Do you have friends or family members who, after seeing your collection or being with you when you shopped for Harbour Lights, started a collection of their own?

Everyone can weigh-in on this one. If your collecting hasn't started anyone else collecting, please indicate "NOT YET"

Please indicate when (Month/Year) YOU started collecting, how many HLs you have in your collection, and a sentence or two about the other individual(s) who began to collect as a result of you collecting.

I started collecting in 9/1996 and my mom has purchased a few. She joined the Society in order to be able to get Port Sanilac. I'd guess she has about 8-10 pieces.

[This message has been edited by JChidester (edited 12-02-99).]

I started collecting back in 1997, November if I am not mistaken. I now have all of the LE's except for CH, Sandy Hook, Coquille, St. Augustine, and Hilton Head. I also have in my collection some GLOWS, ornaments, accessories, event pieces, ect... for a total of 174 pieces in my collection.

My wife Marla enjoys collecting as well, but does not have any additional pieces of her own. My collection is her collection

I haven't been able to start anyone else collecting Harbour Lights. Many are impressed by my collection, others say I am crazy for spending so much money on them, once they find out how much my collection is worth. I am sure that one day the bug will bite someone I know, and they will buy their first Harbour Light.

-Todd

My girlfriend and I have 63 pieces and when I told my mom about the christmas pieces she purchased 99, 98, and 97 christmas pieces for her holiday village she sets up. The fit in well with her set up and look like they belong so she plans on getting the christmas pieces every year and maybe Presque Isle because it has snow on it.

Started picking up a piece here and there in 1996 after my wife gave me a Hatteras GLOW for my birthday in February. I now have about 57 LE's. After finding out about Harbour Lights from me, two friends have started collecting GLOWS as mementos of lights they have visited. Doubt that they'll become serious, so the "Little Lights" may appeal to them even more than the GLOW's.

Dave

Hey, I'm a Wacko! It just sort of snuck up on me.

[This message has been edited by ddaniels (edited 12-02-99).]

I started collecting 9/96. I have all LE except Coquille River but I just bought my first GLOW of Coquille. I have all the ornaments, society, reunion, thumbnails, mini's, & spyglass. I probably have 200+ HL.

I just got my sister collecting this summer while she was visiting me in Utah. She started off buying about 10 and was able to get Hillsboro. Since I live in Utah and she lives in Phoenix, AZ., it is fun to share common interests. We both enjoy planning trips around lighthousing. I told her to get to one of the BY signings in AZ this weekend!!

NOT YET, that I know of.

I started in November or December of '92.

I now have 157 LE pieces in my collection including 2 duplicates, plus 1 GLOW (a gift).

I started collecting in October 1995 and presently have about 125 LE's (NO GLOWS!) including all 5500's except the rarer Hatteras...I bought my mom a couple of the Oregon lights to keep in her beach house since she lives on the northern Oregon coast and when my oldest brother saw them about a year ago, he tried to talk her out of them! Now he has over 50 himself (a mix of GLOW's and LE's) and is trying to catch up with me!

Bought my first HL in the Summer of '94. Started collecting in September of '97. I currently have "them all" except for St. Augustine, Portland Head, Coquille River, and Cape Hatteras I & II.

Two of my best friends have around a dozen or so thanks to my influence and gifts. Their family has since got a few too.

Bob

I have 70 HL's. My first was the Split Rock OE given to me as a gift in 11/98 by the staff of a tournament I run.

Two co-workers (husband & wife) purchased the HL Split Rock GLOW after she saw some of my HL's I brought in to show to people. They purchased this one because they had been to see it.
Then, when I found a complete 95 stamp set at a local dealer, they purchased the Spectacle Reef, Thirty Mile Point, and St. Joseph North Pier LE's I already had (and which were now duplicates). As far as I know, they still have just these four. But, they just purchased a display cabinet to put them in, so more additions may be coming soon.

FrankB

[This message has been edited by FrankB (edited 12-03-99).]

12/98, 38 pieces (mostly LE but some GLOWS)

Not Yet

Friends and family admire them but don't dare ask what they cost.

My neighbor has been most influenced by my collecting but has not bought any HL's. She buys knick-knack types and fridge magnets, plus other items with lighthouses on them. Her husband keeps buying new vehicles so I guess that's where their big money goes!

I started collecting in April 1999. I now have 13 pieces.

So far, I have not influenced anyone to start collecting, but I have coerced a few people to enter my living room by asking them, "Can you find the seahorse?" and before they know it, they are totally absorbed in my LH!

Currently I have 92 pieces and holding (orders restrict me from buying any more until after Christmas). Many visitors admire the collection but just haven't caught the bug, yet. My parents did buy the event piece at a signing event this spring. My older brother has 4 HL's. Actually he started collecting HL's before me but then switched to collecting Dept. 56 cottages and remains strictly loyal to that collection. A friend of mine saw my collection and did catch the bug! He now has 24 pieces in only 2 months, his buying has slowed, I think his wife saw the last credit card statement.


