Tony Constanino is working the New York Gift Show and emails:

I ordered one the the first day the news broke here on the forum. Hope my dealer got the order in early (for a "good" number).

I'm really looking forward to the HL version of one of my favorites (long snowmobiling story) - I can now put my (non HL) other version in the trash

Roger

Spoke with my dealer,Grand Isle is in and on reserve awaiting Point Bonita arrival for shipping.

Mine is also at the Dealer here in South Carolina.

I'm on autoship -- but have yet to receive Grand Island East Channel. I'll try to call my dealer tomorrow.

bobo

Thanks for the tip!! Secured our Grand Island East Channel lighthouse today! Hats off to another special Michigan lighthouse!!

We also secured one for our home....Now are awaiting the shipment from across the pond of the next great lake light that is located in the UP.

Mary

Complicated! I called my old dealer, who is not a Harbour Lights Dealer anymore, to find out if they had a Grand Island at their other store 20 miles away, that still is a Harbour Lights dealer.

Oh yeah, they had four and she was going to bring one back for me to the local store to save me the drive.

You can't beat a good relationship with a Harbour Lights dealer. That is if you can find one.

-Todd

Good to hear that one of the 2007's is in stock.

Anybody got any news if Gibb's Hill or the three that are expected in February are due in soon?

Mine is on its way ... ordered HL346 Grand Island East Channel MI and heard today that there is a two digit one on the way

We are happy to find a dealer who is MOST helpful and who understans our problems with the import duties etc.! Thanks Jim !!

Congratulations Margret on achieving a double digit! Right place at the right time!

I tried to call my dealer this evening. His voice-mail indicated that he is closed for the winter. But he did say that he would pick up messages. I hope he gets mine.

bobo

Yes, 5lights, that was the case. Now we are going from no double digits, to three. Lets see which ones arrive first. All three have been posted from the US on the same day. The race is on!

Just read my email about my Grand Island East Channel is on the way from my dealer.

#60

My second two-digit.

The latest from Harbour Lights is:

NEXT WEEK, expected are Isle of Shoals, NH and Point Bonita, CA.

MARCH, expected are Mobile Point, AL; Gibbs Hill, BER; Seul Choix, MI; Wind Point GLOW; Chicago Harbor GLOW and the St. Augustine lens.

The second shipment of Red Hull Macs are still on schedule for arrival next week.

Jim

Could have Point Bonita within a couple weeks.

Looks like Mobile Point is delayed till March.

Looks like one a month for me:
------------------------------
Point Bonita in February.
Mobile Point in March.
Collectors Society gift in April.

I'm looking forward to receiving the Isle of Shoals. New England Lighthouses are the primary focus of my collecting. I say the more, the merrier!

Bob

I agee with you ,Bob. Can't wait to get these two!

Re Grand Island East Channel, it appears that the HL version neglected to have a window put in the side of the tower, on the first story, to the right of the door. See: http://www.terrypepper.com/Lights/superior/eastchannel/eastchannel01.htm

Finally got a look at one of these up-close and personal and it is a wonderful piece. If you don't have one of these on order, better act quickly. 1,500 pieces are going to go very quickly! IMO

My dealer returned my call, and my Grand Island East Channel is on it's way. I can hardly wait.

bobo

I got my Grand Island East Channel yesterday. It is a wonderful addition, very nice.

Got mine Wednesday. I really like it. It reminds me of one of the older pieces rather then the newer highly detailed ones.

Yes
This looks like the new game plan for HL. Instead of the big bucks and 4,000 plus productions they are focusing on more simplified pieces to keep the cost down and in turn keep the production down. I personally think it is a good idea and I am a big fan of low production issues with out all the bells and whistles.

I picked up my Grand Island on Monday and was very happy to place it in one of my curios that afternoon. It looks good!

One thing I noticed, and it might be because I don't handle Harbour Lights much anymore, but this piece felt a little lighter than normal and the material had a slightly differnt feel. Could just be my imagination, but are they using a different casting material in the creation of Harbour Lights?

-Todd

Todd
I think you started something here. I wasn't going to say anything since no one else has, but looking at the pictures, the new lights look different. They look like they are made of a different material or paint or both.

I haven't received any of the new 2007 releases yet so I can't comment on the above quote by Dan. Knowing Dan's experience with HL's, I think he would know if things have been changed.

It would make sense to lighten the weight of the HL's to save shipping costs. As long as the quality isn't compromised and the overall strength of the piece remains stable, what does it matter.

