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Items shown in bold face type in the Glossary also appear in the Glossary separately. |
Whether you're new to collecting Harbour Lights -- or you've been at it since 1991, it will help to know all the terms that the company uses -- and other collectors use -- when referring to the hobby. Anchor Bay - Anchor Bay Great Ships of the World, a separate and independent line of ships & boats introduced in the Spring of 1997, by Younger & Associates, producers of Harbour Lights Lighthouses. A trademark. MORE INFO Antenna - see lightning
rod. Artist's Proof (AP) - a limited number of early finished and painted lighthouses used in the final paint-approval process and intended to preview the item to dealers at rep showrooms or at Collectible Shows. In the early years, these pieces had no marking on the flag and the words "Artist Proof" or "Paint Sample" may have been handwritten on the bottom felt. In recent years, "AP" is hand-printed on the flag and a paper label on the bottom may include the words "Artists Sample". The coloration of AP's may differ slightly from the finished piece. Typically between 10-15 APs are made in total.
Brown box - California pieces and early Canadian pieces were shipped in brown boxes, some with a blue printed 'Castle Studios' logo. Because retailers often discarded boxes, replacement boxes were sent by Harbour Lights, resulting in some California pieces being sold in Castle Studios boxes. See also White Box. MORE INFO Bottom sanding - a production step to smooth the bottom of a casting. Some early year lighthouses were produced with uneven bottom sanding.
California pieces -
approximately the first 250 of each of the Original 17 lighthouses
introduced in 1991 were cast in Southern California.
MORE INFO Canadian pieces - Harbour Lights lighthouses were produced at Castle Studios in Ontario, Canada, starting in late 1991 and continuing until mid-1993 During this time, a number of minor mold improvements were made to improve the detail and ease of casting. MORE INFO Casting - the process of making reproductions from a master model; also the unpainted lighthouse from the mold.
Certificate of Authenticity - (or Certificate). The small folded document shipped with each lighthouse stating it is an authentic replica of the real lighthouse. In the case of limited edition lighthouses, the certificate states the edition size, but is not serially numbered. Replacement certificates are available from Harbour Lights. MORE INFO Collar - a donut-like
shape under the Color Variations - see Paint Variations. Collectible Shows - Trade shows for either dealers and/or collectors. See also Edison, Rosemont, and Long Beach. Collectors Society - The Harbour Lights Collectors Society. Membership is open to all collectors. A small annual membership fee provides several benefits including purchase of a members-only lighthouse each membership year. MORE INFO Cold Cast Porcelain - or bonded porcelain; a mixture of polyurethane resin and finely ground porcelain powder. When the combination is thoroughly mixed, a small amount of catalyst is added to start the hardening process. Another casting material used is a mixture of marble powder and resin. Daymark - the unique pattern painted on a lighthouse tower to identify it from other lighthouses in the day time, such as the spiral stripes of St. Augustine or the diamonds on Cape Lookout NC. Days Gone By - a planned line of collectibles by Younger & Associates, honoring 'Everyday Heroes, Extraordinary Lives' The first and only issue was of four sculptures pictured 'The Flying Center'. The line was discontinued. Early Retirement - Stopping production of a limited edition item before the full edition size has been sold out to dealers. MORE INFO Edison - The 1998 International Collectibles Show held in Edison NJ. Starting in 2000, the show was held in Atlanta. This show alternated coasts each year with Long Beach. The trade shows are no longer held.
Edition Number - A
unique number
Edition Size - the quantity which will be or were made in the case of limited edition lighthouses. In the case of most limited editions, the edition size is printed on the flag. (See photo by Artist's Proof.) Some pieces did not reach their full edition size due to an error, variation, or early retirement. MORE INFO Error - a mistake made in the design, sculpting, or execution of a lighthouse. See also variation. In collectibles, an error refers to something that should not have been released while a variation or modification is a change during production. MORE INFO Event - a meeting open to Harbour Lights collectors. It is usually a 'store event' with either Bill Younger or an area Rep in attendance. Other 'Events' might be regional gatherings of collectors or a 'Reunion'. MORE INFO Exclusive - A lighthouse which is available only in association with a Store Event, Reunion, or membership in the Collectors Society. Felt - the material
used on the bottom of lighthouses. Not a true felt material, but referred to as
'suede-felt'. In the early years, both a gray felt and green flocking were used.
