With all these cutbacks in signings and (I maybe jumping the gun,but) it looks like there will be no regional this year there just isn’t much to look forward to. I am thankful that I will be able to go to Bronze Lady for a signing but what about next year. I realize with the economy that HL needs to tighten their belt, but I am getting bored. I miss the opportunity to go to a regional and a couple of signings a year like the good old days.

I just hate to have to lay out $2000 or more a person to be involved with a Harbour Light get together. Then come up with airfare. There has to be something cheaper and fulfilling and not spread out every five to six years. It would be nice if something like a Minnie one day reunion could be held in several of the regions each year. Charge $50 to $75 a person and increase the giveaways and throw in a dinner. Keep them busy for a day with Bill stories and giveaways bingo and a Lighthouse tour. I know we keep having small turnouts for the store events and the Regional. But wasn’t gas $4.00 a gallon then?

I enjoyed the N.O. regional last year and Dave H, Bill and HL did a fantastic job as usual.
I am not complaining but is it possible that the regionals are too faraway from where the collectors are. Couldn’t we have more and situate them where the collectors are and have a head charge that would cover the expense? I have as always offered the use of the café and atrium of our building for a regional. No cost but the food. Holds a hundred people comfortably and can accommodate more if need to. A nice corporate building overlooking the St Johns River with outside deck for smokers. We even have a boat dock. I could probably make arrangements for private boat tours for what ever my cost would be.

I am not complaining but with less store events and less or even the possibly of no regionals is HL possibly going to lose the few faithful that they have now? I have been considering other more popular hobbies like coin collecting and license plate collecting. These were my hobbies as a kid and there are sure more support groups and showings or at least for the coin collecting.

I also realize that scheduling Bill for an event anymore is getting more and more unlikely.
Is Bill the only one to do an event? Is Kim still available? How about Harry and Tony?
I think just because Bill is fazing out of the picture that the events should not follow the same wave.

The less popularity for the regionals may not be all the collectors fault.
More advertising should be done for all events. Utilize the HL website. The website still has last years events posted. Collectors need time for planning. Try to advertise events in January and February while people can still plan their vacations around events.
Utilize the websites of the many dealers for advertising. Use a fundraiser for advertising and get free advertising from some of the lighthouse organizations.


If it weren’t for this forum I would have to wonder where Harbour Light collecting would be today. The way the trend is going this may end up being our only connection to Collecting Harbour Lights.