Once upon a time the term 'Wacko' in reference to HL models meant a person who was committed to collecting the entire set of Limited Editions. Nowadays its been diluted to mean someone who posts 50 messages in these forums. Not much equivalency there, but like so many words, the meaning has changed.

Let's look for a moment at the notion of a 'wacko' is this classical sense. I'm talking about the person who collects Limited Editions and would like to have all in the 5500 series of them. (Its tempting to ask the obverse, why collect giftware? But I don't think the reasons will be anywhere near as interesting.)

Obviously lighthouses have something to do with it. But can it be 'just lighthouses' - can it? I don't think so. After all, Harbour Lights makes giftware models which devalue the moment they're purchased, but are pretty nice models - probably cast and painted by the same folks that do the Limiteds.

Why collect Limited Editions? What is the psychology of the wacko Collector? I'm interested to hear from you. (But frankly I'm not interesting in hearing from the person who says 'I love lighthouses, it doesn't matter to me if they have no value because I'll never sell my collection' - lets keep that one for another thread.)

Is it acquisitiveness? The desire to have stuff? Well, yeah I suppose so - but this doesn't seem to particularly differentiate the Collector of rare things from the person who acquires a bunch of non-rare things. People collect string, matchbooks, bottlecaps, all sorts of stuff. Lots of people *acquire* things for no more sophisticated reason than for the sake of having them.

Let me start by offering up some of the more common reasons that individually or collectively might explain the notion of the Wacko Collector.

1. The Wacko Collector started collecting Harbour Lights early on - before there was HL giftware. Once a base collection is built, it has meaning to them and they continue doing what they've been doing.

2. The Wacko Collector is someone who acquires not only things they are attracted to, but things that will hold their value over time.

3. The Wacko Collector is someone who enjoys the idea that they have a collection of something not just anyone can have. After all, they collect Limited Editions, and yes they are indeed limited in quantity. Is this elitist? Probably. But so what - its certainly not unique to HL models - look at coin, stamp, and automobile collectors. Rarity is desirable.

4. The Wacko Collector knows his/her stuff about what he/she collects. He knows the difference between versions 1 and 2 of Assateaque, he knows the difference between REXM and REXA, red and blue signs. He knows about Mulkilteo.

5. The Wacko Collector may not have started when HL models first came out. He may buy or trade on the secondary market. But he's excited by the hunt - looking for a good deal on that elusive special model to fill a hole in his collection.

And now a couple ideas about what the Wacko Collector is not...

6. The Wacko Collector is not collecting as an investment. That is, while they recognize their collection as rare and of a certain value, they don't collect in order to make money. Most people who can afford to be a Wacko Collector are smart enough to know the lighthouse collectibles business is not an investment market. On the other hand, the Wacko Collector is someone who does not like to buy things that have no value.

7. The Wacko Collector does not tend to lose interest over time. There may be ebbs and flows of interest, or even some holes in the collection of pieces he know will be on the market tommorrow. But overall, the Wacko Collector likes his hobby and doesn't give up on it.

OK - now its your turn. What drives a person to be a Wacko Collector? Are you one? Do you know you're not one and never expect to be one? Why or why not?

From the Fogsignal Building,
__
/im


[This message has been edited by JTimothyA (edited 06-26-2001).]

Hi, my name is John Y. and I am a wacko.

(At this time fellow wackos reply "Hi, John")

Here are my self reflections:

I didn't start off a wacko. I received my first Harbour lights as gifts (Key West first, then Ocracoke)in the early 90s. Everyone knew about my love of lighthouses so they were a perfect gift for me. They were nice and I enjoyed them but I didn't actively seek them out...at first. Then I found a store opened in my town that sold them...I would go in every now and then...just to look. But then something snapped...I bought Old Mackinac, then Split Rock, then New London Ledge. Somewhere along this time (1995) I discovered Lighthouse Depot. I was able to get at retail price a retired Assateague (mold 2) from them as well as another Ocracoke to give my mother for her 60th birthday (my whole family gathers in Ocracoke every summer).

THEN I saw Big Bay Point in the Lighthouse Depot catalogue...VERY cool...had to have that one....BUT when I called, The Lighthouse Depot had already sold all their allotment. At this time my hometown store was going out of business and hadn't ordered any (although I did get a few other pieces as half off). PANIC...my first true grasp of what "limited edition" meant. What if I couldn't get one? My ex-wife (the marriage didn't work out but she's a good person with whom I still get along well) knowing how bad I wanted it called around and located a store in Texas who still had one. I then saw a picture of Point Fermin in a brochure so I decided to join the Collectors Society to make sure I could get one (I've since renewed every year). All the time I was getting more and more of the current pieces or newly retired pieces that I liked...just to make sure I got one.

Somewhere about this time, I first came across a secondary market guide and I was shocked to find out how much some of my pieces were actually worth...not that I would ever actually sell them...but it WAS nice to see. And anyway, where on earth would I EVER find a secondary market dealer ??? Certainly not in Morgantown WV! (rhetorical question, read on)

Now at this time in my life, my residency had ended in 1994 and as I was repaying back loans, my budget began to get less tight. Then in 1996 I went "online" and in 1998 I discover these forums (my first visits to these forums was only to the Marketplace for the first few months) and EBAY! Now I had ready access to a secondary market without ever leaving my home! I was able to get a Barnegat, a Ponce, a Tybee, a St. Augustine, a Portland Head...and the list goes on and on...all below "book value." Hey I paid $500 for a Portland Head rather than $750. Good deal, right? Its funny how I looked at the "book value" to rationalize my indulgence because I was getting a "bargain." Just curious, has this a symptom of other Wackos?
To make a long story short, I have been able to obtain all the LE pieces except Coquille River (and Mold 1 Hatteras at this time). Its in my future, I know it is, but I still haven't been able to bring myself to plop down that much for it yet. I have all the ornaments. I have all the spyglass pieces. Through ebay I have been able to get all the thumbnails sets. I do not have any GLOWS (other than those few that started out as GLOWS and then became LE). I have bought a couple of Little Lights for my kids of the lighthouses they have visited.

I love my Harbour Lights pieces. I have them all proudly displayed in curios (4 in all). They are of course the center of attention when I have guests in my home. I recently bought 2 more cabinets at half price from the Heilig-Meyers "going out of business" sale to display them and have some room to grow with the new releases. While I have no intent to ever sell my collection, I now keep the boxes (I threw away the boxes of my earliest pieces...I know stupid me...but I didn't know any better). I was oblivious to the first reunions, but I am now really looking forward to attending my first reunion this fall in Baltimore. I have also recently "joined" an autoship so I will get all the new pieces guaranteed with the same number (and now a low number has begun to mean more to me too).

Ah...my catharsis is now over...feels good.


Here's another couple Wacko characteristics that I thought of:


You know you're a Wacko when...you get on an autoship.

You know you're a Wacko when...you still actively seek out and go into any stores that sell Harbour Lights to see what they have...even though you already are on an autoship.

Doc John

[This message has been edited by DocJ44 (edited 06-26-2001).]

Well Tim, you pretty much listed the reasons we collect HL’s; following is some elaboration on the “common reasons”.

Our first pieces were Admiralty Head and Burrows Island [OR] simply because they were Washington lighthouses. Then for Christmas I got North Head. Yaquina Head and Coquille were next simply because they were west coast lights. Then we started collecting some of the east coast lights and the “bug” probably hit us about 1994 when we decided we would collect them all. Each limited edition piece has been purchased at retail and yes we have them all [except for a few variations].

We have been told our living room looks like a "lighthouse museum". In addition to the LE's, we also have all the GLOWs. We have numerous Washington Lighthouse paintings by Bev Schriber hanging above our couch, two lighthouse throws, a lighthouse lamp, etc. etc. etc. The dinning area and computer room also have a variety of lighthouse collectibles, calendars, stained glass picture windows and counted cross stitch pictures of various west coast lights. You could say we are attracted to lighthouses. And yes, we proudly display each and every LE and GLOW for all to admire.

In addition to collecting, we like to get up close and personal with as many real lighthouses, lightships and life saving stations as possible -- to date that is approximately 160 for me. I also volunteer my time at the Mukilteo Light Station giving tours to school groups during the week and the general public on weekends. I have attended both the San Diego and Providence reunions and look forward to the Baltimore Reunion in October.

Yes, I am A Wacko Psycho and Proud of it. See you in Baltimore

First contact---June, 1996: Spotting Pemaquid at the Lighthouse Depot and being floored by the detail. $90 price tag indicates that this is a serious sculpture of high quality. No idea it's a "collectible." Wondered where the hell I was going to put it.

Infiltration---June, 1996: My first look at the Harbour Lights catalog. Hmm...some of these say "retired." Maybe that means they're...rare?? Maybe I should get a couple...they ARE nice...

The bug spreads, part I---August, 1996: Alcatraz and Cape Canaveral retire swiftly. Collectors swarm. So do we. What's with this company that blows through its inventory so fast?

The bug spreads, part II---Fall, 1996: The noise made by the Thomas Point frenzy is deafening. It's going fast?? Gotta have one!And sign me up for the Collector's Society...and yes, I'll pay $70 for little Sunken Rock. It's rare and I'm so lucky to get one!!

Kicking the tires---Fall/Winter, 1996, '97: Study, study study. Memorize the catalog, analyze secondary market information, learn about the company and their vision. Call Harbour Lights bi-weekly to keep up on new retirements. Establish relationships with dealers. Computerize entire catalog by state, fastest retirements, longest retired, and secondary market potential. And buy, buy, buy.

Getting "the look" from my partner for the first time---February, 1997.

First and second curio cabinet---Summer & Fall, 1997

All of 1997---Ride the wave, baby. Harbour Lights are hot!! But...did things seem to slow down at the end a bit there?

1998, 1999, 2000, 2001---Retirements slow to a crawl. Store shelves bulge. But I'm still lovin' this company and its collec tors. They've got integrity, a super product, and they're learning (read: listening to their customers). Plus, I know I can make my money back if it's absolutely necessary...even though I ain't planning on selling. And I know that 20, 30, 50 years from now, I'll own a full collection of revered and rare treasures.

And that's why I'm a wacko.

[This message has been edited by Bill Harnsberger (edited 06-26-2001).]

Tim - Have you ever heard the song "Killing Me Softly With His Song" by Roberta Flack? Your Wacko reasons 1 through 7 hit my nail on the head. Well thought out! Good topic.
- Joe

For me, the psychosis started in January 1995 with the purchase of the much-maligned and severely underrated (and undeservedly bashed) Cape Blanco, OR. As a native Duck, I had to have all of the PacNW lights. Then I saw Alcatraz and had to have all the CA lights. Then it spread to wanting each 5500-LE piece, especially Coquille River (when someone tells me I can't have something, it makes me want it all the more)...once I accomplished my 5500 goal with the Coquille purchase (yes, it cost me a small fortune), I 've slowed to a crawl and, due to space limitations, now have to be quite selective in my choices.

I go for small edition sizes, small sculpture sizes, special edition lights, and unique details. I have all the Xmas lights, all thumbnails, and a few AB's. I prefer Spyglass over LLOMs and I absolutely, positively, no-matter-how-nice-they-are, do not buy GLOWs. I've been fortunate enough to attend both Reunions and will be in Baltimore in a few months.

While I can appreciate the huge advances HL has made in concept and design, I long for the days of simple elegance, like a Canadian SE Block Island or a green-water Minot's Ledge.

I do not have to have everything HL has made (and have it signed by BY for that matter). I've even sidestepped quite a few of what some WACKOs consider mandatory purchases, such as Navesink (too big), Liberty (too plain), and Eddystone (too busy).

Even though I could've put myself through graduate school with the money I've spent on my collection, it makes it all worthwhile when I come home stressed out from work and traffic and can sit for a quiet moment in front of my curios and feel the tension melt away, staring at these wonderful lighthouses!

Add to the WACKO:
A fairly new collector that first makes the decision to become very serious by purchasing a rare LE retired that he now can justify as a 'must' part of his/her collection.