ARGH! A total
mess!
Come back soon -- it will be cleaned up!
COMING! PICTURES OF OUR LATEST ACQUISITIONS!
The Insulator Zone Gallery
What We Collect
Trying to collect all of the different types of insulators would drive just about anyone bonkers - so we have decided to do a bit of specialization.
Of
course we do collect the occasional odds and ends...
we're not perfect after all!
For more information on CD numbers, the history of insulators and other stuff, please check out the links listed here. These folks have dedicated whole web sites to the collecting hobby! By the way, Don and I are both members of the National Insulator Association.
Chicago
Diamonds - CD 135
We have a bunch of these beauties - including milky in all three embossing styles! Too cool!
Two-Piece
Transpositions (Tramps)
CD 190/191 (about 106 color combinations/types)
CD 192/193 (3 types) and CD 192.1/192.1 (4 types)
CD 194/195 (3 types) and CD 194.5/195.5 (1 type - ulp! Very expensive)
We would love to be able to collect all of these beauties - but some are QUITE pricey. They are unusual because they are really two different insulators that are put together.
Oh well - every collector should have something to strive towards.
Ohio
Valley Glass Company
This collecting is a bit different because it is not limited to collecting by CD number, but by manufacturer.
Since we live in Ohio, we thought that collecting an Ohio company would be kinda cool. But imagine my surprise when I found out that the OVG Co. was based in Pleasant City, Ohio. Now, that may not mean much to you, but it is where my grandparents live, where my dad graduated from high school, and where I spent the first year of my life! OVG insulators are interesting because they were only manufactured from 1903-1905.
Pretty interesting, eh?
We own all eight different CD styles manufactured by this company - even the hard to get 196! Now if we can only get our hands on one of those rare purple ones!!
Pleated
Varieties 
CD 121 - Pat. Other and CD 143 - Canadian No Name and CD 144 - Canadian No Name
These insulators are cool because they are ridged, ringed and otherwise ribbed in various ways.
CD 162.5
The Pennsylvania RR went by my house - right over the hill. My mother would have freaked to know that we used to go play on the railroad tracks.
Six of the eight insulators in CD 162.5 were made for the Pennsylvania RR.
Hemingray
CD162, embossing [070] (Signals)
After we started looking at our collection, we realized that we didn't have a whole lot of color variation. Except for the really rare purple, the OVG's are pretty much greens. The Chicago Diamonds are all aqua, blue aqua or blue - throw in the occassional milk. The tramps have a bit of color - but not a wide range. So we looked at what we already had, and noticed that we had a beautiful cobalt blue Hemingray 162 [070]. We looked some more and found a couple of olive greens. We looked in the Price Guide and noticed that there were a nice range of colors. Since we already had some, we thought a few more couldn't hurt.
You do realize that my hubby is one smart fella! He likes the same type of insulators I like! I wonder why???? Hmmmm......
Wanna Wanna Wanna
(The whine list)
Emminger CD 141.9
I would LOVE to have one of these. I thought that it was really cool and immediately dubbed it "The Dalek" because that's what I thought that it looked like. (Dr. Who and insulators combined??) I was totally crushed to find out that they are RARE and price at $10,000 + . Ouch!
Maybe someone will put out a "Dalek" reproduction, just so I can have one!
I got to hold an absolutely mint one of these at the National Show in Williamsburg, Virginia this summer. They are really, really neat insulators. I have never been so nervous holding an insulator!
Castle - CD 206
Their nickname is just how they look - although when I first saw one I called it a "rook". These are not totally inaccessible and I would be be happy just to have one - not a whole collection.
I
got one at the London, Ohio Insulator Show! Ok,
ok...so now I DO want another one!)
Harloe - CD 206.5 or 109.5
I fell in love with these when I went to my first insulator show in London, Ohio.
Pricey, pricey! But maybe someday....
Links To Insulator Sites
Glass
Insulators Home Page
Crown
Jewels of the Wire
National
Insulator Association
Collector's Crossing -
Other Collector's Pages!
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After viewing these pages, you may find yourself scouting out those old railroad tracks.