An original Coquille was listed on Ebay with a starting bid of $895.00 and not one bid was placed for it. This would have been the oportunity of a lifetime to have gotten it for $895.00. It had no box so maybe that is why it didn't sell for $1600.00 - $1800.00. Maybe we ought to sell our boxes. It appears they are worth as much, or more then, our lighthouses.

I have been saying this for years. When it comes to the secondary market the box plays a big part. Remember the word in the mid and late 90’s. MIB (NO: not “Men In Black”) it was ” Mint In Box”. If you want the best return value possible you must have the original box with matching number or no number at all (In the case of the White and brown Castle Studios box some had no numbers written on them)

In general a lighthouse without a box can cut the selling price as low as 1/2 of what it would go for with a box. There are somes cases that the box has no or little effect on its value. They are:

Artist Proofs
Double digits

I understand that you're saying that a double digit number has enough intrinsic value that it's worth would not be diminshed even sans box. However, I might argue that a piece numbered in the double digits has no "extra" value either. I had number 29 until a year or so ago when I ran out of space and quit collecting every piece. I tried for several months to get someone to take over the number and no one was interested. I was subsequently offered two other auto ship numbers lower than 29 and I know only one of those was taken at the time. Maybe both have been grabbed up by now, I haven't checked back, but the point is that at the time no one seemed to place a premium on that two digit number verse any other.

Gary

Hi Gary
Auto shipment is a big burden for the average collector to undertake. Many dealers even require you to buy the GLOWs. Because of the expense and the room the lighthouses are taking up, there are very few collectors that will or even can, go that route anymore. When I started my auto-shipment in 97 it was almost impossible to find a double digit auto shipment. Now a days they are definitely attainable.

Now to answer your question.
My general statement is that a double digit lighthouse without original box can sell for the same price as a higher number lighthouse with a box.
When I made this statement I had the older lighthouses in mind but this theory works for the newer lights also
Example:

On ebay a modern lighthouse (1995-2004) that cost $75 retail goes for $15 to $35.
What I am saying is that your double digit with out a box should be able to go for that much.