recent sales:
Montauk $266
Currituck $200
SE Block Island $212
St Simon $300

The montauk was a very low number.
-34-
That is why the bid came in so high.
Proof again that low numbers are more sought after.

Daniel

Maybe Daniel? The collector who bid up the item is collecting LI stuff for a restaurant. I've seen him pay big prices for old LI postcards. Yes, there were 2 other bidders that high.

My take on this is that on ebay, people who are very competitive (and often not very educated about the value of items) allow the "glory" of winning the "prize" overwhelm their sense of reason and end up paying alot more than the item is really worth. These people are also often new to ebay and often don't appreciate the availability of some items. Now lets see how many Montauk's and Currituck's pop up in the upcoming days!

Doc John

I tried to respond to this and hit the wrong button and started a new topic. If you will notice there was a Montauck that just ended at 137.50. Art explained to me one of the principles of averages (I am sure there is a name for it I've just forgotten) is that when you have a unusually high auction on one it will be offset by an unusually low one. This keeps thing on the average. According to my records the average for Montauck is $167.00. This bears that out to a degree. You always see interesting fluctuations on ebay. I guess that is what makes the secondary market interesting and difficult to sometimes figure what to do when you are speculating.

I'm happy to be the one who just won that Montauk auction. Don't forget to add in the cost of shipping and insurance - in this case an additional $10.00. Still, I think it was a pretty good price on a piece that I've been looking for for some time now. What the heck, someday it may be worth $266.00 (plus shipping of course!).

Congrats ddaniels on winning the MOUTAUK
auction!!! I think you are right when you
said, "low numbers are more sought after"!

Personally, I pay a higher price for a low,low number because that is what I (we)
want in OUR collection...but that is my (we)
opinion.

Congratulations ddaniels...the importantant thing is that you are happy with what you won and a desired piece will soon be added to your collection for you to enjoy.

A question to you or anyone who knows the answer...other than an individual collector's desire to get a low numbered piece, is there any published price guide which indicates that a low number is actually worth significantly more? I have several different guides and I don't think I have ever seen this mentioned. I have seen comments about the value a matching box adds to the piece but none about the actual number on the flag. Personally, I also think that having one of the last pieces made (a very high number)of an edition would also be desirable.

Doc John

I can't beleive that Currituck went for $200.00. I can see the big bucks for Montauk and SE Block. I also don't get the low number thing. What makes a low number better than a larger number that's closer to the end of production?

In the same vein as Sean,I think it goes back to the earlier HLs.Ones made in California,Canada,Malaysia,the variations(more rare)started the low#s appeal.IMO
Terry

If you get a low number at the time a piece is first released, your chances of getting a variation have been historically better. I think that HL is more careful nowadays than ever before, so that possibility is diminished, though it does still happen (blue felt American Shoal, for example).

However, I think the desireability of a low number comes to us from the art print world, where low number prints are sometimes of better quality than the higher numbered prints because the printing plates themselves wear during the run. This is also true of some cast pieces, but not of HLs. Not enough models are ever made from the original for any of them to exhibit any noticeable wear.

Orv and I have exchanged several back channel notes on this topic, and it seems that for every example where the low number seems to factor into a higher price, there's another example that defies and even refutes that rule of thumb.

I remain skeptical that edition number has much at all to do with the going price. When it does, it is because there just happens to be a buyer looking for and willing to pay extra for a low number at the time when one comes on the market. This seems to happen rarely enough to cause the "rule" to break down overall; i.e., the "rule" isn't one, imo.

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-Art

As we all know, the Gray's Harbor variation doesn't really follow the low number rule. In fact I don't think there is any predicatability in which pieces are and which aren't.

Doc John

According to what I was told when Fred discovered the variation, Harry was at the factory at the time of the discovery of the variation. The problem of the improper assembly was addressed at that time, so that there would not be any future occurrence of the problem.

