Here's a link to a preview of a page from The Official Collectors Guide to Harbour Lights.

Click Here for PDF

I'm looking for challenges if you know of more rare or more common Harbour Lights. Please do read the qualifying fine type above each table before you jump in.

The only one's rarer are mostly Gold Plated... There are some that only one Gold was done and Regional Gold 20 or less.. Bill, Nancy and Kim Events 120 or less... Much less this year!

Point Vicente LE only two were produced...

The original OE Montauk less than a dozen made..

This is going to be really interesting!
Judy

The only gold-plated item that a collector could BUY is the Bridge - and that's on the list as <250. Although the announced availability was 250, they've been releasing some to clubs this year which means they didn't sell them all.

Point Vicente LE was not produced so was never available from a dealer to purchase.

Thumbnails can be limited - but you've not been able to BUY one from a Harbour Lights dealer.

I haven't counted the Reunion miniatures which might fall on that rare list but you can't BUY them. They were a gift to those attending. Of course, I did count the Society membership gifts.

What say you all? Count 'em or not?

Daniel reminded me of Cove Island from 1999 with some 12 released with an incorrect edition size on the flag. I don't think any of the CF members ever found one of those.

That Montauk we need to get in the variations page, Paul. How many of those were released?

As far as I know just some Montauks made it to reps and not all of the reps, so probably less than a dozen exist..

I have Cheboygan Crib Light # 519 in both versions so I would have to question the count of 460. I was supposed to have the highest / last number produced but can't prove that I do. Given this either they skipped a whole bunch of numbers or there are at least 59 more produced than thought...

Thanks, Dave.

So those were APs and HL decided to redo the piece rather than produce it? None were sent to dealers to sell?

How many Gray's Harbor with the torqued tops do you folks suspect there are out there?

Hereford Inlet Fall - 300 pieces were misnumbered with a letter "A".

Any body with a Sharpie could make one of those!

Do we count that as a variation? For a few GLOWS there were letters left off, etc.

I have a rare Split Rock flag version that I have sent to John to use in his book. For you guys to see it you must buy the book. Only two know of so far.


Back when all this happened we all volunteered our numbers. Since the numbers are random there is no real way of determining the exact number. But by taking the random numbers and projecting this through the rest of the production we came up with between 200 and 400

John since we know the exact numbers of the "A" sequence, the forger would have to do the whole number. Also this is one that you can still find in the market. It can only be purchased from one store but it still can be found. It may make some excitement with the collectors out side this forum to hear about it. This is no way a production variation but it is an artist miss-numbering the pieces. So you are probably right about it not being a production variation. It may be classified as numbering mistake, which is still done at the factory and would make it a different variation of the norm. I vote to make it a variation.

What about the lighthouses that lighthouse depot sells. Halfway Rock, Maine has a production of 600.
Is that to many to make it rare?

Ron Drummer may be the expert on those? I know that when they first came out he had at least 12 Gray Harbours with different tower angles?

Bob

What was the Montauk variation?

How about the pharos collection?
Only 400 made.

They were sold buy HL dealers

The Montauks weren't all AP's as mine has a number A1851 and it made it to a dealer at one time.. It may have been like the Kim AB, mine had numbers all over the place, I had 4 of them at one time now down to one..

Here's the thread about one of the rare OE Montauk's, Bob..

Montauk Thread

If you count paint styles as variations.
How about the following:
1. Hatteras white stripe over door version.
2. St Augustine red roof version.

In addition to Ron Drummer, Paul had a bunch of Grays too.

What do you think about a "rare error" list and a "rare non-error" list?

I found Three of the rotated top Grays harbour in Florida

I had 12 Grays Harbor Lighthouses at one time, I am down to 3 different variations I have displayed in a cabinet and just 3 or 4 extras.. I found them in six different states..

As far as I know of, we are still the only ones who have an "Ape Hatteras" beacon piece. Has any more ever surfaced? It was even signed by Bill at a show in Toledo so there is witnesses to this piece.

Tom & Diane

I was there and witnessed the signing..

That is a good story. I guess we need to look carefully at all our pieces for those little surprises.
Judy

Two more for you John

Big Bay lantern room variation.

Old Michigan City "missing rail" production variation.


http://www.lighthousekeepers.com/forums/Forum1/HTML/000570.html

http://www.lighthousekeepers.com/cgi-bin/forumscgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=000883

I sent John images of my missing railing HL712 Old Michigan City and my one with the railing, Daniel, it is one of my prize possessions in my collection... Especially since our club has adopted the lighthouse to help restore and with the cleaning and upkeep of the grounds...

Paul,

Any idea of how many of the Old MC missing rail pieces have been found? I have an Old MC with the railing above the front porch missing. Is this the railing your referring to? I thought at first that it was broken off, but after very close inspection the paint was perfectly undisturbed, there was no glue residue, and no missing piece in the box. I'll have to dig it out of the storeroom, but I think the # on it was in the low 700's.

You are the second one I have heard of having the railing missing... Mine is #869..

Paul,

Found it, its #723. Does anyone else have one of these? If so, what #?

A pair of pliers and my railing will be missing too. Just have to find the right color paints to cover it up...

(Just kidding)

Time to wrap this one up...

Someone do a synopsis - how would the list get changed from the one I posted in the link at the start of this thread?

Thanks in advance.