I have a hard time understanding the "no hoarding" rule. Does it apply to "established" secondary market dealers as well as to individuals? How does a secondary market dealer make his money? Are we saying that there should be no secondary market dealers? Or that they should not profit from their activities? I can't buy in. Sorry. Some good friends of mine are (or at one time were) secondary market dealers. I don't begrudge them their profit for their foresight and efforts, but niether will I grant them exclusive license to hoard, just because they were there first.

I realize that secondary market dealers can and do also buy pieces on the open market long after release. However, to make a profit, they must buy below market value and sell at or above market value. Is buying below market value taking advantage of the seller? We can get into all kinds of ethics questions here, but let's not. Profiteering, if that's what we want to call it, comes with the territory. Limited editions by design have the potential to appreciate in value. A potential for appreciation brings about "investment" and speculation. In our society, it's natural. If you want to play the limited edition game, you'd better be prepared for some for-profit activity.

Now before you think that I'm nothing more than a cold, hard capitalistic pig, let me tell ya that I have never bought more than one of any HL model, except rarely as gifts for others. I do think that hoarding hurts the line by delaying appreciation, and I wish that people wouldn't do it. However, my personal "limit of one" policy does not stem from altruism. A dollar in a good growth-oriented mutual fund is, with rare exception, a much better investment over the long haul than a dollar in Harbour Lights models. As I have said countless times before, buy 'em cause you like 'em, not as an investment.

If someone wants to stash away a few extras, that's their prerogative. I don't encourage it, but I can't criticize it, either. As for the unfortunate buyers who pay way too much, caveat emptor. It's their own fault. They should get educated. To the sellers who misrepresent a piece to hype it's value, shame on you. I have no quarrel with those who make a decent or even a large profit while accurately portraying a piece.

-Not Karl Marx