Bidding starts at $1000 but has a reserve price

Coquille on ebay

Allready out of my reach and they just started. I'll be watching as I'm curious as to what it will go for. Should be very interesting to watch.

Bert

Not quite that interested in it yet. I'd love to have it, but...it'll be interesting to follow. Bob, didn't you say that's the one piece you need? It's in your neck of the woods also! Why don't you jump on that.

I, too, will have fun watching this one.

I recognize the piece and flag#. I had corresponded with the gentleman about purchasing it but his asking price was too much for my budget. His original asking price was based on pricing listed in the Greenbook Guide of 1998-99.

It's a great piece with a nice fairly low flag number if anyone wants to step up to the plate and pay the price.

Bob

I hope you're keeping an eye on that one Bob. Who knows, he may have come down on his price. It would look very nice in your curio if he has. I'm watching but not bidding.

Bert

Bob, I just looked at my old greenbook, and can understand why you might have decided to pass. Although it's not as high as I thought it was, it's still a lot of money.

Bob, were this gentleman's initials C.J.? If so this piece is probably being sold by a relative as he passed away earlier this year. He was a wonderful man and really loved his Harbour Lights Collection.

Ron
(CT Keeper)

Hi Ron, ...The original owner has passed away and his Harbour Lights collection is being handled by his son-in-law as far as I know.

Bob

With 5 hours left, the auction is up to $1800 with the reserve met.

Well it's finally over and the price was the 1800. mentioned above. How about that! Was that a good price or was it too high a price?

Bert

If it's in perfect shape with all packaging as the auction says it is, and if the buyer wanted it, then I'd say it is a very good price.
Jon

I would say that was a good price if in fact the piece is as nice as stated. The last Coquille that sold on E-Bay (October'02) went for $2025. I am happy to see some of the true foundation pieces going for some decent prices even in a tough economy. Maybe there is still some hope for the secondary market after all!

Not a bad price at all for one of the premier "UGLY OLD Limited Editions". I hope that whoever got it will be as happy as I am with mine.

Rich

Congrats to whomever purchased the Coquille for $1800. That's about $800 more than I would have been willing to pay. Not that the piece isn't worth all of that, but there is only so much expendible cash in my HL budget.

Many of those folks who own a Coquille LE probably paid more than $1800 for it unless you were into HL's from the start and bought the piece for retail. The smart ones were those folks who bought more than one when the price was so inexpensive.

I was once told there are two kinds of money. There is real money and vacation money. When you're on vacation, you are willing to pay an inflated price for most things i.e. $5 for a hot dog. In the real world, you wouldn't purchase a hot dog for more than $1.50, if that.

I must admit I enjoy seeing older HL's go for high prices. It seems to renew our faith in the collectibility of the line. It gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling that all the money you pay out to own this fine collectible will some day return to you if needed. Let's face it, how many of these treasures can you have tucked under your arm in a coffin.

Bob

I totally agree with you, Bob!
Does anyone have any idea what the highest price ever paid for a Coquille piece? It seems that at one time I heard figures of around $3,500.

Saint John once told me a story about 5 Coquilles being in the same room at one of the Reunions(first - San Diego?). This was probably in their heyday, so maybe he can share that story, and maybe the price that one or all sold for?
Bob

It was the San Diego Reunion and that was when the difference in the panels on the doors between the California and the Malaysian Coquilles was discovered.. I don't know what those went for but the going price in those days was around $2500 to $3000... I know of one that went for $2850. Fortunately I was able to do a trade plus some cash to get mine since it was during that same period of time... Thank You, extra New Point Loma!

I have a friend who paid $3400 two years ago. I thought that was a quite steep, but if not mistaken he now has every LE piece.
:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

I have a Coquille Lighthouse LE that was a christmas gift to me. My mom bought 2 at retail in Reedsport, Oregon. My sister later bought another one. So at one time we had three in our family. There are now 2 remaining as one sister sold hers about 5 years ago for $1500. I am wondering what the current going price might be?
Mine is just the lighthouse. No box. No papers.

after following the e-bay market carefully and plotting all sales in a massive spreadsheet for hte past two months (on a daily basis), it's nice to see a piece command a good price. Most pieces today and selling well under retail.

Hi Karen, ...The exact value of your Coquille LE would be determined by what someone is willing to give you for it. The fact that you do not have the original box must be taken into consideration as a reduction in its overall value.

Another factor to be considered are prices are down on all HL's at the present time. Money is tight and anyone who may be interested in your piece would have to be a very serious collector.

There are thousands of HL collectors across the country. There are substantially less collectors who are missing only the Coquille LE in their collections (I'm one of them).

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to purchase a 3-digit Coquille LE with the original box and paperwork. The piece belonged to a gentleman who had passed away. It was offered for sale by a relative who was thinning out a collection for the gentleman's widow. The asking price was taken directly from the Greenbook Guide to Harbour Lights, 1998-99, which listed the piece at $2450.

Most serious collectors always felt the Greenbook Guide was approximately 30% too high. That would have made the piece actually worth around $1600. I offered the seller $1000. The offer was politely refused. I also advised the seller that he should hold on to the piece until values increase in the future.

The piece eventually appeared on eBay. It was easy to spot with its 3-digit flag number. I believe the final selling price was around $1600-$1800. The seller was very fortunate to receive such a high price in a down economy.

I think your best bet is not to put a selling price on your piece at this time. I would keep it until the economy improves. If you must sell at this time, put it on eBay with a low starting bid and put a reserve price on it to protect your investment. This will give you a true picture of what people are willing to pay for the piece.

Another thing you can do is put it on the Marketplace, here at the Collector Forum. Don't put a selling price, but take offers. This will also give you another selling option if you must sell it at this time.

Good luck!

Bob

in general, average pieces are selling 50% or more below list price. More "valuable" pieces are selling below what they have commanded in the past but still have value above retail. Bob is correct about holding onto a piece at this point in time (if you don't need the money) since the Harbour Lights secondary market seems deflated.

Bob, Plebetkin,

Thank you both so much for the info and advise. I don't have to sell....I can wait....and I would rather not sell. I would definitely not sell for a deflated price. The sentimental value is worth far more to me than the $$ my piece would bring.

I guess I am not a "serious" collector. Boxes mean very little to me. My sis however was more knowledgeable about those things & so kept her box & paper work. That girl even has her childhood Barbie in it's original box!!

Thanks again guys!

Karen