Bob, I agree with you. But I think the effect on newer members and others would be better if the topics we dredged up time and time again were ones that showed the joy and anticipation of collecting that we all once had. But here again, a lot of the thrill is gone. Screwpile lights on metal legs? Done. Fresnel Lens? Done. Lightships? Done.

There are still a few with that passion, you among them I think. Daniel with his market updates is another. Rich and Loon too. But I can't say the same for me. Although I try. I've added a few push pins to John's lighthouse map at google recently. I was surprised that so many Florida lights were still not done. And there are more yet to do.

I still collect. The Florida lights since I moved here. But there was a time when I knew exactly what lights I had, what lights were coming and what lights I'd like to see. Not so much anymore.

To a couple of Loon's points, I think (and I've said it before) that HLs future lies in cultivating collectors who specialize in some subset of lights. A state, like Florida for me. A region, like Lake Ontario lights. Or lights that the tower has been climbed. Or lights with 2nd Order Fresnels. What ever.

An approach like that makes many of the 'things' we lament about HLs more manageable. 'Collect them all' is much easier if 'all' is a smaller set. Budget is easier to set aside. Intimate knowledge of your collection is easier to know (and show off when visitors see your lights!).

From what I've seen, HLs has made a few attempts to prompt something like this. 'Gone But Not Forgotten' was one of them. Grouping the lights by region in some of the brochures was another. But by and large, I don't think the effort was consistent over time. Unless, it was the Little Lights or the Glows that were supposed to be the foundation collectors from which LE collectors would evolve.

Were there any 'start collecting with LLOM and add your favorite LEs as your collection grows' efforts? There very well could have been and I just didn't see them.

Net is, we each have to make our own 'thrill' when it comes to our collections. Whatever form our collections take these days.

Rick