We all know that a HL can take quite a bit of rough handling in shipment and not be damaged. Obviously the styrofoam molds do their job. Yet again, if new pieces sacrifice overall strength to lighten the load, that would not be good.

Time will tell...

Bob

Well Folks,

The new Grand Island East Channel light is definately lighter that other lights of the same approximate size.

AS far as paint is concerned, it is a dark colored light -- much darker that most of the other lights. Maybe that's the reason?

DANIEL may have a good point.

bobo

If it's just a lighter material, I'm ok with that. As Bob said, as long as it doesn't weaken the product.

If the newer models are less detailed, that would be a downer for me. Other lighthouse replica makers(Lefton & Scassis) tried this. Lefton is gone & Scassis is thought of as a "B" grade replica maker.

I have Point Bonita & Mobile Point on order. It I'm unhappy with the changes I will stop pre-ordering and wait till I see each lighthouse at a dealer before deciding to buy.

I'd rather pay more as long as the detail is not compromised.

Lighter weighted models make sense, less detail doesn't.

HL is still miles ahead Lefton & Scassis. Looking At pictures, all I think HL did was cut out some of the expensive pewter work, like the punched out fences. The painting is excellent and probably better than ever. I feel that when it comes to the paint HL has actually improved.

I haven't seen any of the new 2007's up close. I'm just given an opinion based on what others have posted. I hope and pray that the new 2007's are no where near the poor quality of the Leftons and Scassis models.

Unless Harry Hine has been given his walking papers I don't expect quality or details to be any different.

Sean

That's what I was thinking too !!!

Well I got the postal scale out and weighed the Grand Island E Channel and for comparison the Old Mission Point. Yep Old Mission weighs more. But it also has a bigger footprint and the building may be bigger on the Grand Island piece.

But the only way to tell if one is really different than the other would be to check the displacement volume. I don't have calibrated beakers big enough to dunk each one under water to see how much displacement each has, then divide that weight by the volume in cc.

Hmmm. Do I feel a challenge coming on? Who will donate the two pieces so I can dunk 'em?

I know all you old-timers are thinking about the Kitchenaide Dishwasher vs. Jupiter FL Harbour Lights experiment from 2001.

St. John of the Internet

We got our Grand Island East Channel Light today...

WOW... nice!

The detail is astonishing - as always with HL!!!
(even if there is a window missing)

Well, I think it is fantastic. But then I have no way of comparing it to the old ones ...
And I am certainly NOT going to donate it to the dunking test!!!!!

I don't have any of the early pieces to compare my Grand Island to, but I love the detail of this piece and I am with Margret in that I will not be donating it to any tests of any kind.

John,

I totally agree with Margret and Cyndi. Actually, it will be a cold day in hell before you get your hands on mine for testing.

Just use your own.

bobo

Finally ordered my Grand Island on Sunday and pre-ordered the Seul Choix at the same time. Hopefully the Grand Island will be here tomorrow or Thursday depending on the blizzard we are experiencing now and expected to last through Wednesday.

Mine is a two digit - yea!! It's beautiful, has wonderful detail. BUT, is it me? Are my old eyes seeing things? Is there actually a glossy finish?! A weatherbeaten building ought to have a gray, matte look but mine is definitely shiny. Anybody else notice that?

The Grand Island piece arrived today and I must say that it is a really nice piece. As far as the weight issue on this, has anyone else noticed that if you tap on the bottom in the middle of the felt that it sounds like the piece is hollow? That sure would remove a lot of the weight not to mention a lot of the material cost.

Tom

I'm going to have to check this one out at my local dealer. When it comes to detail, the paint finish is very important.

Yeah, but will it break easier if we are having a clutsie moment.

The Navesink NJ had a styrene block inside it to reduce its weight.
Never heard of one of those breaking. It is possible that the same styrene block thing was done for Grand Island, since it has more mass than the normal L.E.

Harry Hine took his Grand Island and knocked on it, saying it did sound "hollow" in some places. (I could hear the knocking on the phone.)

He speculates that when cast, the piece has a rubber 'plug' inserted into the deepest part of the casting. When the resin dries, the plug is pulled out and a skin of resin is smoothed over the hole, resulting in a hollow center, reducing the weight.

Different pieces might have different weights because different size plugs might have been used.

Using less resin could result in a lower production cost, and lower shipping costs all along the chain from factory to Harbour Lights to retailers to buyers.

For fans of Sherlock Holmes stories, brings back the memory of " The Six Napoleons ".