Lighthouse SF Help Needed

Hello:
First post here as worlds oldest newbie (58). I recently reactivated my collection and need some guidance. Around 1986 I bought a set of Lighthouse US Hingeless albums and stockbooks. In 2006 I bought the 95-06 pages and album. Recently my wife took pity upon me and, get this, bought me a complete new Lighthouse set that goes to 2010. The old set will now house my used copies. Not to look a gift horse in the mouth so to speak, but it was actually around the same price to buy the complete set as it was to just pick up what was missing.

I now find that the stockbooks (Elephant and the smaller 6 x 9 - LZS 0/16) are no longer available nor are the FDC Albums (#6 and #10) in Red. I contacted Lighthouse in both the USA and Germany. No luck on any of them in Red with Black pages.

Maybe it's an ADD or OCD thing but I like continuity, looks nice when everything is the same IMHO.

So now I have 2 questions....
1) Any suggestions on where to find them (new or used) besides checking ebay? Old time dealers are pretty much a thing of the past in Chicago so no luck in finding some old stock at the local shop. Not to mention I need 50 posts before I can place an ad.

2) Does anyone have or make a computer program to make ones own pages using Lighthouse paper. Or, better yet (much better yet), does anyone offer that service?

I like the Lighthouse style and quality but find some things are lacking - for my purposes anyway. Like PNC's and color varieties for example. And about 50 other "projects" I'd like to complete, if not start, before long.
Having said that... my computer "skills" are, let's be charitable, not quite up to the non-existent level. The average Luddite on horseback is more technically proficient than I.

I suppose I COULD learn but by the time I get it right I'll be hearing harp music instead of Enya or the Pogues.

Anyway, thanks for any help.
Kind Regards,

Ron

I just wanted to say, "Welcome aboard, Ron."

I don't have an answer for your Lighthouse questions, but I'm sure someone here will know...

When may I ask did they do that? I thought I just seen those on their mailer catalog that came with my new lighthouse binders? Did they just institute this recently? Also, I may know a guy that has these I'll check for you.

I do hope you will stick around ... you'll fit in nicely!

As for your question re: Lighthouse supplies. There's a dealer in New Jersey who regularly sells on ebay by the name Mit_63 who has been able to accommodate my needs upon request. Here's his website. Send him an email. Good luck!

http://designerstampandcoin.com/


Brian

Thanks for the welcome, I appreciate it very much.
I called Lighthouse in NJ last week and no luck on the Elephant or LZS. They checked stock in Germany, same answer.
I also emailed Mit_63, same answer, no stock or availability.
I guess the changeover was done around 4 years ago or so but I'm not sure.

@I_love_Stamps - thanks for checking with your friend.

Kind Regards,

Ron

Ron,

I also like the Lighthouse style of hingeless album but what they offer does not have the depth and detail I like. So, I take standard blank Lighthouse pages which I purchase from them and with my desktop publishing program and a wide carriage printer I am able to produce "replicas" of what a Lighthouse page would look like, if they were to make one to my specifics desires.

In order to do this, I figured out the fonts they use and with a little experimentation I was able to get the result I was looking for. I have to date created about 7 albums of the stuff.

I do not know what you are looking for exactly, but if you were to post a scan of a page it would be helpful.

Since I gather the pages you want are old, the font may have changed, but with a scan it really isn't hard to figure what font is being used. Also, not sure what platform you are are on, but I am told Microsoft Publisher is easy to use for this purpose and if you're on an Apple, Pages is simple as well. You do not have to be a tech whiz to do this.

A scan of a sample page would be helpful.

Once that's done, I could lay out the steps for you to take.

Best,

Larry

Hello Larry:

Thanks for the reply, I don't have any scans, only ideas. For example:
1) For PNC 5's: I'd like a single and then, on the same line, a strip of 5 for every issue and number.
2) A calendar for US #11: I am trying to complete a single year with every date, including February 29, of that issue.
3) Booklets: Something for the Prexies Series. It borders on criminal (so to speak) that Lighthouse doesn't offer spaces for Booklets.
My Lighthose pages are from 1986 and 2006, they share the same font.

I'll try to put something together for your guidance, in the next few days.

Any chance of seeing or hearing about, if you have time, what you have done?
Thank you for any advice,

Kind Regards,

Ron

Ron,

I am traveling but my computer is with me and this is what a sample page looks like, without stamps:


Please understand that without stamps, it doesn't look like much. This page is for a plate by plate collection of GB penny red imperforates.

The steps are simple in any desktop publishing program, and as I presume you're using Windows, most would suggest you use MS Publisher.

First you define a special sized paper size. Then you layout a standard page with a header. The country title font Lighthouse uses is Optima and the write up font used is Helvetica Neue. Lighthouse uses a light box around each stamp and what you do is create a box, with the line width you like and adjust its measurement to the actual stamp or cover you wish to mount. You'll quickly find out that the metric system is more practical here and you'll keep a measuring stick at your desk. You then position these on the page in a matter that suits your taste.

This page, for machin multi value coils is built from the same elelemts as the first, the boxes just being resized and repositioned, a simle task in a DTP application.

Or this page of machins, all built from the same elements, just resized and repositioned to suit the particular need I have at the time:


It really is simple. I am not familiar with MS Publisher since I use a Mac, but I am told it is easy and would allow you the flexibility you require and lets you save time by making this adjustments with ease.

Your biggest problem will be that standard Lighthouse paper won't fit most printers and you'll need a wide carriage, 13inch, photo printer. These aren't hard to find, but you would need to buy one. Printing this stuff off at Kinkos is possible but really not practical for any kind of volume.

In the end, this page for a detailed piece on Swiss stub els can be inserted into a preprinted volume of Lighthouse Swiss without jarring the reader. IMHO.


-Larry

Great info, Larry. I knew you'd come through with the goods

Larry:

I don't know what to say. Thank you hardly seems adequate. Once again proof that "hobby people," stamps in particular are the best in the world.
Thanks once again.
Kind Regards,

Ron