No one has posted to the Fog Signal for quite a while, so I thought I might try to stir up some controversy.

Should Harbour Lights do a remake of all its GLOWS and have them all light up like the newer ones?

I myself would like to see this done.

I totally agree with the remake of the glows in the lighted style.
This gives Harbour light more revenue and will kept them in the lighthouse figurine business. The L.E. market has run out of the big selling Lighthouses and are down to less popular lights, which are not bringing in the money like The Hatteras and St Auggie.
I believe that the lighted glow will take away nothing form the L.E. The Limited editions are art. The lighted up version is a toy and a novelty item.

It really doesn't matter to me because I don't buy GLOW's, but please leave the LE's alone. I do not need to have lighted LE's. I find the fact that the last couple of Christmas pieces are "lighted" and I don't like them that way. I prefer the old standard style of limited edition without rubber feet and a power supply "jack" sticking out of the side.

:rolleyes: Bob :rolleyes:

I totally agree

Add me to the list of "leave 'em alone!" supporters. It's bad enough that Sea Girt had to be victim to the lighting theory - I wouldn't like to see the old ones remade!

Plus, wouldn't that technically make the non-lit GLOWs LEs?

I COMPLETELY agree with Bob, Daniel and "Seagirt". Change the GLOWs in any way they seem fit...that's fine with me. I just can't get into the lit LE pieces, either. I did buy Stratford Point Christmas piece last year...but that was largely because it's my 'hometown' light and it was the only version released. I love it...but I think I would love it a little bit more if it weren't lit.

And, as far as the Bodie Christmas piece...I think I am going to pass. I love NC lights and buy any LE released from NC. BUT, I already have a LE Bodie and I just can't get past the light-up thing. If it were an original (pre-2003) version of a Christmas light, I probably would have picked one up.

My lightup pieces have only been lit once. That's when I bought them and wanted to check out if they worked. They did! I'm satisfied. Other than that they stay on the shelf without being lit. I really don't have a problem with them as long as I don't plug them in or put batteries in. The main objection that I have, if I liked them lit, is what happens when the bulb burns out or something else goes wrong as has been reported elsewhere on the forums. Doesn't seem to be a way to correct that if it happens.

Bert

Do anything you want with the GLOWS(lit or unlit) but leave the Limited Editions alone and quit making remakes of the already released limited editions.

From Mike From DANIEL From Bob M From JCRICE From Bert From Rich I will vote with the overwhelming majority. Do whatever is necessary with the GLOW's. But please don't mess with the LE's. And I collect both.

Bob

Just a note on the new Bodie Island Christmas piece...I now own TWO!! One is a two digit #, as well, and the other one is signed by Nancy and she wrote, "To Judy, who loves BILH" on the felt back.

This particular Christmas piece is especially special to me, because Bodie Island Lighthouse is particularly dear to my heart anyway.

Then to add to that, as was also noted in the latest Legacy, HL designed this piece from photographs submitted by our dear friend, Bruce Roberts. ( They needed to see what it would look like with snow, since it rarely snows in North Carolina.) Remember the photo of Bruce's that was used as a fundraiser here a while back?...that's the one. Well I have an original photograph signed and numbered that Bruce gave me, and it is matted and framed and has a special place in my home.

There is a way to replace the bulb if it burns out, btw. It's not real easy, but can be done.

Judy

Great response so far on a forum that was sleeping, but please keep in mind the original subject matter.
That is the remaking of GLOWS and have them light up not the LE's.
I agree with the everyone else:
"leave the LE's alone"

Wait a minute there Judy, we only allow unbiased opinions here on the Forums Although I personally don't share your feeling on the Bodie Christmas piece (I am buying it though to keep my Christmas collection intact) I can appriciate your love and support of your local lights. After all, that's a BIG part of what drives this hobby. I to have my local favorites and although I'm not a big fan of having L.E.'s re-issued in another form of L.E., I'd buy them if they were.

Mike

I HATE the lighted pieces!!! I was planning on collecting all the Christmas Pieces but as soon as HL's decided to sell lighted giftware and they switched to those god-awful lighted ones my plans quickly changed. LE's or just fancy GLOWS there's not much difference anymore escpecially with the lighted junk. Thank god for the AB's!!!

I also have no plans on collecting the lighted Christmas lighthouse. I bought the one last year just because I still had my autoshipment and gave me matching numbers for all my christmas lights except one. Since I don't get a low 2-digit number anymore I don't see the need to by a toy lighthouse that lights and runs on batteries.

We might see a lighted lightship just around the corner!!!

Well, Lightkeeper, the discussion seems to include LE's regardless of the subject matter, and continues along that path.

My vote is to continue making the Christmas pieces as lighted LE's. Hey, you put lights on everything else at Christmas don't you?

