Like Fred says, some folks will read just about anything...

So I'm going through the new Lighthouse Depot catalog - back to front like I always do - and all of a sudden it hits me.

Who collects these Cherly Spencer Collins models?

After all, Cheryl sez they're "the next best thing to really being there".

I always see them advertised in the LHD catalog - month after month after month. I've been in lots of Gift Shops and other knick-knacky places but I've never seen 'em on the shelves. Don't remember chattin with anyone who collects CSC. Don't know if they have a secondary market. But there they are in the LHD catalog just like clockwork so somebody's gotta be collectin 'em. Right?


Rgds,
__
/im [vaguely remembering there's a bunny or something on each one]

I have two CSC Lighthouses, Tim...

They are BOTH of Fort Gratiot Lighthouse in Port Huron MI (My old hometown).

The interesting thing about these two are their serial numbers: #104 of 2000 (made in Maine) and #584 of 5000 (Made in China) by Dave Grossman Creations.

Seems like between #104 and #584, CSC changed the edition size!!

I think I've heard they are now at 2,500, but who knows what it will finally be. (OH, and I'm told when they moved production to China and raised the edition to 5,000, they STARTED OVER WITH #1.

I have Ft. Gratiot in a total of 8 versions, 2 by CSC, 3 different sizes by Lefton, 1 by Wood Designs, a water globe of unknown origin and another.

Awaiting patiently the beautiful model sure to come some day from Harbour Lights.

John

Oh, and never heard of a secondary market for CSC either.

[This message has been edited by JChidester (edited 11-23-98).]

I think Cheryl Spencer Collins' ears are ringing right now. I do see her product in the stores in my area. Sometimes they even mix them in with the HLs. The dealers are probably hoping someone will mistake them for Harbour Lights and buy them. Is it just a coincidence that CSC makes just about the same lights that HL manufactures? Well anyway, the count on deck for HLs is about 135. The count for CSC is 0 at my house. No offense Cheryl! I'm hooked on HLs.

I've seen J.C. Penny's stores locally that carried them, but not anymore. I've also seen a secondary value report on them 6 months ago and 70% or so of the releases are still at retail levels. It appeared that around 30% were above retail levels, but only slightly. Only a few really commanded prices that approached 2x retail values. I started with 3 of her pieces in 1996 until I discovered HL and have since sold all 3.

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-RodW

Your sins are forgiven, my sons. Go forth and sin no more.

-Father Art

A few stores around my area carried CSC, but it seemed within 8-9 months of picking up the line, the stores were closing them out and selling them at half price.

This can also be said of Harbour Lights which one of the dealers dropped and sold at half price, much to my benifit .

-Todd

Okey fellow collectors, cut Cheryl Spence Collins some slack. Yes, you can find her lighthouses in stores however not as popular as the Harbour Lights line. I believe she has an excellent product and her lighthouses are well done. She does extensive research on the lighthouses she produces. They would probably appeal more to women than men.

FYI - Cheryl started before Bill did!! The two things that Harbour Lights has going for them is Bill's personality (he's outgoing, Cheryl is more reserved) and his marketing experience. Another interesting feature of CSC is that all of her lighthouses are to scale( not Navesink for obvious reasons). Therefore a Castle Hill will be smaller than a Cape Hatteras. This makes for a very nice display. I see no problem with mixing the two together.

Stores like J.C. Penny's and Jacobson's carried lighthouses during the summer for a special theme promotion. Once summer was gone so were the lighthouses. It was an excellent way to buy some at half price! Both HL and CSC were sold this way.

I do not know of a secondary market for the CSC lighthouses. Perhaps some people just collect them for their beauty and for their love of lighthouses without thinking of making money off of them in the future.

Bob wonders if it is a coincidence that CSC makes just about the same lights that HL manufactors. While this may seem to be the case remember that this is a highly competitive business and I believe it goes both ways - HL has copied CSC also.

Don't get me wrong Bob or take offense! As you can tell I love both kinds of lighthouses each for different reasons. It's a good thing there are many different kinds of lightouses produced so that we can all enjoy our favorite hobby.

Sue

Let us not put one product down to make ours seem better PLEASE....

CSC does a great job with her lighthouses, just as HL does a good job.

If you are in this collection game for money stay with HL, but if it is for the shear pleasure of collecting then be all means collect who or what ever artist you want.////
even if it turns out to be a mixture.

I collect Nascar Diecast as well as HL and I have many brand names in my Nascar diecast, some because of availability and some because of cost.

Lets face it some of CSC are more expensive than HL, so maybe low cost high resale is the attraction to HL, not scale or beauty???

Thanks

Bob

To answer original question of who buys them, I guess who ever wants them.


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I know the store I work for carries Cheryl Spencer Collin's lighthouses. In fact, she did an exclusive for our store, Southeast Block Island. When we had her in the store to do a signing in September, we did a huge amount in mail order business. Her lights definitely have a huge following. They are good quality. I have all Harbour Lights, but I did get her Nantucket Lightship model. It is a very nice piece of work. But, there are a lot of collectors of hers out there and they are just as devoted as we HL people are to Bill Younger.

P.S. She is a very nice person as well. Very gracious to her collectors

CSC does not follow HL in the production of lighthouse replicas. For example she has produced a very nice replica of the Boon Island light and that light still has not been done by HL. That is just one example that immediately comes to mind.

On the other hand...dealers out here on the West Coast (Bay Area) don't seem to sell very many because they're too expensive...I love her Heceta Head, OR but $150?!??! No thank you...