Ah yes, even in the AOL days, there was much discussion around this topic, including some ideas that eventually HLs would run out of new lighthouses to sculpt into LEs. Along with GLOWs, maybe the dwindling number of lights that are yet to be done from some key states could be a factor.

How many lights are left for North Carolina, South Carolina, New Jersey and Florida? These four states have had a large and active collector community. I think that there is one extant lighthouse in NC that HLs has not released. At least one in SC, at most two or three. After the FIVE new Florida releases in early 2003 I think there are only three mainland towers left, Crooked River, Cape San Blas and Boca Grande Rear Range. They are all steel skeleton towers, much like Anclote Key or Hillsboro. The rest are off the Keys. Maybe six or so left for FL. NJ has a few, but HLs has already dipped into history for NJ lights with Tucker's Island and FL lights with Old St. Augustine.

With the specialization of collections to regions, states, lighthouses visited, etc, not having fresh releases, for collectors with specialized collections or potential new collectors, could add further to the malaise that is HL collecting today.

Or maybe it won't. It's fun to speculate though.

Rick