 years on line, and just recently (November) added HL to our line. Our prior lighthouse collectible company, (which will remain unnamed on this forum, but can be found on our website, as we still carry their lighthouses, as well), has scaled back the number and sizes of lighthouses they sell by a large margin. They have also told us that there are no plans to produce any new lighthouses in the future. Although our sales remained brisk, it got disheartening to continually tell our customers that the lighthouses they wished to purchase no longer were available. With that in mind, we began a search to add another line to the website which could breathe new life into a market we had captured throughout our existence and didn't want to lose, (such was the reasoning, as well to develop the "Lighthouse Encyclopedia", as it made all of the information both collectors and lighthouse visitors need all in one convenient place. It works hand-in-hand with our lighthouse collectible business).
After much research and learning about the different lighthouse collectible companies out on the marketplace, we decided that HL was the best fit for us. After experiencing our first Christmas season with HL, I have to say we are absolutely delighted with what we have been able to accomplish with the line in such a very short time!
We found that our "Lighthouse Club" membership, which normally increases during the month of December anyway, grew at a percentage which doubled last December's new members. Our HL sales also doubled what we sold for the other company's lighthouse collectible line for that time frame, as well, as many of our customers who were buying the other collectibles converted to HL's Little Lights, in many cases. Some converted because of the name, but many others bought LL's because the lights they had been trying to buy previously from the other company's base no longer existed, but were available in HL versions. Although many were hesitant at first to purchase LL's due to the fact that they are slightly more expensive than the other company's, after viewing the quality and detail of the LL's most remain hooked on LL's.
As for turning on new collectors, Christmas is a great time to do that. As you would imagine, the vast majority of lighthouses purchased during the months of November and December are bought as gifts. We follow up each and every sale we make, and "guaranty" the quality of every item we sell. We check with EVERY customer to be sure that the quality of their purchase is what they expected, and if they are disappointed, allow them to send back the item to us for full refund. I can say that we received ZERO HL's back. In fact, in many cases, the customer was so impressed with the quality that he/she bought another from us, either as a gift for someone else, or to have for him/herself. We are also beginning to get orders from new customers who received a HL lighthouse from us for Christmas, and are adding more to their collection, (in at least one case, a customer ordered a number of LL's from us after receiving her very first lighthouse as a Christmas gift, and loving it!)
I guess, what I'm attempting to say is, there remains a substantial market for lighthouse collectibles, (the many who are reading this post can attest to that), if done right. I believe Harbour Lights seems to be doing it correctly, and we look forward to a very long partnership with them!

Roland, you obviously put a great deal of thought into your business. As a lover of lighthouses, you bring a dimension to your business that many dealers don't have. It seems to me that your success has a lot to do with your enthusiasm for lighthouses. Unfortunately, most dealers don't have that - I say most because there are a few who, like you, are lighthouse enthusiasts. CF members know who those dealers are. The rest, however, are there to make money and don't go the extra mile to stir up interest in lighthouse collectibles. Thus, their profit-making probably comes from other lines they carry. They don't push the HL line. We know that Don and Tony are doing a great deal to make HL collectibles more palatable to collectors, and, hopefully, that will be what keeps HL going. The 2008 releases certainly illustrate HL's committment to pleasing their collectors.