| Looking for something interesting, beautiful and | | | | some of the more common names found on |
| low cost to collect, then try antique insulators. | | | | glass insulators.There are a wide variety of |
| Insulators have been used ever since Samuel | | | | insulators made of porcelain, ceramic, stoneware |
| Morse transmitted the first telegraph message | | | | and other related materials. Collectors primarily |
| over a short telegraph line along a railroad | | | | focus on pin-types and insulators used on early |
| between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, MD in | | | | radio receiver antennas. Manufacturer names to |
| 1844. Glass insulators were first manufactured in | | | | look for are Cook, Jobson Bros., Johns-Manville, |
| the 1850s for use with telegraph lines that were | | | | Fred M Locke, New Westminster and Varley.You |
| rapidly expanding across America. In the 1920s | | | | can determine the age of an antique insulator by |
| electricity and telephone signals moved over open | | | | looking for any marking stamped or embossed on |
| copper wire. At each pole glass insulators were | | | | its surface. Sometimes the approximate age can |
| used starting this popular hobby of insulator | | | | be determined by a patent date on the insulator. |
| collecting.Insulators come in many sizes, shapes | | | | The last glass insulator manufacturer in the United |
| and colors. They were made of many different | | | | States was Kerr, located in Millville, NJ. Kerr |
| types materials including rubber, porcelain, pottery, | | | | stopped producing insulators in 1979. Value is |
| glass, composition, fiberglass, metal, wood and | | | | determined by many factors such as condition, |
| mica. Glass and porcelain insulators are extensively | | | | manufacturer, quantity made, color, age and |
| collected by manufacturer and color.Glass | | | | demand by collectors. The best place to buy |
| insulators are usually found marked with a | | | | antique insulators is eBay.Glyn Farber has published |
| manufacturer or users name embossed on the | | | | a catalog of all known Hickey Brother Cigar Store |
| insulator such as Hemingray No.9. made by the | | | | Tokens and co-authored a book about Louisiana |
| Hemingray Glass Company that was located in | | | | Trade Tokens. In addition he wrote several |
| Muncie, Indiana. The American Telephone and | | | | articles for The Token and Medal Society (TAMS) |
| Telegraph Co. embossed their insulators with AM | | | | and The National Token Collectors Association |
| TEL & TEL Co. Most insulators were marked on | | | | (NTCA). Glyn has been a devoted collector of |
| their crown or skirt. Armstrong's, Brookfield, | | | | Louisiana Trade Tokens, Louisiana collectibles and |
| California, Diamond, Dominion, Hemingray, Kerr, | | | | Lake Charles, LA postcards for almost 40 years. |
| Lynchburg, Maydwell, NEGM and Whitall Tatum are | | | | |