Amazing Prices Paid For Glass Insulators

Amazing Prices Paid For Glass Insulators FARM HOME Miscellaneous When it comes to antique glass insulators value is mostly about shape and color The rarest ones sell for more than $10 000 says Bill Meier of Bill and Jill Insulators Carlisle Mass One sold recently for $20 000 because it was oddly shaped and only 4 or 5 are known to exist he adds One thing that is unusual about insulators is that a 100-year-old insulator can be very common and only worth a dollar Meier notes That’s because billions of the glass caps were made first for telegraph poles in the 1850’s and then for power and telephone poles until the 1960’s The earliest insulators were threadless and slipped over a peg on a pole Threaded insulators were developed in 1865 These insulators screwed on a pin like a nut screws on a bolt Meier who started collecting as a child says there are certain things to look for Collectors often try to collect one of every shape - such as those that deviate from round have projections on the side or a slotted top and are higher value Many of the designs were prototypes and not widely adopted Meier says Color especially purple and bright hues is also sought after At a 2014 auction for example a common-shaped but brilliant orange amber insulator that usually comes in light aqua sold for almost $11 000 Finally insulators made by small companies tend to be worth more since fewer were made Also valuable are the first insulators that were threadless If they are in good shape they can sell high such as a dark blue Civil War era insulator that sold recently for $1 925 People interested in insulators can find information at www insulators info You can purchase catalogs or check out online auctions conducted by many businesses such as the Meiers who are hosting an auction in late September Dedicated auctions usually net more profit for sellers than eBay and other Internet sites Meier says Meier added that he and other auction businesses can usually let people know if they have a valuable insulator just by a description over the phone Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Bill and Jill Insulators 103 Canterbury Ct Carlisle Mass 01741 ph 978 369-0208; www billandjillinsulators com; auctions@billandjillinsulators com

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