MORE INFO Flag - The part of the sculpture with the engraved name of the lighthouse, edition number and edition size. Named for its flag-like shape. Several modifications in the flags have been made over time. MORE INFO. Foam inserts - molded Styrofoam inserts for use within boxes to protect a lighthouse during shipping. Inserts replaced packing peanuts. MORE INFO
Fresnel - (frah-NELL) a type of focusing
GLOW - Great Lighthouses of the World - Harbour Lights' trademarked name for open edition lighthouses. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of GLOW lighthouses is donated to the historic or preservation society responsible for that lighthouse's maintenance. MORE INFO. Gone But Not Forgotten - A series of lighthouses which no longer exist. HL243 Cape Henlopen DE was the first designated as 'Gone But Not Forgotten'. Great American Lighthouses - name first used by Harbour Lights for the open edition lighthouses. Used only on Cape Hatteras NC the first year of production; changed due to copyright problems. Great Lakes Stamp Set - See Stamp Set. Great Lighthouses of the World - see GLOW. Great Ships of the World - see Anchor Bay. Harbour Lights - refers to all of the lighthouses produced by Younger & Associates. A registered trademark. Lady Lighthouse Keepers - A set of five lighthouses issued in 1996 honoring lighthouses that were 'manned' by women during part of their history. Shipped in matching edition numbers to dealers, although not necessarily always sold as sets. Lantern Room - the room at the top of the tower which houses the light apparatus. Lighthouse Legacy - The quarterly newsletter for members of the Harbour Lights Collectors Society before 2005. MORE INFO
Lightning Rod - Many lighthouse
models from
Limited Edition - a lighthouse with production limited to a specific quantity and, in a few cases, to the number of orders received within a set time frame (such as Collectors Society Exclusives). Little Light of Mine, This - A line of open edition miniature lighthouses introduced by Younger & Associates in 2000. Primarily oriented towards the gift and/or souvenir market; prices under $20 each. MORE INFO. Long Beach - site of Spring alternate year International Collectibles Show. The Long Beach Convention Center. The site was moved to Anaheim in 2001. The shows were discontinued shortly after. Matching Numbers - When the edition (serial) numbers of 2 or more Harbour Lights lighthouses are the same. See Stamp Set, Lady Lighthouse Keepers, Morris Island Then and Now, Panama Canal Commemorative. Miniature - a size of Harbour Lights between GLOW and Ornament. Approximately 3" high and 3" wide. The first Miniature was one of New Point Loma ca for the 1997 Reunion. A second was of Rose Island for the 1998 Reunion and Point Fermin to mark the 5th Anniversary of the Collectors Society. . In 2000 a line of "Little Lights of Mine" was introduced by Younger & Associates in the miniature size. MORE INFO Modifications - see Production Changes Mold - a reproduction taken from the original sculpture and used to create replicas. Typically made of silicon. A production mold is used to make a number of lighthouse castings before requiring replacement. Molds were sometimes modified during production MORE INFO Open Edition - a lighthouse with no pre-set production quantity. Harbour Lights uses the term "Great Lighthouses of the World" and the acronym "GLOW" to refer to our open edition lighthouses. MORE INFO. Ornaments - a special
size of lighthouse with an eye and gold cord for Original 17 - the limited edition lighthouses issued by Harbour Lights during MORE INFO. Packing peanuts - Styrofoam pieces used to pack lighthouses within their shipping boxes. Fitted Styrofoam inserts are now used. See Foam Inserts. MORE INFO.
Paint variations -
color differences among lighthouses of the same model. Panama Canal Commemorative Set - A matched numbered set of two lighthouses on the Panama Canal. Issued in late 1999 to mark the passing of control of the Panama Canal from the US to Panama. MORE INFO Pharos - Latin for lighthouse. The name of a line of collectible lighthouses, introduced in 2000 by Younger & Associates, and marketed primarily outside the United States. The line was cancelled shortly after introduction due to production problems. MORE INFO Production changes - differences among lighthouses of the same model which may be caused by several factors including correction of a flag error, change in painting colors, etc. MORE INFO Rep - a regional sales representative for Harbour Lights who works with retail dealers. Resin - see Cold
cast. Restoration Series - introduced in 1999 with Sapelo Island GA, this series will highlight lighthouses which have undergone a major restoration. Retail Dealers - the primary source for Harbour Lights lighthouses. MORE INFO Retired - A lighthouse is retired when the full edition size has been ordered by retail dealers. It does not mean that all of the production run has been shipped to dealers yet -- or even manufactured. The master mold is broken only after the full production run has been made and shipped to dealers. To view images of all retired Harbour Lights lighthouses. click here. Reunion - Harbour Lights held its first 'Reunion' of collectors in August, 1997, in San Diego CA. The second reunion was held in Providence RI in October, 1998. A third reunion was held in Baltimore MD in October 2001 and a fourth reunion will be held in Mackinac Island MI in August 2005. MORE INFO Rosemont - The Rosemont International Collectibles Show held in June at the Rosemont Convention Center, Rosemont IL Harbour Lights stopped displaying at this show in 2001 and the shows were cancelled in 2004. Sculpture - the process of creating an original lighthouse from which molds will be made so reproductions can be created. Secondary Market - refers to those individuals who buy, sell or trade retired lighthouses. (Sometimes called the after market.) The primary market refers to authorized retail dealers. Serial Number - see Edition Number Set - two or more
Harbour Lights lighthouses intended to be sold together usually with matching edition
numbers. Examples include the Lady Lighthouse Keepers, Stamp Set,
and Morris Island Then & Now.
