I'm sure this has been discussed previously but with so many new people having joined the forums, say over the past year or so I thought it might be interesting to bring it up again.

Of the HL's in your collection that are on display, how are they arranged? I know not every one displays all of them at once. I guess that would depend on the size of your collection versus display space. Also I supposed bringing some of them "out of the closet" after a bit and swapping them with those that have been out may give one the feeling of experiencing the thrill of a new light again!

To date mine are all displayed with the exception of the Christmas pieces which still need putting away.

The itty-bitty ones are in their own small curio.

The last time I cleaned out the curios and other display spaces I decided, against my better judgment, to arrange them by location as I have enough separate display areas. As I had feared this was a poor move as similar type lights reappear in a region and the groupings looked boring. Previous to this I had just grouped them in no particular order, trying instead for a mix of styles of lighthouses, which was to my eye at least, much more aesthetically pleasing.

This arrangement is also more of a challenge when new people view the lights and you have to reel off the names. Last summer I did this and only hestitated a couple times before the name came to me. Now the ones I'll never master are what's N.C. and what's S.C. Thank goodness the Dakotas don't have lighthouses!

Maybe next time I'll try something like segregating the Event Pieces, Society Pieces, GLOWS (small space required, lol). etc.

Besides putting the heavy ones on the bottom, how are yours grouped? Looking forward especially for input from some of our newer members!

[This message has been edited by mombo (edited 03-12-2002).]

I sofar have all mine arranged by state or area and some states are getting a bit crowded.Bill O'Brien

Arranged by state

I have them arranged in several categories. Two shelves hold the lighthouses of Maine. The other shelves have the lights that I have visited, Christmas pieces, society pieces and Canadian lights. Mombo has given me an "aha" moment. The categories do tend to look alike so next time I dust maybe I'll do some rearranging. Terry

They are arranged by Region (grouped by State), Society, Reunion, Christmas, Variations and AP's...

The new cabinet is installed and being filled this week, which gives me the opportunity to clean all of the other cabinets and rearrange them accordingly...... some lighthouses didn't have room to fit in their proper cabinet when they were recently released....


[This message has been edited by engbrady (edited 03-12-2002).]

I once had them arranged by region -Northeast, Southeast, Great Lakes, West. But now it's mostly a nice variety of them on each shelf. I do have the screwpiles all together and the skeletons together. I think they look nice grouped. (And if the screwpiles are spread out people might think they were the same lighthouse.)

My 'Snow' lighthouses are also grouped.

I have them arranged (Top to Bottom) by HL product number in the top half (Three upper shelves) of the curio. THis is where the oldest New England HL's are placed. And the bottom three shelves are a mixed bag of the latest New England HL's.

I usually keep the newest ones, center of the fourth shelf down.

My second curio is a mixed bag of New England GLOWS, event pieces, membership gifts and other lights that caught my attention, no particular order.

It is very interesting to hear how others have displayed their HL's. It would be nice if we could see pictures of your curio cabinets. I will take a picture of my two today and will display them as soon as I can. Unfortunately no digital camera here yet.

Most of mine are sad to say arranged in boxes. Soon I will have an old bedroom complete to enjoy more than the dozen on my bureau!

I have all of my NJ Lighthouses on display in the Living Room/Dining Room along with the few that I have that are non Harbour Lights.

Most of the others are in a curio cabinet in the Lighthouse Room- my daughter's old bedroom decorated in lighthouse related items. A few are in boxes in the basement.

I have some of the LLOM in a small curio on the wall. The ones in the main curio are not arranged in any special order. I just put them in where they "fit". not nesacarrily by size, but by feel .

Dennis

I found it was easiest to have them arranged by state and region. When you get a lot of lighthouses, I was having a hard time locating a specific lighthouse that someone might ask about. Now I can know the area where each one is located and find it quickly.

I think it shows a lot about each region's topography when you see them grouped together. For example: NC has the tall towers, the Chesapeake Bay with the screwpiles, etc.

Mine are arranged by region(New England, Mid Atlantic/Southern, Gulf, Great Lakes, West Coast and Christmas/Society in my den. I also have the one curio in the living room with all the "pretty ones" as the head of the household/boss calls them. I find also that it's a lot easier to locate a particular piece when they're arranged by regions.

Rich

I have mine arranged in numerical order. Lowest (HL105) to highest (HL712), this carries out thru 4 curio cabinets side by side, each shelf is done in rows, two rows deep.

I have all my ornaments in their own little wall hanging curio in no particular order.

And the boxes are all in the attic on shelves that I built to hold them, they are grouped according to size in sub-groupings (#100’s, #200’s, #400’s, …) all with their HL number turned to the front so I can easily find any box that I might need (if I ever need one).

Sofa this has worked very well for me.

Stephanie

[This message has been edited by Shortcake (edited 03-13-2002).]

Arranged by HL#, I never would have thought of that one!

Man, the boxes are an issue unto themselves! If I have to look for a particular one it usually causes a small avalanche!

"What did you do today, honey?" "Oh I arranged the HL boxes numerically, dear."

Are we nuts or what, lol?

Interesting reading, keep the replies coming!

We have a nice Hutch from my mother-in-laws estate that now contain HL instead of glassware. Other than the stamp set and the Lady Lightkeepers being together, there's really no rhyme or reason to ours, just where ever my wife wants to place them.( I choose the ones to buy, she displays them- not that bad a deal!)
Bud

I usually add each new release to the main curio and take an older piece out. Depending on how much I like the new release will determine how long it remains on display. If it's just okay, it might only be there until the next new HL arrives.

About once every 5-6 weeks I usually clean the curios and blush-brush the HL's. I rotate their place in the curios so that they are never exposed to any direct sunlight for months on end. I also rotate HL's to different cabinets.

"Shorter in the front, tall ones in the back". I try to maximize my displaying ability by putting taller lights in the back and keep the shorter ones in the front. Doing this on the lower shelves makes for the best display.

I try not to overcrowd my shelves. Leaving plenty of room around each HL makes for a better looking display.

Two-thirds of my collection remain in their boxes, stored in my basement. Every once and awhile I'll take three or four out and replace current lights on display.

That's the word from the east coast where the temperature is expected to surpass the sixty degree mark today. Has Spring really arrived at the east coast? Time will tell.

Bob

I arrange mine by price- the more expensive they are, the higher I try to get them out of reach of the nieces and nephews! ;-)

That's good! My one and only (seven year old son) knows my weakness. Sometimes when he doesn't get his way, he threatens to break my lighthouses! He would have to get past the glass first! I usually keep an eye on him until he cools down. I might be in prison for child abuse if he ever makes "good" on his threats! I sure hopes it never comes to that!(LOL)

A while ago I had the neighbors' grandsons stay overnight. I put them in the guest bedroom where one of my curios is. I looked the youngest (wildest) one right in the eye and said, "If you even think about going near the lighthouses you die"!

Of course this only works on someone else's kid(s)!

Andy vs Sue in a Harbour Lights Death Match!
WOW! This could be a classic for anyone who has had the opportunity to meet both of them, And I have!

- Bob