They're here and they're pretty nice. The 3rd set of pewter lighthouse pins is now available.
2003 Long Island 5-pin set

Pin Series Three features five Long Island lighthouses:
Execution Rock
Old Field Point
Fire Island
Coney Island
Eatons Neck

Prior year sets are available at the gift shop.
And other Long Island Lighthouse items.
Long Island Chapter Gift Shop

FREE SHIPPING and HANDLING on all 2003 sets, and complete to date '15-Pin Set' UNTIL MAY 15th
Featuring: Long Beach Bar, Orient Point, Race Rock, Cedar Island, Plum Island, Little Gull, Horton Point, Montauk Point, North Dumpling, Latimer Reef, Execution Rock, Old Field Point, Fire Island, Coney Island & Eatons Neck.

Sets are limited to 150 issued each year!

thanks,
Long Island Chapter, US Lighthouse Society

Thanks Bob, I just ordered the three year (15 pin) set. Made payment by paypal. Watch for it please.

Stephanie

We got it Stephanie - Thanks for your support!

Got it Stephanie! The pins will be on the way to you tomorrow. Let me know what you think when they arrive.
thanks,
Bob

does collecting pins have the same type of value as collecting lighthouses? By this, I mean that a lighthouse has a certain intrinsic value which is originally set by Harbour Lights and then maintains a floating value up or down based upon the market. Does collecting pins have the same type of market value?

Collecting anything is in the 'eye of the beholder' whether it is pins, patches, HLs, books, postcards,etc.
If your looking for value, it becomes what the buyer is willing to pay when offered.
I know pins were traded at the last Reunion. Many climbable lighthouses offer pins and are usually in very low supply (my experience) if you collect them.
I find them a nice way to remember an experience or provide a companion to your HL (4 of 5 of the new set, and 9 of 15 of all.)
[These pins offered here will only be produced in sets of 150. Therefore only 149 other people will possess this unique set, if you have one. Many of the lighthouse pins(probably 11 of 15) are the only way to get one for that lighthouse.]

I've often said that there are 3 P's to Lighthousing.

You can make a Lighthouse Lover happy by having these three things available to then- a postcard, a patch and a pin.

These things are small, usually inexpensive and are an easy way to have a remmeberance of each Lighthouse you've been to.

The 4th P is the picture which you can almost always get- of course sometimes it's hard to convince someone else that that blob of color in the picture is actually a Lighthouse.

I wouldn't worry about any collectibliity value other than just the idea of having a rememberance of a Lighthouse.

I can state from experience that the pins from the Long Island Chapter of the USLHS are worth having. The pictures don't do them justice.

I've got Set 1 & 2 and intend to get Set 3 in the near future.

Dennis

I got Set #3 today. Live and in person with no shipping charges- well I did have to pay the tolls to get there.

I finally got to a meeting of the Long Island Chapter of the USLHS. Great time. I also finally got to meet my last Long Island Stooge- Bob Muller.

Nice guy and he did a great jobe of answering just about every question at the meeting.

We were treated to a talk from several people- unfortunately I cannot remember any of their names.

The first gentleman's name is Van (can't recall last name) and he has authored a book on Shipwrecks of Long Island and he spoke at length about the different neighboring installations near the Fire Island Lighthouse- the Life Saving Station, the Western Union building and the Radio System operated by the Navy then the Coast Guard.

We also had one of the gentleman who served at the Radio Station at Fire Island Mr Chapman (Chat). He gave us some great little stories about his time there and had some great pictures from his time there.

The third gentleman was a man who had served as a Keeper at Fire Island. He gave us a taste of what will be told on the cruise in March with Bill Younger the night before Suffolk County Lighthouse Day.

There was also a gentleman in the audience who served at the Lighthouse in the 30's during the Hurricane and he gave some idea of what occurred then.

I only saw one person there I knew- Shirin. Which figures- she's everywhere. It was nice to get a chance to talk to her again.

I have some pictures that I'll try and add tomorrow after I work with them a bit. I took the advice on the Forums and moved my feet. I'm not sure how they will look. I'm having problems with the Olympus digital camera

Dennis

It was great meeting and chatting with you yesterday, Dennis! I'm glad you enjoyed your trip to LI.

As for the speakers, the first was Van Field, the second was Bob (Chatt) Chapman, the third was Gottfried Mahler, and the person in the audience was a gentleman by the name of Fred (I didn't get his last name).

I can't wait to see your photos. I just wish you had better weather.

BTW, did you happen to take any deer home? You looked like you made some new friends on your way out! :p

Just a reminder...
On all 2003 Sets (Set # 3)
and
'15-Pin Set' (Sets #1, 2 & 3)
FREE SHIPPING AND HANDLING UNTIL MAY 15TH!

Diane,

I figured someone else there would help me. I at least had part of the 2 names right. I just didn't take good enough notes.

I left the local residents there- they thought I had something for them to eat apparently. I kept telling them I didn't, but that just seemed to encourage them to follow me.

I didn't mind the weather- it wasn't that bad. a little mist- at least it wasn't 5 degrees below zero and windy. Today would have been much prettier, though. That's life.

I enjoyed myself, got to see another "new" Lighthouse , hear some people talk about their lives there and meet some people I'd been trying to meet for some time.

All in all a definitely positive experience.


Dennis

Hi Dennis,

It was great to meet you. You've been a supporter of ours for a long time and I really appreciate that.

The gentleman who was stationed at Fire island in the 30s was Frank Estler. We'll be intervieing him for our oral history project soon and will publish some of his experiences in an upcoming issue of the Long Island Light Keeper.

Gottfried is indeed expected to be one of the keepers at the Keepers' Dinner Cruise. He was stationed at Fire Island from 48 to 54. His letter to the Flying Santa is in Edward Rowe Snow's book, Famous Lighthouses of America (I think it's on page 9).

Also scheduled to appear on March 21 are Kevin Brennan (Race Rock 1959), who was also in attendance Saturday; Louie Anderson (Cold Spring Harbor and Lloyd Harbor in the 30s), Tom Rysedorph (Little Gull Island 58-60), and Tony Tuliano (Plum Island 1977). I expect to get a couple more, too. Anyway, back to Saturday...

"he did a great job of answering just about every
question at the meeting."

Which question didn't I answer? I have a personal zero-tolerance policy - if I missed one, I must make amends!

It's always great to meet new people at the meetings and events, especially the folks from this board. Who's the next one coming to Long Island?

Bob

Had to have Set 3, to go with 1 & 2.
Sent my PayPal off!

MelJB

Thanks to the folks at LILHS! Received the pin set, and they are wonderful
Now I have all three sets!


Many thanks to Bob for checking up after he returned from SC to make sure I had received my pins! Which I had, someone was "minding the store" for you while you were gone lol

MelJB

I just ordered the 5-pin set for 2003 to go along with the first two we have. Nice pins for a great cause. Keep up the good work for our lighthouses.

Ron
(CT Keeper)