Here is another debate. Are there any Harbour Lights from the 5,500s that you would like to see remade in today's and future Harbour Lights Quality?

There are some favorites of mine like Cape Hatteras, Ponce De Leon, St Augustine, Jupiter, Tybee just to name a few.

Whats everybody think? Bad idea? Good idea?

Could one of these be redone and be the Year 2000 Milenium Piece?

Sean
"The No Black Suede Jacket Kid"

I'm not sure what you are suggesting. How would your proposal differ from GLOW?

Mold 2s would be Limited Editions. Hatteras would be Mold 3 Limited Edition. Excluding Portland Head and Hunting Island the limited editions are of a larger scale than the GLOWs.

Sean
"The No Black Suede Jacket Kid"

The debate goes on!!
Would I have the same feeling finding a lightning rod as I would getting a extended LE?
Would I like to have a regular size Southern Belle extended LE instead of a smaller GLOW?
There are pluses and minuses to both, but there must be a reason "HL" didn't create a second mold?
Some of the original "17" can still be found on the shelves at retail. Are some of the short runs only popular because of the limited size of the edition and the "must have them all" collector?
A lot of questions, and I'm sure a lot of different answers depending on each collectors preferences for each piece.

As a new collector, I really don't like some of the old pieces compared to the new because of the lack of detail. BUT, because of location and possibly reasonable price I'll add a couple of the "17". I know I got a real kick getting my first lightning rod.
I also got a rush out of discovering a Canadian made piece at retail on the internet; only to find out it was just sold 2 hours before I called.

Enough rambling. The only thing I'm sure of is, I'm sure my above opinions will continue to change based on time, supply, value, and resources.



[This message has been edited by rscroope.]

>>Here is another debate. Are there any Harbour Lights from the 5,500s that
you would like to see remade in today's and future Harbour Lights Quality? <<

Definitely not as extensions to the Limited Edition set of releases. This would add confusion and no doubt negatively skew appreciation within the existing 5500 series.

Obviously many early offerings could be redone with modern technology and make them much more appealing. Many of the West Coast lights come to mind. Sometimes I feel sad when I look at what was done (or not done) with poor little North Head.

I'm coming to the conclusion that I believe some of the secondary dealers have already arrived at. Namely, the GLOW line-up has hurt the collectibility (read value) of the LE line as a whole.

Could HL do a more accurate and detailed St Simon or St. Augustine? Sure. Do I want one? No way.

Here's another debate question - does the Signature Series mark the end of 'The Golden Age of Harbour Lights'?

Rgds,
__
/im [registered member # 0003 in 'New Riders of the Anti-Suede']

Whew...there's a powder keg question: Does the Signature series mark the end of the Golden Age of Harbour Lights?

I think it's fair to say that this so-called Golden Age has indeed come and gone. 1993 and 1994 were phenomenal years for the company. 1995 introduced the Collector's Society, the Christmas piece, and the early retirement of Point Arena. 1996 Introduced the "Event piece" and superstars Alcatraz, Cape Canaveral, and Thomas Point. The first half of 1997 saw a flurry of near-immediate retirements.

I think the Golden Age ended around the second half of 1997. The UPS strike dealt the company a blow. The problems with their Asian manufacturers at that time didn't help. And it seemed to me like the Anchor Bay line didn't help the company, either. 1997 seemed to end not with a blast from the HL fog horn but a tinny toot.

So 1998 rolls around and suddenly the edition size increases to 10,000. From a marketing standpoint, I think they should have made it 9,999. The addition of that 5th digit makea huge difference in the mind of the consumer (it's why stores price things, for example, at $9.99 instead of $10.00). It's been said that the extra 500 pieces wouldn't make much difference. Yet Cape Florida has been endangered for months. Grand Haven should be endangered by now, as should Sturgeon Bay but they're not. Considering that the number of people joining the Collector's Society continues to grow, this lack of retirements bears some study.

We also get a whole slew of GLOWS which dilutes space on store shelves and take the focus off the limited editions. The Signature Series (2 more GLOWS) debuts to lukewarm response. While Cockspur outdoes Amelia Island as the society gift, Sea Girt, while nice, is rather plain compared to the utter charm of the previous three exclusives.

It's nearly the end of October and there have been no retirements of 1998 pieces. Further, nothing has retired at all in 5 months. The last gap that lasted that long was between the retirement of Cape Hatteras and Sandy Hook between 12/93 and 5/93!

Having said all that, no golden age can last forever. With its early retirements of Coquille and Burrows Island, and the resculpting of Assateague, Harbour Lights blasted onto the scene, storming past its competitors as it charmed its customers. Now the company and the market have matured. The days of early retirements and flag errors are probably gone. The chance of someone dropping a Gold master mold AGAIN is remote at best.

Furthermore, collectors are maturing, too. Many people are running out of room and can't buy every single new piece that comes out. They're getting a little pickier about what they buy. So that might be having some effect on sales. Maybe.

But none of the above points have diminished my respect and admiration for the company, nor my love of their product. I continue to pester my dealer about the arrivals of new pieces ("Is it in yet?? Is it in yet??") even though I might not buy them all.

So rock on, Harbour Lights. I'm sure you'll find a way to usher in a second golden age. My guess it will happen when Lady Liberty appears on store shelves.

[This message has been edited by Bill Harnsberger.]