Forget the memories, lives saved and historical significance, what do your eyes tell your brain about the looks of the sculpture?
If I did that, I wouldn't be at that yard sale looking at a Coquille for $2.00.
Quote below on 10/9/99
I did however use these words, least liked and worst looking pieces.
Quote below on 10/6/99
Lighten up people, after all I'm not asking which of your children is the ugliest, just trying to find out which lighthouses are the least liked, and trying to inject a little humor in this topic as well.
It surely seems the word ‘ugliest’ is used here, and, to a lot of collectors these pieces are like our children.
Howard Stern of this forum to get peoples reactions
I wouldn't use Howard as your model. Howard has no taste and you obviously do because you collect Harbour Lights.
I choose to look at my collection of Harbour Lights and see the progression that Harbour Lights has made over the years. It is a work in progress. What you term "the worst looking" pieces, I probably would describe them as unrefined. Harbour Lights was attempting 17 lighthouses in that first year and ended up changing not only factories but also countries as well in the production of those 17. The point is, my Harbour Lights collection not only represents lighthouses and their history but also the history of a young (no pun intended) company attempting to produce lighthouses. When Harbour Lights learned something new along the way, they applied the improved technology to the new lighthouses coming out and didn’t just stand still.
Three of the prettiest lighthouses that I have displayed are North Head, Cape Blanco and Yaquina Head. They are at eye level in "the cabinet" as you enter my home. Interestingly, they are by far the dirtiest lighthouses in my collection as they have been handled a lot. All three are Artist Proofs and have the words Show Sample written on the bottom. They represent the early beginnings and struggles of Harbour Lights, a company that has matured in a relatively short time into one that produces lighthouses with the quality level of East Quoddy Lighthouse.
To sum up all of my ramblings I would definitely spend the $2.00 to buy the Coquille because I know the history of both the real lighthouse and the HL version and I wouldn’t be collecting if I didn’t.
SaintWackoPaul 'Keep the Flame
