Actually, the sky is not falling. There is no need to run indoors and grab a hard hat. The following is just a few thoughts of mine to see what people might do if something did actually happen like this:
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We regret to inform you that Bill & Nancy Younger have decided to retire to Tahiti and spend the rest of their lives walking the beautiful beaches, dining on fine cuisine, and watching the sun set each evening. Kim Andrews has now set her sights on Hollywood and has become an aspiring actress and might possibly replace Reba McIntyre in her tv sitcom. The business formerly known for their line of fine collectibles has shifted gears with the departure of the Youngers and Kim, and will no longer produce the limited edition lighthouses as they had done so successfully for so many years. The company will now only produce "giftware" so that people can still enjoy owning a little piece of lighthouse history that is inexpensive and easily replaced if broken. Nothing has been said regarding what will happen to all those limited edition lighthouse collectors throughout the country.

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What do you think would happen to all the faithful HL Collectors across the country? Would we still collect whatever HL's we could get our hands on? Would collectors form groups that would meet periodically because of the common interest of HL's from the past? Would we see a new generation of HL collectors seeking those treasures from the past? Would the actual worth of HL's go up in price because they wouldn't be made anymore? Would we see HL's appearing on the Antiques Road Show?

What do you think?

Bob

What a horror story Bob It is always in the back of my mind that one day Bill and Nancy will retire, but HLs no longer being made never crossed my mind.

For me, I would continue to fill in my collection, and if/when it was complete (in my mind) I probably would concentrate more on antique Lighthouse PCs.

Regarding prices going up, I would see them going up some but then stablizing. Anything with Bill and/or Nancy's signature would have a higher premium. Collectible prices no matter what you collect are what is the demand and how badly does someone want it.

I think that HL is different from many companies. Bill, Nancy, and Kim are such an integral part of Y&A. They love doing this it seems. Their interaction with customers, many extremely loyal, is what makes the company so special. Many companies are not as personal - that you can see and know such top people so often and so well. I think, even as B&N get up there in years, they will continue a role in the company. Hey, we've only covered about 300 of 750 or so lights in the US! We have YEARS left! I think that they will continue doing this for a very long time.

And I think Kim COULD do Hollywood.

Without the Youngers, Harbour Lights would never be the same for us. They make it different from just any collectible business. They do make us feel like family and have from the very beginning.

Judy

Maybe we could start concentrating on lighthouse preservation more than we do now.
All good things DO come to an end, and because of the Youngers we have all come together as friends and family. We all can continue to come together, re-unite annually, and keep the forum strong.
As for everyones collections, that is a gamble as to how they will fair in the secondary market in years to come. If the collector just loves the pieces he/she has collected, the secondary market would not matter.

For me, lighthouse preservation and my friends would continue (I would hope) even if Younger & Associates were no longer able to use their business to bring us together.

I agree that lighthouse preservation and restoration is the top priority. The collector part of lighthousing is just "icing on the cake." The lighthouse societies, clubs, etc. that do so much are the heart and soul of lighthouses. Of course the Youngers have been and continue to be great contributors and friends in these efforts.

Judy