Thought we forgot all about the Wacko Badge for this year, didn't you??? Wrong.... We have been working on it, and are putting the finishing touches on the badge design for this year. Think you will like this year's picture - it will be very different from what you normally expect. . .

Some things have been set - the cost this year will be $6 each, with postage included. As several of you requested, I will have a PayPal link to make ordering a little easier for you. (Just have to figure out how to create the link.) No lanyards this year, as I don't think we could sell enough after last years saturation of the market.

We will hopefully have things ready to go by this weekend. I will be able to get badges out fairly quickly (especially for those using PayPal) so we will be able to get them into your hands for the March events.

John sent along this mock-up for your viewing pleasure. . . . .


Dave

By the way, this project generated a $1000 donation to Block Island Southeast Light last year!

Dave,

You're just a big old tease.

Give us just a taste and then say- maybe by the weekend.

I'll be on the lookout.

Dennis

Ah, so this year's lighthouse recipient is Point Questionne? No lanyards because you couldn't get them long enough???

For new forum participants who are wondering what a wacko badge is, I'll try to explain.

Dave and his elves have been making name badges for us for a few years. The picture on the badge is of the lighthouse we have voted to be on the annual wacko pin. The proceeds from the sale of the badges go to the group responsible for preserving the lighthouse.

The purpose of the badge is to help identify ourselves when we attend signings, regionals, any time more than one wacko is to be in attendance.
You do not have to be an official wacko to purchase one. So if your spouse, kids, mother-in-law are going to tag along get them a badge. The money all goes to the lighthouse.

In order not to forget to bring your badge to events you may decide to wear it all the time. That's ok as they should be waterproof. (You may want to tuck it inside your clothing when riding public transportation, attending peace rallies, animal rights protests, etc.) Anyone caught ordering a badge and not wearing it to an event by another badge carrying wacko will have to face the consequences.

So stay tuned, order early and enjoy having another limited edition item to add to your collection!

The "Wacko Badge" is one of the best ideas ever introduced on the forums. It gives us a means of identifying each other at various events or lighthouse visits, plus it raises some badly needed funds for lighthouses in need.

A very special thanks goes out to Dave H and the "elves" who keep this thing going.

Bob

I'll be signing up for this....

Here's the image of the 2002 WACKO Badge:

I like it! Very nice, good job.

When is that "Question Mark" Lighthouse being released by Harbour Lights? I just have to have it in my collection!

Looking forward to the 2003 Wacko Badge. It is definitely a neat idea to wear these to events to help identify one another.

Bert

great looking design. I'll go for one. By the way, withouy the lanyard, it's going to be a PAIN to wear it in the shower

Dave

Great looking badge. Will you have them at the meeting next Saturday?

Paul,

According to Harry, they are very close to production on the LE. They are working out the final details of putting the space betwen the hook and period of the ?. Probably going to use a pice of plexiglass similar to the Bug Light mid-air suspension.

John T,

If we get the final design and you get one ordered (and I don't forget them) I can have at the meeting.

Dave

Bring it ON!

And here's the 'real deal'



This fantastic photo of Bodie Island in the snow copyright and courtesy of well-known and acclaimed lighthouse photographer Bruce Roberts.

And, yes, you CAN order yours right now. Order online and pay either by mailing a check or using PayPal:

Click here to order

If you already have a clip or lanyard from last year, you won't need another. If you need a clip, check the radio button "Yes - Clip".

Am I the first to order??? or just the first to post that I've ordered?

This lighthouse is very special to me, as it was the first light I ever entered

MelJB

Mel,

You are among the first . . . John gets the "first ordered" title. Someone had to try out the form to see if it worked!

A couple of notes for those ordering badges:

If you use PayPal, you will be asked for your address. If you send me payment via regular mail, please be sure to include your address so I know where to send your badges.

If you have a lanyard (whether it is the Wacko lanyard we had last year or one of your own) I would ask that you not order a clip. I am more than happy to provide clips for those that need them, but they will be a challenge to mail due to their size. If you need a clip, order it and I will see that you get badge and clip. If you don't need one, please don't order one.

It is going to be tough to get to $1000 for Bodie this year, so please encourage all your friends and family to order their badges!

Dave

I just love the idea about helping Bodie. This is truly a great and beautiful lighthouse. Just purchased my badge and can't wait to receive it. Thank you.

My order is in. Great looking pin can't wait to get it. Ron

Just ordered. Now I hope I can make an event and get to meet all the people.

Mine is ordered!!! Man oh man I want to dance a jig. That is my favorite picture of my favorite lighthouse!

Mine is ordered and will be proudly worn at St. Augustine and the SE Regional.

My order is in and with PayPal, it was a breeze. Dave, thanks again for putting this together!

Tim

Weasel, for you we may have to raise the price a bit since you are so anxious . . . . .

Thanks everyone for the orders. So you know, we are not quite ready for production as John is waiting for the final working version of the picture so we can put it all together. Hopefully he will get it in the next couple days and I will be able to get badges out quickly.

Last year I printed our Hoosier Lighthousing Club logo on the back of our club member's badges. A number of people commented on the "extra" enhancement we had. Would you be interested in having your club logo included on the back of your badge? If each club can get me a jpeg of their logo I am willing to include it for club members.

Saint Badge-A-Matic

Great News!

Bruce Roberts is going to donate 5 prints of his photograph of Bodie Island in the snow to be used by the Collector Forums as fund-raisers for Bodie Island!

One framed print (11x14" framed to approximately 16x20") will be given to one person selected at random from among WACKO Badge orders received by midnight April 15, 2003.

We will try to work out arrangements with Bill Younger to auction one each of the 16x20" framed prints at the four regional events. ALL PROCEEDS from the auctioned prints will benefit Bodie Island Lighthouse and should be a tax-deductible gift to the purchaser!

Thanks to Bruce and Cheryl Roberts for their generous donations!

Here's a 'mockup' of what the framed print will look like just to wet your appetite.

Great job once again Dave. I've got mine on order and it was a breeze. Thanks

Ken

It's a beauty, I'll order mine in two weeks, after the meeting when the Arizona club votes on the offical name!!

Hey Ken -- 2 more posts and you'll be a WACKO!!

Thats a beautiful shot of Bodie- I need to see if I need three this year- after all, Bethany IS a Forum member now. Last year if you remember, she didn't want anything to do with being a wacko!

I was asked if you had to be in a collectors club to order a badge. The short answer is NO. The long answer is three parts (1) you have to love lighthouses (2) you need to be willing to help support Bodie Island Light (3) ya gotta pay the $6. The offer to include club logos is our way of trying to get clubs more involved in the project by getting their non-connected members and friends to buy a badge. (I know, it is hard to believe there are people who don't frequent the Collector Forums but we still want to try and reach them.) However, the logo offer will only be extended to Collector Clubs, not the larger societies and groups. A little something extra for the "immediate extended family".

The offer by the Roberts to donate the five prints is really great. The picture is one of the neatest pictures of Bodie Island Light you will find so start saving your money to bid at the regionals. Maybe a club will want to bid and then re-raffle it!

Dave

PayPal ordering words fine Dave in case you've not gotten any feedback. Bruce's photo of Bodie is excellent and makes a fitting image for the badges. Hope nobody cries foul if I end up winning the print!

Gary

Just ordered mine using Pay Pal. Works Great and what an outstanding photo. Hope I win. :p :p

Great job with this years wacko badge. I just ordered our two badges and sent the club logo to Dave for inclusion on the badge. Looking forward to seeing many folks with their badges at future lighthouse events this year.

Ron
(CT Keeper)

cool badge and great idea to put club logo on the back...I love PayPal and place my order (and sent Dave a .jpg of the NGBB logo!
Anne

What a breath-taking picture. WOW is all I can say. I knew the outbanks lights were gorgeous but this picture is definitely worth "a thousand words". The pics that some of the Harbour Lights collectors capture never cease to amaze me. If I don't win the picture I would love to purchase one.
KAT

Ordered 2, one for me and one for Joe. Paid by PayPal.

Thanks Dave!

Shortcake

Ordered mine paid by paypal. Thanks Dave

I just ordered two. I hope you get to $1,000!

We've had a change in plans regarding the photographic prints to be auctioned at the four regional events.

Instead of offering four to auction, we will be offering a limited edition of 100 prints of Bruce Roberts' photograph. This is printed in an image size of 11x14" on 13x19" paper, leaving a white margin all around. You can either trim the photo to 11x14" and frame it or use a larger size frame.

