Collecting Antique Glass and Porcelain Insulators

Looking for something interesting, beautiful and lowmore common names found on glass insulators.There
cost to collect, then try antique insulators. Insulatorsare a wide variety of insulators made of porcelain,
have been used ever since Samuel Morse transmittedceramic, stoneware and other related materials.
the first telegraph message over a short telegraphCollectors primarily focus on pin-types and insulators
line along a railroad between Washington, D.C. andused on early radio receiver antennas. Manufacturer
Baltimore, MD in 1844. Glass insulators were firstnames to look for are Cook, Jobson Bros.,
manufactured in the 1850s for use with telegraphJohns-Manville, Fred M Locke, New Westminster and
lines that were rapidly expanding across America. InVarley.You can determine the age of an antique
the 1920s electricity and telephone signals movedinsulator by looking for any marking stamped or
over open copper wire. At each pole glass insulatorsembossed on its surface. Sometimes the
were used starting this popular hobby of insulatorapproximate age can be determined by a patent
collecting.Insulators come in many sizes, shapes anddate on the insulator. The last glass insulator
colors. They were made of many different typesmanufacturer in the United States was Kerr, located
materials including rubber, porcelain, pottery, glass,in Millville, NJ. Kerr stopped producing insulators in
composition, fiberglass, metal, wood and mica. Glass1979. Value is determined by many factors such as
and porcelain insulators are extensively collected bycondition, manufacturer, quantity made, color, age
manufacturer and color.Glass insulators are usuallyand demand by collectors. The best place to buy
found marked with a manufacturer or users nameantique insulators is eBay.Glyn Farber has published a
embossed on the insulator such as Hemingray No.9.catalog of all known Hickey Brother Cigar Store
made by the Hemingray Glass Company that wasTokens and co-authored a book about Louisiana
located in Muncie, Indiana. The American TelephoneTrade Tokens. In addition he wrote several articles
and Telegraph Co. embossed their insulators with AMfor The Token and Medal Society (TAMS) and The
TEL & TEL Co. Most insulators were marked on theirNational Token Collectors Association (NTCA). Glyn
crown or skirt. Armstrong's, Brookfield, California,has been a devoted collector of Louisiana Trade
Diamond, Dominion, Hemingray, Kerr, Lynchburg,Tokens, Louisiana collectibles and Lake Charles, LA
Maydwell, NEGM and Whitall Tatum are some of thepostcards for almost 40 years.