The second thread on Great Finds has reached the magic number of 50, so it is now closed but please continue posting your finds here.
If you want to go back and look at Great Finds This Week Part I & II use the following links:
PART I
PART II

I am very, very pleased to say that my $98 (shipping included) Point Arena arrived today, unbroken. Fear of breakage is the reason I never attempted to purchase this piece before.

I'm happy for you Art. Getting it unbroken and at an excellent price, too.

Hey Art, ... You can't beat that price for an unbroken Point Arena. I bought mine from a good friend on the West Coast and he did an excellent job of packing it so that it would arrive unharmed. Just make sure you always pick it up from the base and not by grabbing it by the tower. They say the base of the tower could be a weak point.

Bob

Found a 3 digit Stonington Harbor #502 on a dealer's shelf in Northridge, CA for just $5 over retail. Not bad!



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Ken T

Got Point Arena for $95 plus shipping. It arrived unbroken. Never thoughtr I would find one at that price. Fellow wacko Derith connected me with a friend of hers that had it. Also got St. George Reef for $60. Thanks Derith.

The wife and I just got back from a short vacation in Gatlinburg, TN. Went in The Chirstmas Shop in Pigeon Forge and saw a Rose Island sitting pretty on the shelf! Not one to pass up a piece like this at retail, I bought it. As I was inspecting it for any damage, I noticed it was #40 !!! Now I have found some low numbers in the past, but this is by far the lowest number in my collection!

Randy, great find. Guess no since in me going to Gatlinburg any time soon. I am sure you scoped all the HL's out.
I do love this thread. Love seeing people get a great deal.

Rusty

I picked up a 44-Foot Motor Lifeboat # 218 at a Hallmark store in Maryland for 50% off off $125. They are selling all their Anchor Bay pieces at 50% off issue price.
They have everything except the Chesapeake and Portsmouth lightships.
Hal

Of the few shop owners I've talked to, they'd just as soon give away the A/B's.

Hey Tim! Let me know where those shop owners are that want to give away their ABs!

Hey Hal! I still need the Tori Dawn, Portsmouth, and Columbia. I'm hoping to find a great deal. Please send me the name and telephone number of the store...thanks!

Bob

Thanks to Sean's keen eye I picked up a 1996 Society Members kit with the spyglass set for $30 at Bills last signing of 1999. Everything was there unopened in the origional box. Thanks Sean.

Great luck, Dale. Can't believe someone hasn't snarfed that kit up long ago. And I thought I got a deal when my dealer gave me my 1999 ornaments at half off!

Your luck also illustrates how generous the HL collectors family is. Many would have picked up the set to sell at a great profit. Thanks, Sean, for another good deed.

Dave

Great Find - Bad News.

Great Find - Harbour Lights at 20% off.

Bad News - the dealer is going out of business. The store is closing just before Christmas.

Even Worse News - when I finally found out about the closing there were only about 12 HLs left out of about 40 a couple of months ago. And of those 12, there were only 4 that I was even remotely interested in. The dealer did not even call me and tell me they were closing. Also they had had my Christmas piece for over a month and had not called. They said they had, but I had no such message on my answering machine.

They probably made many people upset since the store sold many collectible lines - Disney, Precious Moments, Charming Tails, Llardo, Warner Bros., Swarovski and many others. Now there is no other store like it in the area.

Oh, well I get to start my search for my 4th dealer in 2 years after the New Year. Maybe I will just plan on more trips from Detroit to Saginaw to visit my Dad and also visit Block's Halmark since Block's seems to carry EVERYTHING HL sells.

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Jim

Dr. Who ?

Found a Pt. Arena at a local dealer this weekend but didn't
purchase. It has a small chip at the base. The owner will
"negotiate". What do you think?

To delete the double-posting...

[This message has been edited by JChidester (edited 12-13-99).]

Dutch Auction of 10 Navesinks on ebay!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=216709390

Ends today in 8 hours.

Got Thirty Mile Point for $50 and Charlotte-Genesee for $53, both on Ebay. Also La Jument for $45 (supposedly one with black quoins!)

[This message has been edited by mombo (edited 12-14-99).]

Point Fermin, HL501. Perfect. $100. eBay. There's another one listed just like it if anyone is interested.

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=218591579

Horton Point for $37 on ebay.

arrived Saturday, turns out to be a 3 digit #247!

[This message has been edited by rscroope (edited 12-19-99).]

Esopus Meadows on E-Bay $48

St. Augustine LE FREE!!! Found under the Christmas tree.

http://216.46.163.97/forums/Forum18/HTML/000151.html

I picked up 10 from a dealer dropping the line. all at 50% off.
Glows
Boston Harbour
Split Rock Stamp Series
Ponce
Bolivar
Coquille River
Portland Head

LE's
Spectacle Reef
New Canal
Wind Point
Beavertail

Better late than never. During the first week of December, I paid my weekly visit to my dealer to finalize what I was going to pick up the following week and out of the blue, there was a beautiful #616 ROSE ISLAND piece #1599 just sitting there on a middle shelf that I HAVE CHECKED A MILLION TIMES! I had never seen one (and neither had they) They had no idea where it had come from. (perhaps a clean-up of the warehouse?) Nevertheless, I bought it on the spot!

