My next purchase? Well, as an ex-member of the UGATA fraternity, I suppose it will be the new Collector's Society pieces. They're east coast (actually Chesapeake Bay) lights and that's the focus of my collecting efforts these days.

When I started this collection (addiction, phobia, fixation?) it occurred to me that I had a chance to "have them all". I spent the better part of six months tracking down all that I had missed. Eventually found all but Coquille and Cape Hatteras. I was current and just about "had them all".

Harbour Lights is the first 'collectible' that I was ever interested in. What I didn't realize when I made the decision to have them all was how many there would be. I got set up with a dealer to have one of everything shipped to me. But this lead to a very unexpected situation. UGATA was getting to be automatic. There wasn't any tension, no un-certainty. There was no thrill of the hunt. Harbour Lights kept issuing new pieces, lots of new pieces, and as each one came out, it showed up at the door.

I was running out of room to display everyhing, funds to buy everything and the thrill was gone. So, around the time that Yaquina Bay and Gray's Harbor came out, I decided to focus the collection more. No more West Coast or Great Lakes. I packed them up and they're in the attic. I'm going to stick to the East Coast, Gulf Coast, Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay.

Right now, the Hudson River series presents a quandry for me. They don't fit the focus, but I've already seen Tarrytown and have a better chance of seeing the river lights than seeing the OR or WA lights.

Decisions, decisions. Now there's some uncertainty again. Should I or shouldn't I? It brings some tension back to the hunt, although this is one decision that I'm pretty sure I don't have to make today. The HR series will probably be on the shelves for a while. Besides, Rosemont is coming up and who knows which lights will be announced that fit the focus of the collection? Gotta get them first anyway!

Enjoy your collection, no matter it's focus nor it's size. After all, that's why we really do this HL thing, isn't it?

Rick