That is why all but a couple of the Gray’s variation numbers have been under… #4200 and when we were tracking them all were above #2400 but 1. I believe that the total of Gray’s variation will be much less than 500 and probably more that 200 total of the 9,500 if it isn’t retired early.

I still look at every Grays Harbor lighthouse I see in the stores and have not come across a variation in a store in more than a 2 years. BTW the last one I saw was in a store was in a mall in Nashville, TN and no I didn’t purchase it.
SaintWackoPaul '
Keep the Flame

Regarding Gray's Harbor, what is this variation spoken of here? I know of a dealer who has one displayed, and "many" on the shelf in the back. Inquiring minds...

Tim - Keeping the flame lit...

http://www.lighthousekeepers.com/forums/Forum1/HTML/000247.html
http://www.lighthousekeepers.com/forums/Forum3/HTML/000007.html

I've purchased quite a few Harbour Lights pieces on Ebay at 25-50% off the retail price and find it a good source IF YOU ARE AN EDUCATED CONSUMER ON THE SPECIFIC ITEM UP FOR BID. Most of the HL items 'up for bid' are really just for sale at 10% off. I can purchase anytime locally at 15% off, so unless I can get the piece for 25% off its value (retired pieces need to be researched for fair/real market value) I don't bid it up. I find Ebay great from both a sale and purchase perspective for the knowledgeable.





[This message has been edited by pharologst (edited 10-08-2000).]

Hey Terry, it's kinda cute though! Looks like you could put some "Little Lights" on the top shelf. Maybe I can get I.O. to make me one. Could put a couple of Mark Shermans in the picture spot to make it more HLish!

Moderator's note: eBay only keeps expired auctions available to view for a limited time; currently for 30 days, I think. If you'd like to link to an auction in one of your postings, please include some short text description of what you are linking to. Otherwise, your posting becomes meaningless after 30 days and is just taking up space.

The item listed on eBay and linked two postings north of here is a pine quilt rack with lighthouses painted on it. The auction title refers to it as a "Harbour Lights Quiltrack".

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-Art

What't the value of a "u". In this case, it appears to be quite a bit since this mis-spelled Harbor Light's Big Bay went for $125.00. http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=454371597
Probably because I wasn't home at the end of the auction to bid.
Jim
Johnson

Jim,

I really had a good laugh with your post. You made my night!

Here is a link Cape Blanco to a Cape Blanco that someone feels is "MINT with no cracks or chips". Well, everyone has their opinion.


Kaiz

[This message has been edited by Kaiz (edited 10-08-2000).]

Maybe not the prettiest Cape Blanco. I've seen early models of the West coast lights with a 'faded' or whitened roof like this one. OLd Point Lomas seems to share this characteristic - I've seen several with paint flaked off the roof. Not sure if they came that way or if the paint was of such a quality that didn't take very well. The greenery looks like its paint may have rubbed off a bit. On later models this can sometimes occur when the piece is inserted into its molded styrofoam container, but not typically with the peanut packing of early pieces. I don't know if this one is 'Mint' but its not too bad.

2101 days on the market before it retired (released in '91, retired in '97). $10 below its original retail price - but reserve not met! Poor old thing. Hopefully it'll find a home. :-)

__
/im
[This message has been edited by JTimothyA (edited 10-08-2000).]

Hey Jim, that seller must have no "a" on his keyboard either! Won't that buyer be surprised when he receives his Big Boy?

Could those white areas be snow?

More folks that could sure use R@R! http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=458191231
Jim
Johnson

I saw that one, and was totally surprised! But the bigger surprise was that I just found out I own a Coquille River!
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=459685097

And then of course, there is Cape Hatteras from the same seller. Which version is this one?
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=459685244

It seems to me that if these sellers on ebay dont know what they are selling they probably should not sell it.

Hey Jeff B, ...looks like you're keeping a pretty good eye on these people on eBay. I guess they don't double-check their posts before submitting them.

Hey Don, ... That CH-2 you sold me looks mighty good in my main curio.