Digger

I started collecting seriously after the first reunion (8/97) -- before that it was an occasional purchase. I have 150 HL's in all, about 100 of which are LE's. One of the attorney's in my company is in the Air Force Reserve, and knowing of my interest in lighthouses, he mentioned that the PX had HL's. He ended up buying two for me and three for himself, and his co-workers are now consulting with me on which HL to get him for Christmas. So we may have a potential Wacko -- you know what happens after you get more than a few HL's!

Not Yet.

I started collecting in February 1999.

I have 55 LE's including Collectors Society and Special Edition pieces, and 14 GLOWS.

Unfortunately, no one else has caught the HL bug, but they are much more aware and interested in lighthouses.

Joanne

I began collecting in the summer of 1998. I
have 35 pieces in the collection. My love of
lighthouses began with my photography hobby.

Our family friend Ron has now started his HL collection and has also joined the HL society in large part due to my own collection .

Lonnie

I started collecting in 8/97. The first piece I bought was supposed to be a gift for my step-mom, but I got "WACKO" & she never got it, it is in my collection. I now have 90+ & one guy I work with has started collecting & visiting lights. & a couple other friends bought 1 or 2 lights but have not really started collecting.

Started collecting in September, 1998. Have
72 pieces (and hopefully, Santa will bring
a surprise!)

Our son (age 24) moved to Florida and I thought he would be a great source to fill in on some of the LE's but he caught the bug and has 8 in his collection! Last
Xmas he sent us a picture of Bill signing
Charlotte-Genesee - and a few days later
the HL showed up!

I started collecting in late 1996, and now have about 120 lights, all LE's. Although the collection is supposed to be mine, my husband caught the bug as well, and is now involved as much as I am! Our youngest son caught the bug from finding all the seahorses - the more he checked for them the more interested he got! He now has five of his own, and were it not for our restraining hand he'd be buying like crazy!

HL's really do get a hold of you!!

Barb

Not Yet!
But, then I live in Arizona and my family lives in California.
My son Rick, sent me my first Harbour Lights Lighthouse; while, he was on a business trip, in 1997!
I don't think he realized, just what impact these Harbour Lights Lighthouses can have on most people! My last count was 250+ pieces!
Presently, my son Rick is in the process of building a home in the hills of Los Gatos, CA. So, most of his expenditures, in the next 7 months have been accounted for!
Karen :-)


[This message has been edited by Karen Smith (edited 12-07-99).]

September, 1988 with a Yaquina Bay anniversary gift. Now have 70, only two GLOWS.
A girl I work with heard about my collection and also likes visiting lighthouses. So she bought five from Lighthouse Depot, but only one was a HL.
Rest of my family thinks I've gone off the deep end! Not my husband or boys they know I've always been a collector. Plus we all enjoy the lighthouse visits.

Donna

I started collecting in Oct,1997, after a very succesfull trip to Vegas. I have all LEs except CH and Coquille. At the market prices for these two, it will take another succesfull trip to Vegas to complete my collection. Not counting ornaments and mini"s, I have 182 pcs. 143 of them have been signed by BY.

When Sturgeon Bay was released, I pruchased 5 of them because my parents retired to Sturgeon Bay, and are layed to rest 13 miles North in Egg Harbor. Those 5 extra lighthouses were Chlristmas presents for my brothers and sister, and two friends. Both friends and my brother are now collectors, along with a very good customer of mine in Phoenix. Harbour Lights has made my holiday shopping easy. This year I have added 2 more cusomers to my HL
christmas list. I hope they also become collectors.




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JIM "POPZ" IRWIN

I started collecting early last year when I was thinking of buying one for a wedding gift for one of my employees. I asked around to see if the couple liked lighthouses & found out they loved them, had visitied many, and actually HAD 1 sculpture of one. After hearing that I bought two Hillsboro's. One for them and one for me. It was their favorite wedding gift & it turns out the one LH they had WAS A HARBOUR LIGHTS too & didn't know it. They now have 8, and I now have 10 with one more on layaway & one on advance order. (Gotta get more income!!!)
On one shopping trip with him, anothe employee was with us and he picked up a particular piece and starting admiring several features on it that he liked. Well, I got him that HL for his wedding gift last December & he is now working on starting his collection as well.


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JB

I started in 12/92 I have collected everything from Harbour Lights except for the LE Cape Hatteras first mold and the LE Coquille River, OR. I have also ignited the flame in a couple of peoples homes. The most significant is a co-worker whos collection grew to all but a few in just a year. My four year old son will start his collection with the introduction of "This Little Light Of Mine" series. I started the Harbour Lights Collectors Club - Great Lakes District in 1997, the club adopted the Pottawatomie Lighthouse on Rock Island & continue to help in the restoration and preservation of its historical value. Everyone who knows me, calls me the lighthouse fanatic. I AM! and proud of it. Jim Johnston
Milwaukee, WI

I started collecting lighthouses about 5 years ago and HL's about two. I have about 3 dozen HL's all LE's. When a friend admires the collection, I usually hand them an edition of the "Lighthouse Depot". I point out the pages with HL's and the ordering telephone number. Several folks are now collectors. See Ya!