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Stamp Series & AP Pieces #1183 10/31/04 01:00 AM
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Bill and Judy Offline OP
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Could someone refresh my memory regarding the HL Stamp Series that came out in 1995? Did HL change the numbers and are they considered limited editions or GLOWs? Also I wondered what is more valuable--AP or limited editions? I have an AP and a LE of one light and thought if I had to choose to keep one or the other which would it be.

Thanks for any help with these questions.
Judy

Re: Stamp Series & AP Pieces #1184 10/31/04 01:42 AM
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In late 1994, Harbour Lights introduced the first open edition lighthouse - a version of Cape Hatteras. It was called a "Great American Lighthouse". However, HL found out too late that that name had been copyrighted by someone else and in subsequent years the label read "Great Lighthouse of the World" (GLOW for short.)

In 1995, HL introduced a series of 5 Great Lakes lighthouses which appeared on US Postage stamps issued the year before. Since HL had already issued Split Rock and Marblehead OH among these 5, they decided to make them ALL open editions or GLOWs.

Collectors were upset. HL relented and agreed that no lighthouse would be released as a GLOW until and unless it had first been issued as a limited edition and the edition had been sold out.

So the remaining three lighthouses in the 5 lighthouse stamp set were reclassified as limited editions.

HL had also released or planned to release a few other GLOWs that had not been limited editions and changed the status on those as well.

You can read more about this reclassification in the HarbourLights.com archives

Re: Stamp Series & AP Pieces #1185 10/31/04 01:46 AM
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An AP is an Artists Proof. Typically between 12 and 15 APs are produced before a production run of 2,000 or more pieces are ordered.

APs in the past were sent to rep showrooms around the country so that they could be seen by dealers. Dealers could then order the pieces they liked and/or thought would sell.

Many rep companies have closed their showrooms in recent years, however.

An AP could be of a limited edition lighthouse or a GLOW (Open Edition). In any case, it is comparatively rare. Since APs are always among the first pieces made, if an error exists on a production run, the AP is almost certain to have the error (such as Split Rock MI instead of MN.)

An AP probably is worth 2-3 times the value of the same Limited Edition.

Re: Stamp Series & AP Pieces #1186 10/31/04 01:51 AM
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Bob Ott Offline
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Judy,

As near as I can recall:

Issue #400 -- Great Lakes Stamp Series:

Spectacle Reef, MI - Issue #410 - Reissued as #182
St. Joseph N. Pier, MI-Issue #411-Reissued as #183
Split Rock, MN - Issue #412
Marble Head, OH - Issue #413
Thirty Mile Point, NY-Issue #414-Reissued as #184

Issue #405 - Cape Lookout, NY - Reissued as #175
Issue #406 - Fire Island, NY - Reissued as #176
Issue #407 - Alcatraz Island, CA-Reissued as #177
Issue #417 - Mukilteo, WA - Reissued as #178

This may be totally inaccurate or it may be close enough for government work.

bobo

Re: Stamp Series & AP Pieces #1187 10/31/04 01:54 AM
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Bob Ott Offline
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July (#2 message),

If I were on auto-number, I'd keep the piece with my number and sell the AP. If not, I'd sell the numbered piece and keep the AP.

bobo

Re: Stamp Series & AP Pieces #1188 10/31/04 10:35 AM
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Bob M Offline
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I wouldn't be selling that AP right away, unless you need a little cash. AP's have been appearing on eBay and also at the New Marketplace here at the CF. The price people are currently willing to pay may be less than the actual worth of the piece. Besides that, it's always nice to have a couple of the rare AP's in your collection.

smile Bob smile

Re: Stamp Series & AP Pieces #1189 11/01/04 02:28 AM
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Bill and Judy Offline OP
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Thanks everybody for your information. I was confused about the Stamp series and you helped clear things up I think!! I never knew to list them under my LE or GLOWs. Now if I understand John, all are LEs except Split Rock and Marblehead which are GLOWs. Regarding the APs, I agree with you Bob, in that we'll keep them right along with the LE.

It's great to always have such a great wealth of info to turn to. Thanks again.
Judy

Re: Stamp Series & AP Pieces #1190 11/01/04 02:41 AM
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sandy Offline
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Know this is going to add to the confusion. . . aren't HL 121 Marblehead, OH and HL 124 Split Rock, MN limited editions? If that is the case, all 5 pieces to the Great Lakes Stamp Series are limited editions, I think. confused confused

Re: Stamp Series & AP Pieces #1191 11/01/04 04:20 PM
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Bob Ott Offline
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Sandy,

Your analysis is correct -- at least in my humble opinion. Perhaps the correct term should be renumbered instead of reissued. Except in the case of HL #121 Marblehead, OH and HL #124 Split Rock, MN which were originally released in 1992.

