I started my H-L collecting by taking advantage of a tourist area store's discount on multiple purchases a good while back. As the months and years passed, more local stores dropped H-L or caved in totally, giving me great prices. As the years have passed, I am now limited to but one store in Alabama - and that is in Gulf Shores. A trip down there gets expensive... but makes my wife happy!

So the 'deals' whet my appetite... which grew - but, the stores were gone, my 'deals' were the result of their demise. I was a vulture! I bought spottedly through the mail - with mixed results - my first list price H-L purchase was Middle Bay, AL - and basically, my collection stagnated. The last light I bought before I declared a moratorium was Sand Is, AL. My next, and most recent purchase, was Mobile Point, AL - a bit of a gap - and bought from Evil-Bay.

My wife was more fortunate in her collection... Harmony Kingdom 'Treasure Jests". Paralleling my experience, she was saved by a Ma-Pa gift store - which will still order her selected pieces for her, despite the new owner's. Those pieces are mostly 'Made in England', an improvement, IMHO, over the 'Made in PRC' alternative, like H-L. The local store keeps her interest up as local H-L availability did mine. I miss those days!

John