Bill's latest topic has brought my next question to mind? :rolleyes:

How many 9500 LEs have retired naturally? (Have any?) (If they did?)Which one was the fastest? It would be interesting to see a rank order, if someone has that info? (Or the most, or highest percentage of expected run?)

Bob

ps Bill, please move to "By the Numbers".

Good question, Bob. I asked Santa Claus to bring me a list of "Naturally Retiring" 9500-edition Harbour Lights this year in lieu of my usual BMW. He reluctantly agreed and this is what I have to report:

“Naturally-Retiring” 9,500-edition Harbour Lights

1. Sanibel, FL (1997) @ -6 months
2. Drum Point, MD (1997) @ -1 month
3. Middle Bay, AL (1997) @ 0 days
4. Thomas Point, MD (1996) @ 3 weeks
5. Morris Island Then/Now, SC (1997) @ 2 months
6. Cape Henry, VA (1997) @ 2 months
7. Alcatraz, CA (1996) @ 4 months
8. Cape Canaveral, FL (1996) @ 5 months
9. Sharp’s Island, MD (1996) @ 10 months
10. Cape May, NJ (1996) @ 12 months

11. La Jument, FR (1997) @ 13 months
12. Currituck, NC (1995)@ 17 months
13. Cape Lookout, NC (1996) @ 17 months
14. St. Joseph’s North Pier, MI (1995) @ 18 months
15. Spectacle Reef, MI (1995) @ 19 months
16. 30 Mile Point, NY (1995) @ 19 months
17. Jeffrey’s Hook, NY (1997)@ 19 months
18. Pemaquid, ME (1996) @ 22 months
19. Jupiter Inlet, FL (1995) @ 23 months
20. Bodie, NC (1996) @ 24 months

21. Fire Island, NY (1996) @ 24 months
22. Highland, MA (1996) @ 25 months
23. Scituate, MA (1996) @ 25 months
24. Bald Head, NC (1995) @ 26 months
25. Beavertail, RI (1997) @ 27 months
26. Grand Traverse, MI (1997) @ 28 months
27. Sandy Point Shoal, MD (1996) @ 35 months

Thoughts:

---North Carolina and Maryland tie with the most entries at 4 apiece. Florida and Michigan weigh in at 3 apiece.

---The top 4 are all skeleton/screwpile designs. Drum Point and Middle Bay, in my opinion, are not as popular as their retirement times would indicate. They rode happily on the coattails of Thomas Point, which took dealers by surprise with its almost-immediate sellout in the Fall of 1996. Dealers who were slow to act on ordering Thomas Point didn't want to be left out again, so they ordered Drum Point and Middle Bay en masse, causing them to retire before they were even shipped. Sanibel topped these screwpile lights with an intricate skeleton tower and retired half a year before shipping commenced, a feat that is unrivaled to this day.

---"The Rock and the Rocket" will always have a secure place in Harbour Lights lore. Alcatraz (#7) and Cape Canaveral (#8) were the perfect warm-up act for Thomas Point.

---I'm surprised by Sharp's Island (#9), the ugly brown leaning tower. It stands out as one of the best-performing Harbour Lights ever. Go figure.

---A picture is worth a thousand sales (times 9.5). The famous photo of La Jument (#11), with the keeper about to be engulfed by a giant wave, fueled brisk sales of this petite but lovely piece. It is the only International sculpture on the list.

---I was surprised when Highland (#22) retired on its own. It's one of the plain Janes of the entire catalog.

---And how many 9500 editions were "forced" into retirement? With the exception of Chatham, MA and Point Arena, CA (retired early for an architectural inaccuracy and breakage issue, respectively), 23 master molds were destroyed before their edition size was reached due to lack of consumer interest.

---Proof that dealers reacted too hastily in ordering mass quantities of 9500 edition pieces: Many are still easy to find at retail. Middle Bay, Morris Island, Jeffrey's Hook, Fire Island, Highland, Scituate, Beavertail, I've even seen a Bodie or two.

SUMMARY:
The days of the 9500s are now gone, and there are various theories as to why. I'd bet the farm that it boils down to the old adage: "Increase supply, decrease demand." There's a good old-fashioned glut of product...and not enough buyers. I hope that the company's new direction of reasonable edition sizes helps re-introduce the concept of scarcity---the feeling that if you don't race down to your dealer RIGHT NOW, you'll miss out. I miss those days.

I think you missed a couple, Bill...

I believe Cape Florida retired on it's own (I don't know why they didn'y list an edition size on the list), I will try and find out from HL... The list states 7 months from date available to date retired.. 3/98 - 10/12/98

The other one was Gay Head, MA 9,500 7/98 - 12/31/01....

And while not a 9500 editon size Pensacola retired on it's own at a 9,000 edition size..

You would think that a Chicago HL store would have stepped to the plate and ordered the last 200 Chigago Harbor Lighthouses, instead it sold 9,300..

According to the table at the HL web site for 1998, both Cape Florida and Gay Head were 10,000 editions. However, now that you mention it, Cape Florida is one of the Harbour Lights all-stars...quite possibly the best performer among the regular limited edition pieces.

Pensacola is an interesting "goof," if Jim Rutherford's Collectors Guide is to be believed. He says Pensacola was supposed to be 9500, but the sculptor simply missed the "5" and the company decided not to change it.

As for Chicago Harbor, it, too, was a 10,000 edition, so that dealer would've had to order 700 more.

Thanks for the info Bill and Paul! Verrrrry interesting.
Bob