Bob

You're right Jim, It always amazes me what some people pay for H.L.'s I've seen plenty of in the stores, like Port Isabel. Just goes to show, buyer beware (or be-aware!)

What scares me is that if they went to their own web page and looked at the pictures they might have figured out what they were unloading. Do you suppose they understand that the light goes back into the packaging, back into it's box and then into another well padded box before shipping? I'm not real sure they do.

Dave

Ship John Shoal retired??? Yes, no, maybe? I don't remember this retiring, especially so recent since its release.
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=465215812

Definitely no Joanne. American Shoal, yes! Proof once again, if you are going to purchase on the secondary market, do a little homework. For that matter, sell as well.

Tim - Keeping the flame lit...

HL 102 sold on Ebay tonight for 490.00 WOW
I wonder why so low ?

Anybody noticed the price of Jupiter lately. Jumping Jupiter!

Yep. I've been watching Jupiter. It had fallen back down into the $80s earlier this year, but has now rebounded nicely and is lurking around the $150 to $180 range recently. Time will tell if this move is for real.

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-Art

Once again, how much does it cost to misspell Harbor (harbour) on e-bay, a green water Minots ledge sold for $106.50 listed under Harbor Lights
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=480267970
[This message has been edited by Mark Wagner (edited 11-03-2000).]

Good point, Marcvs. The eBay searches that I conduct for my Market Ticker data would have missed this one completely. I don't track Minot's Ledge and I exclude special pieces such as green water anyway, but I only include what turns up under the "Harbour Lights" searches.

For my purposes, it isn't worth the time it would take to do searches on all the variations on the theme of "Harbour Lights", but for those who are either listing pieces for sale or actively shopping for something in particular, there is a lesson here.

------------------
-Art

This particular Minots Ledge did not have the box or papers!
I personally sent an email asking if the original box and papers were included, and the reply was that they were discarded.

Here is a recent sale on eBay (item #483720482) that blew my mind. A limited edition Assateague, VA mold 2 (#1325/5500) for $227.50. Whew, someone really wanted that one!

Tim - Keeping the flame lit...



[This message has been edited by Torchbearer (edited 11-05-2000).]

Anybody want to bid on a "pig in a poke"?
"Liquidation of Harbor Light Lite Houses, Total of 64. 36 Litehouses-Retail Price Range $44.00 to $290.00 23 Mini Litehouses-Retail Price Range $26.00 to $30.00 5 Ships/Light Ships in glass display case $150.00 to
$160.00. Total Package Price is $1850.00 for all 64 pieces. All pieces in original packaging/boxes. Buyer pays all shipping costs." http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=491187223
Anybody remember a retail price of $290.00?
Jim
Johnson

Navesink was $245. That was the most expensive HL that I can recall.

Could the $290 be the original list price for the Lady Light Keepers?

Bob

I think the lady's went for about $362 Bob,atleast thats what I paid.

don

The Great Lakes Stamp Set was $275, if I remember correctly.

Dave

Oops! I meant the Stamp Series. If you read the descriptions of some of the HLs for sale on eBay you wonder if the seller really knows much about the product. Being informed is the most important thing a consumer has going for him or her.

Bob

Take a look at Yaquina Head, OR # 110 on the ebay. An example of more people that don't know about retired at retail.
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=494114210&ed=974401873

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=497834600


[This message has been edited by Daniel (edited 11-20-2000).]

These two Yaquina Head pieces may be worthy of a premium over retail. The first is #390 which should be a Canadian with a lightning rod. The second is in the high 4,000's. If you are looking for a nicely painted piece, these close-to-the-end of the run pieces from Malaysia are much better than the earlier items in the production run.

Just my opinion. The items are worth what someone will pay for them.

I`ve only been looking at HLs on Ebay for about a year and a half,but this is the most HL listings I`ve seen.Can anyone remember more?(As of this posting 640.)
Terry

I don't keep records of such things, Terry, but I do believe I saw the count go over 700 once.

With this posting we hit the magic number of 50 for this thread. Hold on tight while we transport you into the next dimension...




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-Art