The Great Lakes Stamp Series was released in December of 1995. So technically two were reissued and three were renumbered. But to keep my records straight, I decided to listed them under LE's and GLOW's.

bobo

Re: Stamp Series & AP Pieces #1192 11/01/04 09:41 PM
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Danny Offline
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Bob and Sandy, I remember things somewhat differently, but I'll have to go home to check my records for certain. And...I may be interpreting what you're saying incorrectly, too. As I recall, HL #121 Marblehead, OH and HL #124 Split Rock, MN were indeed original issues, and they have never been renumbered. The Great Lakes Stamp series was out by August of 1995, because I saw the whole thing packaged in one special display box [all five pieces in one box, resting on their sides and fully visible!], in Portland, Oregon, and other cities in Oregon. It was, in fact, my struggle to find the original HL124, at the time that this set was emerging, that "sucked" me into Harbour Lights, which I had not collected up til then. [Maddeningly, I recall seeing the original Coquille piece at Depoe Bay, Florence, and Portland, Oregon in 1995 for its original price. But...I wasn't "into" lighthouses at that time! What an uninformed idiot I was!] While in Oregon that year, I could not find the limited edition Split Rock, and no dealer would sell the Stamp Set Split Rock separately. [Later, the Stamp Sets came in a format where each light was packaged separately in an official Harbour Lights box, and all five separate boxes were then put into one big cardboard carton. This is the way I got mine and acquired a duplicate set of them later. I never saw the five-in-one packaging after that]. When I got back to Wichita, I wrote to Harbour Lights, who informed me that the Stamp Set Split Rock would be released later as an open edition, by a few months. This indeed happened: one dealer in Wichita contrived to find a limited edition, while another got in the new, open edition, so I had two different Split Rocks to give to my parents for Chritsmas 1995! The Stamp Set carried a special HL number [which I'll have to go home to check]. When Split Rock, Marblehead, and the others were later released, they were given new HL numbers [newer 400 numbers, as I can recall here].
Hey Bob...no response to my e-mail of last week?
Best to both of you...and I'll go home to triple check my memory.

Re: Stamp Series & AP Pieces #1193 11/01/04 10:39 PM
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sandy Offline
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Danny/Bob,

This is what I've listed in my inventory:

GREAT LAKES SERIES:
Old Mackinac Point, Michigan HL 118
Cana Island, Wisconsin HL 119
Grosse Point, Illinois HL 120
Marblehead, Ohio HL 121
Buffalo, New York HL 122
Michigan City, Indiana HL 123
Split Rock, Minnesota HL 124

GREAT LAKES STAMP SERIES (All 5 are HL 400; all 5 flag numbers are A 682):
Spectacle Reef, Michigan HL 182/410
St. Joseph, Michican HL 183/411
Split Rock, Minnesota HL 124/412
Marblehead, Ohio HL 121/413
30 Mile Point, New York HL 184/414

The stamp series pieces are smaller than the limited editions. The edition numbers beginning with the numeral "4" indicate these pieces are GLOW or open editions; the "1" numbers indicate there was also a limited edition of the piece.
If I were to sell the stamp series, I would describe the set as a GLOW's set because the set has HL 400 as its edition number as a set, and each of the 5 pieces within the set has the "4XX" as its edition number.
If I were to sell The Great Lakes Series as a set, I would describe the set as Limited Editions.
I won't go into how many emails have passed between me and Harbour Lights on this subject. . .suffice it to say, I'm hoping one or both of you (and any others who'd like to offer their opinion) will tell me if my interpretation is right or wrong. confused confused

Re: Stamp Series & AP Pieces #1194 11/01/04 11:56 PM
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JJ Offline
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I think to sum it up Sandy, the 5 lights in the stamp set were issued as GLOWS, 3 were changed to LE's and renumbered, and 2 remained GLOWS because they had previously been issued as LE's.

Quote:
GREAT LAKES STAMP SERIES (All 5 are HL 400; all 5 flag numbers are A 682):
Spectacle Reef, Michigan HL 182/410
St. Joseph, Michican HL 183/411
Split Rock, Minnesota HL 124/412
Marblehead, Ohio HL 121/413
30 Mile Point, New York HL 184/414
Thus in your above example, the Split Rock and Marble Head numbers refer to 2 different lights, and the other 3 pairs refer to the same light.

Re: Stamp Series & AP Pieces #1195 11/02/04 12:20 AM
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Bob Ott Offline
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Jim,

That's the way I had it figured. I THINK. Talk about confusing.....

bobo

Re: Stamp Series & AP Pieces #1196 11/02/04 02:21 AM
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sandy Offline
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YIPEE! I've got it. . .I think I've got it!!
THANK YOU! THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!!! laugh laugh

Re: Stamp Series & AP Pieces #1197 11/02/04 08:26 AM
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Bob M Offline
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This thread has made for some interesting reading and a look into the past history of Harbour Lights. That doesn't happen anymore with the new releases.

cool Bob cool


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