North Lincoln County Historical Museum (NLCHM) is excited to be hosting one last James Watson Glass Fishing Float Fundraiser on June 6th & 7th, 2025.

James L. Watson (1944-2002) was one of the world’s leading collectors of Japanese glass fishing floats. He found his first float walking on the beach near his home in Hawaii, a marvelous lavender float the size of a basketball. Jim’s life was changed, and he found his calling: to seek out the rarest glass fishing floats he could find, and share their beauty and history with the world. He dreamed of one day having his vast collection displayed in a museum. Jim began working with NLCHM in the 90s, helping create some of the float exhibits on display now, and giving presentations on the history, use, and strategies for collecting glass floats.

In May 2023 the James L. Watson Glass Fishing Float Foundation donated the remaining pieces from Jim’s personal collection to NLCHM. At the time of donation, it was agreed with the Foundation that a portion of the glass floats would be made available for sale, as a fundraiser for the museum, helping with building maintenance and operating costs to ensure that Jim’s collection would have a permanent home. 

After several years of careful review, selection, and appraisal, NLCHM is making the last large portion of these floats available for purchase. "We are proud to be able to provide a permanent home for these one of a kind, beautiful pieces of history," says Executive Director Christopher Melton. "We are ever so grateful to the Watson Foundation for their donation. The future is very uncertain for small non-profit museums like ours, and these funds will help ensure that our museum stays open for years to come." All proceeds will go toward continuing Jim’s legacy within NLCHM's walls by supporting operational expenses, and continuing the museum's mission of providing the public with an educational resource dedicated to the preservation of North Lincoln County history.

There will be a wide variety of floats for sale, ranging in price from $5 to $4,000. This is the final Fundraising event, though additional floats may be made available for purchase through our gift shop at a later date.

Before the sale begins, the viewing room will be open to the public. To make the event as equitable as possible and give everyone a chance to find their float, there will be a lottery drawing at 1PM. People will be let back into the room in numerical order to select and purchase 1 float. 

Event Schedule:

June 6th
11AM – 1PM: Meet & Greet with appraisers and float experts and view the floats for sale.
1PM – 4PM: Lottery drawing and sale begins!
Purchase Limit: 1 Float per Person

June 7th
11AM – 2 PM: Lottery drawing and entry – Purchase Limit: 1 Float per Person
2PM – 4PM: Lottery ends, limit is lifted, and any remaining floats will be available to all!

What: 2025 Watson Glass Fishing Float Fundraiser for NLCHM

Event time: Friday, June 6th & Saturday, June 7th, 2025

Hours: 11AM-4PM

Where: North Lincoln County Historical Museum, 4907 SW Highway 101, Lincoln City, OR, 97367

Cost: Admission to the museum is free! Donations appreciated.

Contact: 541-996-6614, www.nlchm.org