Insulators like the ones found on the top of old telephone poles are often overlooked by those who have not been introduced to them. But insulators, fire grenades, target balls, lightning rod balls and other glass made for industry in past years is now collected. A fall Glass Discoveries & Pole Top Discoveries auction by Ray Klingensmith brought amazing prices–especially amazing for those who are unfamiliar with the hobby. A CD 726 red insulator sold for $24,640 (“CD” stands for “Consolidated Design”). A CD 726 cornflower blue example was $8,400. And a bright aqua CD 736 E.R.W. (Erie Railway) insulator with a threadless bracket brought $10,080. But of course some of the more common insulators sold for prices as low as $168. The most common insulators offered at flea markets can sell for just $1.
Photo source: Pole Top Discoveries
Thanks for all the comments. I am mentioning them in the next Kovels Komments so others will look at the blog for your excellent help.
Terry Kovel
If someone wants to learn more about insulators (electrical or telephone) there is an excellent source in an online magazine called, “Crown Jewels of The Wire”.
http://www.cjow.com/
I collect insulators. There is a price guide available. Go to: http://www.insulators.info and click on “Looking for the Price Guide Browser?” However, please note…..Identifying an insulator is not that easy! There are hundreds of different kinds/designs – designated by a CD “consolidated design” number…within each CD there are many manufacturers and could contain hundreds of embossings (or markings) on the pieces. Also,what type of base does it have..many different kinds. And then there are the colors…..even seasoned collectors may differ about what color is what. Identification is very very exacting! Good luck!
The insulator Price Guide used by us in the hobby is what collectors use to determine value. Go to insulators.info for links.
What makes an insulator collectible are:
1. Color – people like purples, cobalt blue, ambers, and other than the majority of clear or aqua colors. Although some CD’s are rare in clear or aqua and can still be more valuable.
2. Name of company on the insulator (if any). Some people specialize in a certain name.
3. Collectability – how many are available –rare = higher value.
4. Desirability – there are some insulators that are rare, but since, for some reason, they do not appeal to the majority of collectors, they are not priced high.
Also, on insulators.info is a forum (ICON). Sign up for free and ask questions. You will find the majority of people in the insulator hobby to be helpful and forthright in sharing information.
The Hemingray 42 is the most common of all insulators ever made. They are very common in clear, aqua, and also fairly in a beautiful color called “Hemingray Blue.” However, all glass insulators are antique as the last one was made in the late 1970’s. Also, the thing i like about them is realizing the information that passed through the telephone wire it was holding.
Go to insulators.info or NIA.ord for the two most comprehensive insulator sites on the web. On insulators.info you can join the ICON mailing list where you can easily post questions about any insulators you have. Unlike other hobbies I have been associated with, you will find 99% of the insulator collecting community are people who are NOT tight-lipped and readily share their hobby/info/etc. with you.
This insulator above is threadless – ie. no internal threads in the dome. Making it short, threaded pinhole (or just “threaded”) insulators were patented in 1865. Most insulators in the hobby are threaded.
Hence this item in the catalog was expensive b/c it is threadless; a very, very rare color for any insulator – “Cranberry” red; and even this type of threadless- there a re many styles or CD’s of threadless – is not one of the most common ones.
BTW – this is a Canadian made piece. And it has probably not been on a pin on a pole since the 1870’s when it was very likely replaced with a threaded insulator of some type. Since all poles and insulators have been traded out many times since the Civil War era, it also is very, very unlikely a threadless example will be found on a pole nowadays. Being hit by lightening is most likely more common of an event – but it is not impossible.
A little more information in the article would be most helpful; differences between old & reproduced, how to tell if you found the mother-lode and what the common’s look like, etc. Does anyone ever answer the questions posted here?
One thing I have learned in the secondary market is that people are fairly tight lipped about what knowledge they may or may not have…
how do you know if ours are worth anything or are common ones?
I have one of these that is clear and in very good condition. It is marked Heminggray-42. Anyone have any thoughts on it?
i am very familiar with insulators but i got a couple from a friend that are almost black and they are wood with threads and a threaded post in them. Can anyone tell me something about these please?