Yes, @ $70 retail but for me, it was a truly great find!

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JB

Picked up at 40% off at dealer close out:#106 North Head,#115 St. Georges Reef,#509 Sea Girt( coll. soc.),#403 S.E. Block R.I.,#601 Legacy Lighthouse and Fire Island #176? it says it is #406???

Has anyone ever bought chipped HL's, if so what has the dealers' sale been? What about a #110 Yaquina Head that is 40% off retail but has a chip in it? What would you do?

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Skip, I feel it all depends on how bad you want the piece. If you have been looking for it and just want to add it to your collection with no future investment plans then I say "go for it". If the time ever comes when you want to sell your collection, remember, that you would have to sell it "as is" and never MIB. Collector's seem to shy away from damaged pieces and you may have a hard time getting your investment back even at the discount. A lot also depends on how bad the "chip" is. Many will overlook a very minor blemish if the price is right. I once purchased a Barnegat that had the entire flag broken off for $5 and simply use it for a decoration piece.

Cleaning out their basement, my local dealer dispayed two Minot's (green water). I bought one for $75. I went back for the other but it was gone. I could have given one of you guys the extra. Oh Well!

Skip,

I bought my La Jument for 50% off because the ventilator ball on top was broken off. I bought it simply because I wanted one and everything else on it was great. I repaired it for about $1 and one hours work. It looks great and fills the purpose of why I bought it. Some other collectors might have left it in it's natural state (as is) but I wanted it to display nicely so I put the effort in to repair it myself. Practice a bit because you might not like what you finish with. For the money, I got a nice display piece that I always get to enjoy a little more because of the little EXTRA help I gave it.

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JB

[This message has been edited by JUL (edited 01-09-2000).]

And another thing Chip,

Just like gravedigger says, it just depends on how badly you want the piece.

I know of several damaged new & retired pieces in a few stores that I could probably get for a big discount. I know that I could get them looking like new without much effort. But frankly I just don't like the pieces. Despite my compulsion for HL's... I think these pieces are not appealing to me and I just can't conceive of getting them regardless of any discount.

There's nothing wrong with knowingly buying a damaged piece that you want, but think your motivations through before you proceed because EVERY piece that you buy should be enjoyed!

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JB

[This message has been edited by JUL (edited 01-09-2000).]

Thanks for the replys,i was thinking of buying only because of its age and availability. The chip is about the size of a pin head,located on the edge of the red roof. I was just curious if it was worth buying and touching up(if i could match the color,a flat red) or having it repaired only because it is on the hard to find list.I am a new collector and i have 10 HL's at this time. It doesn't appeal to me otherwise. Also can someone explain to me the deal with Fire Island and S.E. Block R.I. I can find only one Fire I. listed anywhere in H.L. info but i saw someone refer to there being 2 diff. pcs. Is #403 S.E. Block the same as #128? It appears to look the same in the pics. Thanks for all the help.

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Fire Island NY and Southeast Block Island RI are definitely two different lighthouses, both sculpted by Harbour Lights. Fire Island is ONLY available as a Limited Edition (now retired).

There may be some confusion on Fire Island which was originally released as a GLOW, but later changed to a limited edition. The product number 4XX for Fire Island indicates this was one of the earlier pieces. There is however, no known variations between the Fire Island GLOW and LE except the label.

You can read more about the lighthouses affected by the change from GLOW to Limited at this page:

www.HarbourLights.com/modifications/pages/open2limited.htm

On the other hand, Southeast Light, Block Island has been released as a limited edition (128), now retired and as a GLOW (403) which was resculpted and released in 1999 (403R).

The photo below shows a comparison among the 128, 403R, and 403 original versions (left to right), by our Photographer par excellance Paul L. Brady.




[This message has been edited by JChidester (edited 01-09-2000).]

Skip,

There is a VERY GOOD spreadsheet that you can download from the "BY THE NUMBERS" forum. I think it is current through mid last year and has some interesting formulas that can be used to do some parametric comparisons of the various HL pieces. You can sort it by name or model #, days since retirement, etc!

If you would like, I had created a similar Excel spreadsheet to which I attempted to post basic data through the new Y2K releases. I'd be happy to e-mail it to you if you contact me, however, its accuracy is only as good as my typing was on that particular day You could sort it by name and see how/if different LH's may have been "issued" by HL, and correlate model #'s, edition size, etc, etc. Unfortunately you won't be able to tell production changes from GLOW's to LE's etc. like mentioned above.

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JB

Picked up a couple of lighthouses in a year end sale. HL 203 Nobska for $42 and HL 521 Seven Foot Knoll for $65. nice to find a bargain when your adding to your collection.

Turbo

Went to work this morning and a fellow collector says his wife went to a local shop and there sitting on the 50% off XMAS clearance pile (along with ornaments & all was a 1999 East Quoddy piece from HL. She asked them if it was a mistake and they said no. That all XMAS items were being cleared out. She bought it for $40!!!!!!

