My latest HL, Cape Romain, came in a dark blue "Harbour Lights Collector Society, Members Only" box. It has a white label with red letters that read, "This is not a Collector's Society Piece".

I recall someone somewhere on the CF mentioning this box being used. My questions are:

Will the entire run of Cape Romains be sold in the same type of dark blue box?

If not, will a Cape Romain in a dark blue box be valued more than a Cape Romain in a light blue standard box in the future?

Did Harbour Lights run out of the standard light blue boxes?

Is Harbour Lights trying to use up a stock of older boxes they have on hand?

Inquiring minds on the East Coast, where it was a gorgeous day but now is very dark, would like to know.

Bob

Bob, it could be dark because the sun has now gone down!

Just a thought ...

I was also surprised by the "different" box, as was my dealer. My best guess is that HL had at sometime intended this piece to be some sort of collectors piece, then changed their mind. It would make sense that a sicker would be cheaper than tossing boxes, and having new manufactured. I'm not sure of their lead times in development, and production, to get items to the market, but this may have been one like the Montauk GLOW that took several years to arrive on the market. During that time it's "original" intention might have changed. I would be very interested in the "story behind the box". This might be a great question for someone going to a signing event with Bill.

My piece also came in a Blue Society Type box. My number is 0596.

Rich

It's also possible that somebody ordered the wrong box somehow and rather than trash the order they decided to use them.

Dennis

I suspect that the regular boxes weren't ready when everthing else (lighthouse, certificates and foam inserts) was ready so rather than hold up the start of the shipment the factory used what they had on hand.... is this dark blue box the same size as any former society lighthouse boxes?

I rember getting a society gift lighthouse in a regular box recently..



Image by Mark Wagner..

Harbour Lights says it was a mistake on the factory's part and only the first shipment will have these Society boxes... they added the label..

At the Dallas signing, we asked Bill about the use of the dark blue collector society box and his response was that the factory used the wrong box. He said all of the Cape Romain Lighthouses would be shipped in the dark blue boxes, so that the collector's would not have to buy two lights, one in the dark blue box and one in the standard light blue box.

Was he joking?

Word from HQ in El Cajon is that the factory simply made up the wrong boxes. About the first 2500 pieces will be in those blue boxes usually reserved for Society pieces. The rest will ship in the traditional style ones.

I doubt that makes the dark blue boxes any more valuable or less valuable.