Screwpile - a type of supporting structure, common in the Chesapeake Bay area. Metal pipes with a screw-like auger are twisted into the muddy bottom to form the support for the lighthouse. Examples include Thomas Point MD, Drum Point MD, and Mobile Bay AL.
Signature Series - GLOW
lighthouses that
Signing - a collector event at which Bill Younger or an area rep will sign Harbour Lights pieces. Usually held at a Harbour Lights dealer location. Beginning in 2000, regional events for Harbour Lights collectors were introduced. Skeleton - A
supporting structure for the lantern room Sky Bound Balloons - a line of hot-air balloon sculptures introduced by Younger & Associates in 200? MORE INFO Southern Belles - The seven lighthouses issued by Harbour Lights in 1993 were all located along America's Southeastern Coast from North Carolina to Florida's Key West. These were referred to by Harbour Lights as the "Southern Belles". A Spyglass set of these lighthouses was introduced in 1998. Special Edition - a lighthouse issued other than as a limited edition or open edition, such as Harbour Lights Collectors Society exclusives, or for sale at in-store events, or at a Collectors Reunion. Spyglass - miniature
lighthouse sculpture, typically 2.5 - 3" high. The first set Stamp Set - a set of 5 Great Lakes Lighthouses issued in 1995 to mark the issuance of a set of 5 U.S. postage stamps picturing the same lighthouses. The first 5,000 of each set were shipped in matching edition numbers. Accompanying the set was a post card with the stamps canceled as 'First Day of Issue". See this page for the stamps. . Store Event - an event held at a retail dealer, usually with Bill Younger present. Some store events are called 'Rep Events' with the regional Harbour Lights sales Rep present rather than Bill Younger. Rep events were mostly discontinued in 2003. Thumbnail - a tiny
lighthouse sculpture, about the
Ventilator - round 'ball' at the top of most lighthouse towers, provides exhaust for heat of lamp and circulation within the tower. (See photo by "Collar") Variations - see Production Changes White box - refers to the shipping box for Harbour Lights lighthouses made at Castle Studios in Canada. Most boxes have the name of Castle Studios printed or stamped in blue. See also Brown Box. MORE INFO Younger & Associates - Younger & Associates, Inc. The official parent organization for Harbour Lights, Anchor Bay, Little Lights, and Sky Bound Balloons. MORE INFO Do you have other words or phrases which should be added to this Glossary? Please email John Chidester
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Harbour Lights is a registered
trade mark owned by Lighthouse Marketing LTD. |
ventilator
added to make the ventilator ball less likely to breakage when cast. Many of the Original
17 lighthouses were modified during production at Castle Studios
by adding a collar.
assigned to each lighthouse as it is completed and
packed for shipment to Harbour Lights. Limited edition lighthouses
usually show the edition number and the edition size on the flag such as
"1102/10,000". In the case of Open Edition lighthouses, the
edition number includes a letter. The letter indicates the year in which the lighthouse
was manufactured with "A" assigned to the first year it was available. Each
subsequent year's numbering increases the letter and restarts numbering at 1. An edition
number of "A542" would mean the 542nd item in the first year of production.
Often referred to as a Serial Number. 
system made up of hundreds
of
prisms which amplify and focus the light from a lighthouse into a narrow
beam so that it can be seen miles away. Invented by Augustin Jean
Fresnel of France.
1991-1992 featured a wire or bristle
'lightning rod'. These were attached after casting by drilling a hole in the top of the
tower and inserting the wire or bristle. Except in a few cases, lightning rods were phased
out during the production run. Thus some pieces of a particular lighthouse may have a rod
while others do not.
hanging. Typically, ornaments are 2"
high. In 1996, Harbour Lights introduced 8 lighthouses and in 1997 and 1998, 4 more each
year. In 1997, four of the original 1996 ornaments were retired. Each year members of the Collectors Society
may purchase an exclusive ornament of the previous year's Collectors
Society exclusive lighthouse.
.
have
been selected by founder Bill Younger as having a special meaning in
his life. Each piece has a special label on the bottom hand-signed by
Bill Younger. First issued in 1998. The only lighthouses so designated
were: 
that is open and not enclosed in a brick or metal tower. Examples include 
