Collecting Antique Glass and Porcelain Insulators

Looking for something interesting, beautiful and collect low cost, then try antique insulators. Insulators have been increasingly used since Samuel Morse, the first telegraph message over a short telegraph line along a railroad line between Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD in 1844. Glass insulators were first produced in the 1850s for use with telegraph lines were rapidly extended to America. In the 1920s drew electricity and telephone signals over copper wire open.Used on each pole glass insulators have been collected from this popular hobby insulator.

Insulators come in many sizes, shapes and colors. They were made of many different materials such as rubber, porcelain, ceramics, glass, composition, fiberglass, metal, wood and mica. Glass and porcelain insulators are collected primarily by the manufacturer and color.

Glass insulators are found generally with a manufacturer or user name embossed on the insulator such as severeHemingray No.9. made by the Hemingray Glass Company, which was in Muncie, Indiana. The American Telephone and Telegraph Co. in determining its insulators with AT TEL TEL & Co. Most of the insulators were marked on their crown or skirt. Armstrong, Brookfield, California, Diamond, Dominion, Hemingray, Kerr, Lynchburg, Maydwell, Negm and Whitall Tatum are some of the most common names found on glass insulators.

There are a variety of insulators made of porcelain, ceramic,Stoneware and other related materials. Collectors used primarily focus on pin-type insulators, and the early radio receiver antennas. Manufacturer names are to be sought, Cook, Jobson Bros., Johns-Manville, Fred M Locke, New Westminster and Varley.

You can determine the age of an antique insulator by stamping each marking is stamped or on its surface. Sometimes, the approximate age can be covered by a patent date will be determined on the insulator. The last glass insulator manufacturer in theUnited States was Kerr, located in Millville, NJ. Kerr presented his production of insulators in 1979. The value is determined by many factors such as condition, manufacturer, quantity, make, color, age, and demand from collectors. The best place to buy antique insulators, is eBay.

movie rentals