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JB

Edgartown for $34. It arrived yesterday in as-new condition, except for the presence of Bill's autograph on the bottom. That's $1 under MSRP. This one has been getting very hard to find for under $45, and most have been going on eBay for around $60. I know. I've been looking for this one for awhile now.

Thank you, Rick, for Retired@Retail and for your help! Thank you to the anonymous person who reported this one to R@R, too. Your good deed is appreciated by both buyer and seller!

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-Art

While I was in NV this past week, my aunt, who was staying in my home found 4 HLs at a shop very near me. Let's say I have never seen HLs in this type shop before. They were open today so I checked them out. My aunt did not know which ones they were so I did not have any idea when I arrived at the shop this afternoon.

I asked if the boxes and paperwork were in the back and found out that the lady who owns the shop was not in and will call me with that info. I already have a GLOW Sandy Hook, but do not have the other three.

Let me know if I should tell them I am going to get them for sure tomorrow.

#125 Portland Head, ME cost $39
#126 Nauset Beach, MA cost $45
#130 Portland Breakwater, ME cost $40
#418 Sandy Hook, NJ cost $39

Thanks for your comments.
Derith

BUY!BUY!BUY!

No way Derith! Is this for real???? Box and papers? Who cares for those prices???

Mombo

Derith;

I'd have to agree with Sue and easya, buy, buy, buy. Who care if they have boxes or papers! If you don't I'm sure I can find a way to if you let me know where . I wouldn't let a deal like that pass by. Great find!

Dale

Whoa! The Mother Lode! Congratulations.

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-Art

Derith,
Was your trip to Vegas as successful as your Aunt's exploring? If so, you ought to be able to afford the secondary prices on those and you can send me the name of the shop!

Dave

You better be sure they dont have wicks in the top of them.

Monty

Hi all,

No wicks in these lights. They are all for real. I went by after school today and took another look and got a little bit more info. This time, I asked if they could lower the price for all three, 125, 126, 130. If I pay cash, I can get the three for 10% less, the total would be $119.00. I have looked in my 1998 Collector's Value Guide and the Portland Head alone is listed at market value for $825.

There are no boxes and no paperwork. The couple that owned them needed some $$ at the time the shop got them. Someone has handled these pieces and I can foresee a restoration job on them....but, they are not broken in any way and I still think it is a steal at the prices...evidently, this shop has no idea what they are selling.

So, I think I will buy the three retired pieces. If anyone is interested in the OE Portland Head at $39 plus shipping, I will be glad to let you know the name and phone number of the shop. Never thought I would be the receipient of such a find.

Derith
PS Ya'll
The three are now in my curio. I brushed and brushed the pieces when I got them home and they are looking good. I had a suggestion to let Jim R in Atlanta look at them.

I think they were a great find and buy.

[This message has been edited by Nana (edited 01-25-2000).]

Not really sure if this a great buy or not, but here goes. We just got back from Key West, and after visiting the lighthouse, did some souvenir shopping. We walked into one gift shop, and I was browsing around when I noticed some models of the Key West LH by Lefton. As my eyes scanned up the shelf, I noticed at the top were some Harbour Lights that had obviously been there for awhile. Wel, no Key Wests were available, but to my amazement, there was #107, Umpqua, OR for $75. Well, without bothering to figure out how I was going to get it home, I bought it. I was further amazed when the sales lady brought out the original box too! So, not only did we have a great vacation, but I now own my first of the original 17!

Congratulations Jeff on the good find. It's just so exciting finding an "Original 17" piece. Keep hunting for others. I just got my St. Georges. For some reason, that one was not a great seller and you can still find it in stores and even at reduced prices.

Joanne

Way to go Jeff,.. a true WACKO,... now your collection can proudly display it's heritage. Also, welcome back from Florida

Great job, Jeff. Gotta keep your eyes open all the time! Thanks to Art's earlier post & R@R I also obtained an Edgartown (unfortunately, the last one at this dealer). I also finally decided to go ahead and pick up a couple more of the original 17, North Head & Yaquina Head a couple of weeks ago. The dealer even had the Yaquina Head still in its' box- looked likeit had never been opened.

Towards the end of last year my dealer gave me her Ponce Inlet. She had bought it because they vacationed there, but thought I would enjoy it more (somewhat of an understatement!) It really pays to cultivate a relationship with your dealer!!!

Dave

Thomas Point LE and Pensacola, both for retail.

Probably 18 months or so ago I purchased a perfect Stonington Harbor at a good price, but without a box. My retailer simply couldn't find the box, even after a two day search. This past weekend, my retailer invited me to rummage through their attic to see if any "buried treasure" existed there. Lo and behold, there was the missing box, edition number 1336, same as my Stonington! All papers and peanuts included. And they didn't even charge me for it.

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-Art

This thread is full now, so please see Part IV.
http://www.lighthousekeepers.com/forums/Forum1/HTML/000730.html