Hey, Hey! Anchor Bay! Buy them now and put them away!

The market for Anchor Bay boats has been up and down depending which boat or boats you own. The fictional boats didn't quite catch on like the replicas of actual boats.

The purpose of this thread is to find out who amongst us have purchased all or part of the Anchor Bay line. Your response will give me some direction in this section of the Collector Forum.

I'll start it off:
I have each and every AB release so far. I wasn't going to collect the AB Line but I won the Lightship Huron at the Providence Reunion in 1998. Then I needed to buy the Chesapeake to balance off the Huron. Then I ran into some deals on the Nancy, Tori Dawn, Kim, Toledo, Lori, Columbia, and Portsmouth. I ordered both the 44foot and 110 foot USCG boats from my dealer and bit the bullet at retail. I'm going to pass on the revised 44 foot boat but probably will buy the USCG utility boat.

How about you? Do you own any of the Anchor Bay Line?

Bob

O.K. I'll bite!

We have all of the Anchor Bay line from the very beginning. Teen digit number! AND purchased ALL at retail!

Bob, being somewhat new to collecting,I have been focusing more on the L.E. lights. And now that the closest dealer is over 50 miles away, I don't get to check items out in person. I do think I'd be interested, though , the ships would add another dimension to our displays. By the way, congratulations!

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Bud Schrader

I've got two, Huron and Chesapeake L.E.'s. Have bought these because I've seen them, won't buy the other old ones. I am intrigued with the new Coast Gaurd stuff. If they come out with the Mackinac, I'll get that for sure.

Mike

"We three and me"...so far. Aren't there any other Anchor Bay collectors amongst the group?

Bob

Bob, I have the first six, still need to get the new ones! I haven't seen any of the new ones on the shelves in my area. I would guess after what happened in the past, someone would have to special order them around here! The stores probably don't want to get stuck with them because they didn't sell very well in the past.

Yep, I got all the ABs to date. They are displayed in my living room bookcases -- with two in my home office.

I have all the LE Lightships and the CG 44'MLB and 110' WPB. I was not interested in the fictitious boats so wouldn't buy them. I'll continue to buy AB as long as they are real lightships or CG Cutters. Fictitious boats and commercial vessels do not interest me.

Rich

I have all of the AB ships, including all of the rarer regular edition ones. Most are on display in their cases around the top of the cabinets in our computer room with the rest of them scattered around, in their display cases, in the main showroom at the Midwest Harbour Lights Museum...

[This message has been edited by engbrady (edited 02-13-2002).]

I have ordered the 110' USCG Patrol boat and the Nance. I will be looking for the other USCG boats.

Chuck

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bigdragon

All light ships and the C.G. 44'
Matching double digit on all except Chesapeake.

Daniel

Hi Dan, ...You must shop at the right dealer. Other than my model of the Cutter Tybee that came in under my autoship number, I've never seen a double digit Anchor Bay Boat.

Congrats!

Bob

Not too many AB's here. I have the USCG 44' MLB and the Lightship Huron.

-Todd

Yes Bob
I do feel very lucky. I guess not all the dealers with auto shipment sold the Anchor Bay. My Anchor bay number is 20 less than my Harbour Light number.

Daniel

I`ve got 5 and they are fronting the top of one of my curios. I`ll probably get more.

terry

None here yet, although I been lurking at the Lightships for a few years.

I have two LE Lightships, the Huron and the Chesapeake.

Nothing but LE's here, but a lightship or two might work in the future.

Donna

Don't have any AB ships and really have been concentrating on the lighthouses.
However, I kind of like the coast guard ships and may get one or two or three of them.
JoanieO

p.s I bought three AB ships for my friend's husband at 75% discount. The store was discontinuing the Harbour Lights line and closing out their stock. I can't believe I gave them away and sold them to her at such a low price.

[This message has been edited by JoanieO (edited 02-23-2002).]

You didn't buy them Joanie. You stole them for that type of discount.

Many HL collectors avoided the initial Anchor Bay boats because of their price tag. Most collectors figured then could purchase three lighthouses for the price of one AB boat.

Collectors complained and Harbour Lights listened. The collectors wanted AB offerings at a lesser price tag. HL released AB's without the expensive cases. Collectors wanted more sculptures of actual boats. HL answered by offering USCG boats.

Unfortunately, dealers got stuck with the Kim, Nancy, Tori Dawn, and Toledo some in quantity. In order to move them the dreaded word "discount" became a reality. People shopped for bargains and found them.

I know many people are against discounting but there comes a time on a dealer's shelves when it's time to say "reduced". Our hope should be the sacrificing of these older AB's at a bargain will lead to more AB retail sales in the future.

Bob

Just the Portsmouth her Bob. I do keep looking at those cool Coast Guard ones though. I probably would buy them but so far none of the local dealers carry the AB line around here.

I wonder if Harbour Lights has approached their dealers with the idea of carrying the new caseless reduced price AB releases? As long as HL keeps producing USCG boats and lightships at the new pricing, I would think they would be a good seller.

On the other hand, any dealer that's still watching the less popular and more expensive AB's with cases sit on their shelves gathering dust might be reluctant to take on the latest offerings.

Time will tell.



Bob



[This message has been edited by Bob M (edited 04-02-2002).]

Being a nautical buff I purchased the Chesapeake, Skipjack Nancy, Tugboat Toledo and Motor Yacht Kim all at retail.

I recently purchased another chesapeake and motor yacht kim at discount for another room in the house. I'm just going to use the boats so I'll probably be selling the cases.