As Arte Johnson used to say on Laugh-In Verrrrrry interesting; all of these opinions on why or why not to buy these two most recent seasonal pieces. My opinion is that I liked the Stratford Point piece in part due to the lit tree, and having a small apartment and no kids/family at home, that was pretty much my Christmas decoration last year. The Bodie piece (which has to look considerably different than the LE) I like due to the fact that most companies that sell light-ups, that's about their only selling point, as they look cheap/ceramic, etc., where I like the part that they took the notice to black out some of the windows to make it look more life-like and realistic (ie. how often do you drive by a light- house and see every light in the house on...unless they're having a Christmas party perhaps ). On the other hand, except for those truly addicted and with unlimited free space, I can see the frustration; especially as far as collecting. I myself think that the older, original HL's are some of the uuugggliest things sold for such high prices; but I collect for the admirability aspect first, the aftermarket second.

Steve