Insulator Sells for $10K

[UncleFester]

I thought Craig sould see this.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[Orion]

Maybe I should check out the ones I have. Wouldn't that be something! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[tvodrd]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/faint.gif I just checked the one I found out in the desert about 25 years ago. It's green glass and has patent dates of 1870 and 1877. Appears to have been made by "W BROOKFIELD" at "55 FULTON ST N Y" Anybody got one of the collector guides?

Larry

 

[Chris M.]

Wow /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif


I know there are some very early light bulbs (my big interest) that are worth several thousand $$$ to the wealthiest of collectors (unfortunately not me) but the values of early insulators never cease to amaze me! Supply and demand and all that I guess - insulators attract a much larger interest than light bulbs.

Wonder if my two are worth anything....? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[The_LED_Museum]

I've seen glass insulators sell for more than $25,000.00 so I'm not at all surprised that this one sold for $10K.

 

[vtunderground]

That's pretty cool. Does anyone know any more about this insulator?

I've found a few uncommon insulators, but nothing that'd sell for more than $150... and certainly nothing like that one!

 

[tvodrd]

After a bunch of Googling, I found it. It's a CD126 (whatever that means) and there's a much cleaner one than mine on Ebay right now.
CD126
(Current bid: $.11 /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif )

Larry

 

[The_LED_Museum]

A CD126 insulator is commonly known as a "blobtop" among collectors. I have one, and I believe I paid somewhat under $20.00 for it.

 

[vtunderground]

[ QUOTE ]
tvodrd said:
It's a CD126 (whatever that means) and there's a much cleaner one than mine on Ebay right now.
CD126
(Current bid: $.11 /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif )
Larry

[/ QUOTE ]

I just looked in the price guide... Yours is probably worth $5-10, but it depends on the exact embossing and color.

 

[PhotonWrangler]

Geez, I have one that was blown off a power pole in my neighborhood several years ago during an unusually violent thunderstorm. It looks pretty plain, but I have no idea how to describe it. Probably worth less than the price of shipping it anywhere!

 

[Orion]

[ QUOTE ]
tvodrd said:
After a bunch of Googling, I found it. It's a CD126 (whatever that means) and there's a much cleaner one than mine on Ebay right now.
CD126
(Current bid: $.11 /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif )

Larry

[/ QUOTE ]

Does it look like this?

Because the place I got this picture says it is between $250-$300 for the yellow green one. [190] (F-Crown) W. BROOKFIELD/55 FULTON ST. N.Y. {Note backwards letter} (R-Crown) PAT.FEB 22 1870/ " JAN 25 " / " " 14 1879 {MLOD} SB

If it had NO name on it, . . .$1,000-$1,250.

 

[Orion]

I see the Ebay page now. I guess the green glass ones are worth considerably more. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[tvodrd]

Orion,

Mine is green like the one you pictured. However mine lacks any circumferential lettering. (Must have been a patent issue with M@g. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif ) Mine also has the number "12" on top.

Larry

 

[Orion]

vtunderground's price guide has a much lower price for the CD126 than where I got my information from. Not sure who's is more accurate. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

 

[georges80]

Hmm, I have some that I collect when back in the Australian bush for holidays. They use to be used for 1 wire telephones that were put up by the station owners between homesteads. Usually mounted on poles that were hand cut and cleaned up local trees. They would go for many many miles and the system was a party phone. Now while heading down old bush tracks I occasionally find them on the ground or still on an old pole - just a matter of knocking it down then - good use for the roobar /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

george.

 

[vtunderground]

[ QUOTE ]
Orion said:
vtunderground's price guide has a much lower price for the CD126 than where I got my information from. Not sure who's is more accurate. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

"CD126" refers to the shape of this particular insulator. Six manufacturers made insulators in this shape. Brookfield is one of those manufacturers, and they used 26 or so different embossings and a number of different colors. Most of the embossing and colors (like light aqua) are common, and not worth that much. A few of the embossings and colors (like green) are rare and therefore worth more, a few up to $10,000.

tvodrd, if you can post the exact embossing on your insulator (all numbers & letters, including any that're backwards or missing), I'll look up the book value for you.

 

[The_LED_Museum]

You must be using a newer price guide than me. Mine shows only five manufacturers of insulators in this CD.

The price guide I'm using is called "INSULATORS A History and Guide to North American Glass Pintype Insulators", 1999 price guide, by John & Carol McDougald.

 

[The_LED_Museum]

[ QUOTE ]
Chris M. said:
Wonder if my two are worth anything....? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
I'm not an expert on porcelain insulators, so I honestly can't answer this question. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jpshakehead.gif
Best bet here is to visit http://www.r-infinity.com/ and ask its webmaster, Elton Gish. He welcomes emailed questions (it says so right on the website), so go ahead and ask him.

 

[Chris M.]

I was actually just having a bit of fun, I`m sure they aren`t worth anything. I found them seperately over the last few years, neither are very old. The big strainer is still in very common use here, found on telegraph pole guy-wires, no date that I can make out. The little spool carries a 1950 date and was probably commonly found on the home end of incoming GPO phone cables, I suspect that style still is in fact.

Vast values aside, I don`t think I could start collecting any more of these things though. No room, among the light bulbs, flashlights and boxed decoration sets here. Still it`d be great to find a rare and valuable 1800s glass one just laying in the dirt someplace. That`s probably a dream for most insuoator fans!


/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[Roy]

Chris....did you get your lights up this Holiday Season?