When I started purchasing HL's in 95 it was from a store in town that has since burned down. They had a wealth of older signed pieces (from a BY visit), and I was able to pick up amoung other pieces a signed AP Cape Blanco for retail minus 20%. Most of my original collection (first 3 years) was purchased from them at a 20% discount, but since the fire they have chosen not to reopen the store. For the last 5 years I have purchased from a local dealer that was able to give me a consistent 3 digit piece on autoship. There is only one other dealer in Colorado Springs & I have not visited in several years, but their inventory was always limited.

I have gone to Denver (about 60 miles) for signing events lately, since there has never been a signing in Colorado Springs since I started collecting. I would be concerned about dealers leaving the market during the downturn, excedt that I have been making most of my low # speciality purchases of earlier pieces off Ebay these days, while continuing my current consistent # purchases from my dealer of choice. The only concern that I have right now is that the dealer has moved from their high traffic mall location to an outlying store, and this may mean the end of the same number should they not survive. Before I have wondered what would happen if the my normal dealer went out of business, & what options I would have to continue with the same number from HL. Am I concerned about HL and the future, yes. Am I concerned that I will not be able to continue upgrading my collection, no. My biggest concern right now is not being able to get the pieces, but where to get the room to display them. With four display cases busting at the seams, I am running out of space. If I had a suggestion to make it would be to make fewer LE pieces per year, and continue to make new never before produced pieces, not new versions of previously released pieces.