Bruce will be signing and numbering the prints -- and we MAY also ask John Gaskill, son of the last civilian keeper at Bodie to sign the prints as well. Whether John signs the prints depends on his health and the logistics of getting them to him to sign and returning them to be shipped.

The unframed prints will be packed in a rigid mailer ($2.50 for shipping) or you can pick one up (in the rigid mailer) at the Regional Event from Paul Brady.

The price per print will be $50. If we can sell out this limited edition, we can net about $4,500 to Bodie Island Lighthouse restoration and maintenance. Paul Brady is donating his time and equipment to generate these prints from Bruce's original image. We're covering Paul's paper, ink, and postage expenses.

One of these limited edition prints will be framed and used for the drawing from among those ordering the WACKO badges by April 15, 2003.

First offering on these limited edition prints will be through these Collector Forums.

Look for an order form towards the end of this week. You'll be able to order the print and choose to pay by check-by-mail or PayPal and choose whether to have the print shipped to you by USPS or pick it up at one of the HL Regionals.

Any questions? Post 'em here.

Further information about this fund-raising program will be posted in the Lighthouse Preservation and Fundraising Forum.

Just ordered one for me and one for Marla. Thanks to all involved for doing continuing this project and helping a lighthouse in need in the process.

Thanks!

-Todd

We used to have a Forum Member named Todd Shorkey. Are you any relation?

We finally got the final version of the picture and the badge layout done late Thursday. Friday evening I printed out badges for our Hoosier Lighthousing Club members so I could take them to our meeting yesterday. Today I printed out badges for those in FL and GA (people who may be attending the Bill event at St. Augustine on Saturday.) Those badges will be in the mail tomorrow.

Dave

Good News / Bad News / Good News

Good - The first batch are in the mail. Those in FL and Southern GA (if you have paid) are now in the hands of the USPS. I would think you should have them by Thursday or Friday so they can be used this weekend.

Bad - They were sent without clips, even if you asked for them. Just no way to send the clips without having to buy padded bags to send them, and that was going to get costly. The lady at the Post Office was adament in her "no way" as to how I wanted to send. Sorry.

Good - Because of the above and some requests I have received, I have re-ordered some lanyards. They will be the same price as last year, $3. The vendor told me I should have them by the end of the month.

Sometime this evening I will create some new PayPal links for purchasing just a lanyard (for those who have already ordered their badges) or for badge and lanyard. If you have already ordered your badge, and would like a lanyard, there won't be any additional shipping. If you have ordered a badge (but didn't use PayPal) and just want a lanyard, send me an email to advise.

Dave

Have I been gone that long????

Not the best image, but here's what the lanyard looks like:

As Dave has indicated, we won't be able to provide the clips due to mailing difficulties.

I've revised the order form so you can order only the badge, the badge + a lanyard or only a lanyard.

If you were hoping to have a clip, check with your local office supply superstore and you may be able to find them there. Or you can use the order form and request only a lanyard if you've already ordered your badge.

The new secure order form: Click here to order

The secure order form for the limited edition Bruce Roberts photographic print of Bodie Island in the snow is also up:

Bodie Limited Edition Print Order Form

1 print ordered for the Ol' Weasel

USPS made safe delivery! Dave, you did a wonderful job, thank you! Now, about that lanyard (sent another paypal!!)
Anne

Received my Bodie Badge today, thanks a lot Dave.

Dave-
Received my badge in today's mail. It looks great. Thanks for your efforts. It certainly is a worthy cause.
Rich

Badges arrived today in great shape. Thanks for the fast turnaround. I hope they're waterproof. My son says a 70% chance of rain on Saturday. It ought to be a wet one at St. Augustine. Hope the weatherman is wrong.

I ordered my badge and Lanyard with the newly formed collectors club Desert Lightkeepers Thanks Dave for all your hard work!!

Dave - you can make mine with the Desert Lightkeepers club name too!!

Congratulations on the new club! I have several of your badges ready to print now that we have a name. Did you develop a logo?

Most badges ordered so far, and paid for, were mailed today. Rest should be in the mail Monday. If you don't use the PayPal option, please do remember to send your check. We are off to a great start this year. Be sure to wear your badges to club events as well as signing events - we need everyone wearing one of the badges whether or not they are active participants of the Forums. Remember, all the funding goes to help Bodie Island Light.

I am going to close this thread out and start another since we are at the 50 post mark.

Dave