What should you do about the new Fresnel 5th Order Lens?
If you like it, you should reserve one. If you don't, don't. (That will leave more for other collectors who do like it.)
With only 4,000 to be made, these are on allocation to Harbour Lights dealers. Dealers on autoship (who receive at least one of everything Harbour Lights makes) will receive their autoships. That accounts for about 2,200 pieces, leaving 1,800 to be distributed among a total of around 2,000 Harbour Lights dealers. Some dealers will get more beyond their autoships, some will not get any.
Should you buy more than one? No.
What? Why not? Won't this be a good 'investment'?
That depends on how many collectors buy 'extras' to hold and sell or trade. Let's face it: buying extras when the supply is already so short is akin to profiteering.
The regular readers of these forums could probably account for all 4,000 at 1 each. Those collectors who are not on line (the majority of them) don't yet know how scarce 4,000 is.
If you buy up 4, at least three more serious collectors (there are about 6,000, I think) won't get one.
If 2,000 collectors hold 4,000 Fresnel Lens pieces, the market value of these items will not significantly increase until MOST of these extras are sold off. On the other hand, if 3,996 hold the 4,000, then yes, the 2 extras will be worth a LOT more than list. But that isn't what happens in this kind of situation.
Sure some HARD soul [edited] will undoubtedly be offering one soon at 2-3 times the list and someone [edited] will undoubtedly pay the price. But one sale does not a market make. Once one sells for $225 or so, the other 1,999 with extras will say, "OK, I'll put mine on the market and get $199 and more than double my investment." That will drive prices down. Too many sellers with extras.
It matters not to the retail dealers. Most will make their profit on their one or two items. They won't be able to make all their regular customers happy with each getting one.
So, get ONE. Don't put your name on 8 lists and expect you'll take the first one or two that come in, leaving 6-7 dealers hanging.
Find a dealer who knows how many they will receive, and who knows how many they have already committed to collectors and offer a deposit for one of their remaining ones.
Enjoy it when it comes in. Instead of profiteering off a fellow collector who was initially left out, feel good about yourself that you allowed another collectors to find one at retail.
You want to make a profit on it? Sell it out of your collection in 5-6 years.
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Per Terry's post a few down, I've added some constraint and edited out two semi-personal references.
[This message has been edited by JChidester (edited 06-27-2000).]