As for the GLOW's, I like the lighted versions. I have Cape Henry and Oak Island, and plan to purchase Ocracoke, if the dealer ever receives it. ( And yes I own a coveted Ocracoke LE, as well as a Cape Henry LE and an Oak Island LE)

And, while we are on this subject, there are some pretty popular lighted lenses issued as LE's, so I quess those who don't appreciate lights, don't allow Fresnel Lenses in their collection either.

Cana Fan says: Cana Fan, I don't live in North Carolina, and have lots of favorites in my own home state of Virginia.

There's nothing local about Bruce Roberts furnishing the photos for HL to design this piece, either...I'd say he's international. And as for Bodie Island Lighthouse, it may reside in North Carolina, but this forum elected to use it on last year's Wacko badge, and also elected to use Bruce's "Bodie in the Snow" as a fundraiser, so it seems to me that there is much interest across the board for this light. Thank goodness, because this national treasure is on the Doomsday list for a good reason.

Btw, my comment about replacing the bulb works for both the GLOW's and the lighted LE's.

You know, another thought comes to me about this subject.

What's wrong with having lights in our miniature collectibles anyway. All the REAL lighthouses had lights in them, didn't they?

Okay, I've had my fun...got to get back to work.

Judy

Hey, I just got an idea...how about lighting the Christmas pieces...with Christmas lights? I don't know if they do that, but it might be possible to do. THEN I might like the idea!

OK Judy,

I just have to ask. How does one go about replacing the bulb(s) in the lighted lighthouses? I put batteries in all of mine just to see if the lights worked. They did.

I think it can be done.
The Lighthouse would have to be hollow with little holes drilled across the eve. Then tiny bulb shaped plastic pieces are inserted. The plastic bulbs would have to be hand placed by retired wackos that has plenty of time and nothing else to do, but post on this forum.

Bob said... Bob, I'll be honest and tell you I haven't tried it yet. I was told by someone I consider a reliable source, John Starling, "Keeper" at the Cape Henry lighthouses that you have to go up through the bottom.

Sounds like a delicate operation for small fingers, but I think it takes a lot for the bulb to go. The one that went out on me was the Cape Henry GLOW, and I had it on from Thanksgiving through New Year's constantly, and after that, every evening for almost a year. It went out in September.

When I get up enough nerve to try it, I'll let you know how it went.

Judy

From Daniel
Does that mean I can send all my bulb replacement projects to you?

From Judy
PLEASE DO

Bob

This is one of the reasons I am not in favor of lighted pieces. Eventually, if you do "light" them the light may cease to function and now you own a defective HL.

They can do what they want with GLOW's but please leave the LE's alone!

:p Bob :p

One must remember that the prime directive for a lightkeeper is to never let the light go out.
Time for a relighting ceremony!

When I started collecting HL's lighthouse "Sculptures" the last thing I every thought I would have to worry about was if they would "WORK"!!!! :rolleyes:

I think that instead of all the fancy enhancements with the GLOWS and the Christmas pieces that Harbour Lights should spend more time on producing the LE's so that they arrive when they say they will and not be broken when they arrive to you. I'm still waiting on the Alpena and Presque Isle pieces.

Tom

That's a good idea, Tom. Considering the response that the members of this forum, probably HL's core collecting group, ends up saying about many of these "enhancements" anyway, and the reverse that is said of several of the LEs each release, perhaps that is a good idea. I don't know if I have ever read a post here FOR the lighted GLOWs. However, I have seen too many expressing unimpression with the LEs. It's time for Y&A to mix up their priorites.

That brings up another interesting question.
Out of a typical LE that goes for a run of 5500, how many are bought by forum members?

There are 1428 registered members. If each one bought a LE (which they all don't) that is roughly about 26 percent.
I would say actually about 15 to 20 percent of forum members buy any one particular piece.
That leaves 80 to 85 percent of the purchases are from non-forum buyers

HMMM!!

If you were in charge of markerting for Harbour Lights, who would you be listening to?

The 20 percent or the 80 percent?

I'd listen to what the cash register rings up Mike!

Sue,

Ain't that the truth. We die-hard collectors are a minority in short supply.

bobo

The fact of the matter is that we here on the forums are probably the core of the serious Harbour Lights collectors, but if HL was depending on us to stay in business, none of us would have many lighthouses in our collection because HL would have bitten the dust a long time ago. It would be interesting for HL to take a poll through its sales by inserting a questionnaire in the box of each piece that is sold and find out what a majority of its collectors prefer.

Yours is a very astute and thought provoking idea, Mike. I'd like to see it happen.

bobo

Yea, you could fill out the questionaire under the soothing light from your "lighted" GLOWS!!!!

Hey, I just thought of an idea that would include everyone's opinion on Harbour Lights that light up. They could make them all to light up and sell the ones that don't work to those who don't want ones that light up.

I think the only "light-up" HL's I have are the last two Christmas pieces and the remake of original Minot's Ledge. All three are MIB and NBL.

:rolleyes: Bob :rolleyes: