Hello everyone. I am new to the HL world and all I can say is "amazing". These are by far the finest collectables I have encountered, and I have encountered about everything.

5 years ago I received Cana Island as a Christmas gift from my parents. I was always amazed by the piece but for some reason I just never caught the "Bug". Boy did that change. While on vacation, I once again noticed HL's at a store display and that's all it took, the frenzy had begun. I quickly grabbed 2 local pieces and pointed out 2 others as christmas gifts.

When I returned home, I couldn't wait to locate more, the "bug" was now a full "epidemic". Within 3 weeks I had purchased 10 more, joined the Society, found their website and now this forum. Wow I'm excited.

For my own sanity, I need to know if HL's effects everyone this way or as my wife has suggested, should I see a doctor for a possible cure.

It affects everyone this way and you SHOULD see a Doctor as your wife suggests. But keep in mind that for the price of a doctor's office visit these days you COULD buy another Harbour Lights.

Welcome to HLA 'digger. Harbour Lights Anonymous. We have a 12 step program here, but most of us never get past the first couple before falling off the wagon near the closest dealer.

Yes you describe perfectly the symptoms of OCD as it relates to Harbour Lights.

I can understand how you didn't get 'hooked' on Cana Island. It's nice, but only a bit of an improvement over the early year pieces in terms of quality. So you dozed a couple of years then rediscovered Harbour Lights and - WHAM! The quality and the detail today hits you and you GOTTA have more. You have the right idea with the Holidays coming up. Pass out your 'want list' to family and friends. Maybe even suggest gift certificates to those you know who won't spend enough.

Enjoy, this is the place to feel comfortable and discuss your growing collection without anyone wondering if you're a bit looney or not -- we're ALL a bit looney here.

Welcome

"Welcome to my world, looks like you've come on in. Can't buy just one Harbour Lights, must rush out and buy again."

Sorry 'digger, get well soon!!

At least it's nice to know that we're not alone.

Ron

Hey Digs,

You are not alone. But beware of HLA. **Great** bunch of folks, but as for actually *treating* (y)our obsessive-compulsive disorder? Well, they're more what are called *enablers* in substance abuse parlance!! We're *all* suffering from HLOCD, but you won't find a better "substance" to abuse, nor a better group of people to "suffer" with! Just have your wife hide the credit cards.

Welcome Digger, you will enjoy collecting and the great help you can get everyday at this forum, and from other collectors.

JC has been alot of help to alot of people, he keeps a middle of the ground approach and although employed be HL, looks at this from collectors and the public view.

Again welcome and if every you need don't hesitate to ask.

Bob

Hi Gravedigger,
Welcome.
Check out COLLECTING TIPS/Collectors Preferences to find others who share your reported obsession.
This whole WEBSITE is proof that you're not ALONE.
Bob

>>most of us never get past the first couple before falling off the wagon near the closest dealer. <<

Thats 'catwalk' - 'falling off the catwalk'. Or simply OTC. ;-)

Rgds,
TAP (The Acronym Police)

Thanks for the wonderful replies, it's really great to meet everyone and see everyones devotion to HL's. I am looking forward to hopefully meeting some of you in person someday. By the way the cure didn't work. I took my medicine and immediately went out and purchased 2 more.

Greetings DigMan,
Relax, it starts slowly at first:
-Gee! $70-80,seems a little expensive but the quality is beautiful.
-Then! I saw a SE Block for only $300, I hope he still has it?
-Next! You know Hon, Coquille is only $2700
-I think that was the sound of suitcases being packed.
-Now it's just me and my lighthouses, fallen to the depths of spending Fri.and Sat. nights talking to faceless people on the internet.
-Again, Digger welcome to the wonderful world of Harbour lights!!!!!!!

Welcome 'Digger,
You're amongst friends and loonies alike here...Enjoy!!

tnkeeper

Well now I've reached the next level. Buying the cabinets to store the HL's. They sure looked bigger in the store, 4-5 HL's on a shelf, now I can see that you don't just look for curio's, but you have to look for curio's that are "BIG"! The worst part is that I had to sacrifice HL purchases just for a cabinet. I hate priorities.

To Gravedigger

The next step is to cram so many lighthouses into your cabinet(s) - Yes, there will be cabinets (plural) - that you have to go out and buy lights (not HL) in order to illuminate the pieces on the bottom of the cabinet(s).

Been there, done that
Alan

Hey, Alan (and others listening),

I'm now at that stage where I need to light the lower shelves. How did *you* do it? If you had to do it again, how would you? Thanks

-Art

Hey Gravedigger,

The day I felt better about my obsession was when I was in a large room with a few hundred HL collectors at the 97 Reunion. Younger & Associate had a group of actors to do a skit. One line in the skit was something alone the line of "Did you know that some people actually plan their vacations around lighthouses?" The room went up in a roar of laughter. It seemed somewhat apparent that we aren't the only ones who work our itinaries around the next light we want to see. When moving across country last year, we even found one in a corn field in Nebraska.


And, if it makes you feel any better, we have over 250 of those little statues. (And I met a fellow last year who has over 500 pieces) You should see our shelves, and lighting, and mantle and plate rail all around my kitchen filled with all these little prizes. We have managed to get the lighthouse weathervane up on the roof. We have redone our living room to look like the stern of an old sailing ships captain's quarters. (After all, doesn't everyone plan their living room around their HL's, got to give them a home their comfortable in!) The next plan is to build the greenhouse with the entry to be done as a stone lighthouse. Did I mention the stained glass piece we are making for our bathroom door that looks like the lighthouse where my husband proposed to me? Obsessive. Not us!

We've all been where you are. It can be a bit scary, but it is GREAT fun. Enjoy!

Karen

Well I haven't done it yet - and I need to do it, but I'd need to unload the three curios, take out the glass shelves and working inside the cramped quarters would be a bit tedious.

I've looked into a few options.

1. They sell low-voltage 'under cabinet' halogen lights (about 1/2" thick, 3" around) for installing under kitchen cabinets at Home Base. Those could be affixed to the bottom of the glass shelf above (how?) and the wires semi-concealed by running down the inside corner of the cabinet. You'd have to set another HL on the shelf above to hide the lamp below. (But I'm worried about the heat buildup on the shelf.)

2. You can buy very small spot/flood lights (also quartz halogen) specifically made for curios that you can install in between shelves inside the curio's front corners. I don't have a source, but your local collectibles shop might steer you somewhere (heck someone here will do it before the day is over.)

3. Those encased-in-plastic tubing 'chain' of lights (what ARE those called) with individual bulbs about every 5-6". You could run those down the inside corners of the curio. You might need to cut the corners of the glass shelves where these light tubes go by. The effect of this multi-lighting might look 'cool' against the mirrored back.

The main problem as I see it (besides ambition to do it) is with the mirrored backs most curios have. You have to place the lighthing in such a way that the reflections don't glare back at you from the front viewing side.

But I'm open to better suggestions (and I know they're out there.)

Bob Vila [I like to watch other people do the work.]

Measure your lineal wall space and take a couple of Harbour Lights with you when you go shopping for curios - you can get a better idea of how many feet of display space you'll need and you may find that some curios are too busy to show off the lighthouses.

We bought 3 curios, each 42" wide with 5 display shelves (bottom + 4 shelves). They are top-lit only (needs more light - see above post). I display fewer on the top shelves to allow more light to filter down to the bottom (and place them strategically so shadows aren't cast over a whole lighthouse on the first 3 shelves. I have 6-7-8-9-10 on the five shelves for 40 per cabinet and they are too packed. (Many not on display for lack of wall space for more curios).

Bought these a couple of years ago for about $950 each. So 950/ 40 = about $24 per lighthouse. Ouch. Some cabinets might hold more and the "cost per piece in the case" could be a good tie-breaker when you see more than one you like.

Figure out how many you have, how many more you're likely to buy in the next couple of years and budget from $20-$30 per lighthouse. If you can find a source for something that fits your tastes and budget for less than $20 each - go for it.

Most curios are about 12" deep (shelves a big less) - but 18" deep ones are made. Although they are more expensive, the cost per piece would be lower.

One of our regulars just took delivery of a beautiful custom built two-sided display case that workds like a room divider. Maybe I can get him to put a picture of it in a reply.

I'd avoid open displays like bookcases or a plate shelf. The dust builds up. And, of course, you guests aren't tempted to pick one up.

Furniture sales on 'case goods' happen 2x year - January is one, can't recall the other.


Lynette Jennings

I used the round halogen fixtures. They are about 3" in diameter and 1" thick. My curio cabinets have an open wooden shelf about 36" from the bottom. A pane of glass sits in this shelf in order to let light get to the bottom shelves. There is also wood in fromt of this shelf that acts as a devider for the glass at the top and the glass at the bottom of the cabinet. I was able to attach the lights to the bottom of the wooden shelf with screws. The wood in front of the cabinet hides the wires which run to the side then to the back where they connect to the transformer. I am also concerned about the heat buildup but the wood shelf seems to insulate the HLs above the light pretty well. I have looked around for the minature spot/flood lights but have not found a source. I think they would work much better but at least I can see the HLs at the bottom of our curio cabinets.

Alan

Don't forget about risers if your cramped for
space. I've used pieces of driftwood and left-over
pieces of landscaping timber.They look great.Very nautical.
You can also purchase the acrylic type.
Should go without saying, but I'll say it anyway;
Just be certain that anything you use as a riser is level!

Tips [wrong forum?] courtesy of Tennessee country girl
aka tnkeeper aka Debbie

Alan, it sounds like we have similar designs of our curio cabinets.

We also used the round halogen fixtures on our center (wooden) shelf and added extras at the top. The back of our cabinet has 2 mirrors separated by a wood strip so we ran our wiring straight out the back & up to the original switch on top. By doing this, all lights (top, bottom, original & additions) give off the desired amount of light. We still need to run to a glass shop because with some rearranging, we will be able to add shelves to both cabinets.

PS The wooden shelves didn't come with the cabinets. We took advantage of the wood strip half way up the cabinet & built the shelves to place extra lights on (under).