Founders Collection the final Chapter.

The founder’s collection and me, is like the spring peepers (frogs) during a heavy rain in the spring. It is impossible for it to happen without the spring peepers making a bunch of noise about it. In the past year I have watched many Harbour Light Historical events happen and kept quiet about it. Things like the Jordan Point, The discovery of the AP 458 West Quoddy and a reunion Cruise. But I kept quiet. Now the final release of the Founder’s collection and it wasn’t even talked about on this forum until three days after its announcement.

First of all I hit pay dirt and have received the Admiralty Head, Old Point Loma and the North Head. All of them being in brand new never displayed condition and they are all made in California. There goes the “Bill younger Theory” that the first ten of the early lighthouses were not kept. The reason I got these collectables was that I was working late and sitting right at my computer when I received the email announcement of the founder’s collection. I quickly returned the email with my list and in a few days Patti Sampson Customer Service Director called me to tell me my winnings.

There are a few things that I want to address about the Founders collection. I am Thankful that Bill Younger was perceptive enough to save the low numbers. Just think, here it is almost 20 years after Harbour Lights started and some of the single digit lighthouses of that first year were just offered for retail ($60). Yes it is true that none of the “Canadian made” were saved but that really isn’t the big picture for this collection. The main value of these collectables is the number. The same way an artist proof is valuable by the “AP” that is written on the flag not by where it was made. Don’t get me wrong it would have added to the value of the HL118 to HL138 if they were made in Canada. All I am saying is that it should not matter where the Lighthouses were made, it’s the number and if it happens to be made in California it just adds to the value.

My nexts comment will probably surprise many but it is something that I feel has been over looked. When we think of the Founders collection we think of Bill Younger. And oh Ya; Harbour Lights is helping distribute them. On this forum Don Devine has usually been associated as a businessman sometimes heartless and not as a fellow collector. Obviously Don is a good businessman or he wouldn’t have gotten where he is today. But what about the Don who is a collector and a Lighthouse lover. We just don’t hear about that Don. Well I don’t know about all of the business end of the founders collection ending up in West Kennebunk Maine, but it has to be very obvious to everyone that Don getting Harbour lights involved in selling the Founders collection is not what we would expect from a heartless businessman.
I would have to assume that the selling of the founder’s collection would have to hurt sales that would have normally gone to Harbour Lights and Don is helping out to keep some of the most valuable collectables alive by distributing to fellow collectors. This is truly an act of a dedicated collector and a lighthouse lover.

Okay how about the collectors. This is your last chance to purchase from the founders collection and it is being done just the way us collectors have asked for, for years. You look down the list and just order what you want and wait to see if it is available. First come first served. They will make good presents, great for fund raisers or just updating a few of your favorite lights with a neat number. It wouldn’t be a bad idea for some clubs or even this forum to purchase some. Why am I promoting this? I have been supporter of the founder’s collection for years to be preserved and distributed to collectors and not destroyed. Remember the old saying, “When they are gone, they are really gone.”