Ocracoke paint sample on ebay?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3276125610&category=1543&sspagename=STRK%3AMEBWA%3AIT&rd=1

You beat me to it, Lonnie! I was just going to post the same thing.

I was browsing through eBay earlier this morning and spotted the Ocracoke paint sample at the end of the offerings of HL's. If everything stated is true, it is truly an extremely rare piece.

Can any of our HL experts take a look at the auction and enlighten us as to the authenticity of such a piece and how the current owner may have gotten his or her hands on it? Do you think the Flag# is blank or would it carry a designation of "A P"?

I would think a collector of truly rare HL's might be willing to reach very deep into his or her pockets to become the new owner of this piece.

Bob

My guess is that the piece is authentic. Tori Dawn was the original painter on quite a few of the early pieces and most of the ones I have seen did not have felt applied to the bottoms. Most were also marked painter sample. I have seen some with either nothing noted on the flag and also some with the AP printed on it. It would be a very nice piece to add to anyones collection, maybe even at $500!!!

I would say it is totally authentic... as Tori Dawn was in charge of the painting of the Harbour Lights during that time...

The no felt on the bottom is quite consistent with a paint sample and the person selling the piece has recently sold a lot of David Winter pieces for which Tori was an artist..

Just took a peek at my St. Simons Island, GA piece (#11) which is signed "Tori-Dawn, 1993" and signatures appear to be identical. HL's response to an e-mail from me indicates she is "Bill Younger's youngest daughter. She used to be HL's origination painter and would paint all of the samples that went to HL's factories."

I also feel that it is authentic.
Bill Younger told me that Tori Dawn use to paint the Artist Proof for Harbour Lights.

Some of you with an Ocracoke handy in your curio should examine yours and the one in the photo (click on the photo to see it larger).

Do you see any differences in the painting? Any difference in the casting?

This should be a very valuable addition to anyone's collection. One-of-a-kind.

I note the dealer charges sales tax in California so it must be a retailer of some kind in that state.

The only difference I see in the casting. Is the base. It has a heavily sanded base making it about 1/8” or 3/16" more shallower than my Malaysian. The Heavily sanded base is also common with Canadian made. Does anyone with a Canadian made Okracoke have a thin base similar to this one?

Daniel,
My Canadian Ocracoke looks just like the one offered on Ebay.

Ken