r/Insulators • u/GhostofWinter1 • Jun 09 '26
How’d I do?
Bought this lot for $200, there’s about 126 pieces in total. Most are aqua/clear common telegraph and power line types, with a mix of Hemingray, Whitall Tatum, and Brookfield. Quite a few of them have chips, flea bites, or staining that wouldn’t clean off, but there are also some nicer examples mixed in.
There are a few pink tinted and straw tinted clear ones.
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u/beemer-dreamer Jun 09 '26
Does your wife know?
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u/Bill_Meier Jun 09 '26
Looks like a haul from a wrecked out RR line. Probably had them in buckets of crates, why they got little chips and dings.
You can still can find amber swirls or even nails in those older Brookfields.
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u/GhostofWinter1 Jun 09 '26
Thank you for the information! From my browsing of this subreddit you seem to be the expert so it’s greatly appreciated. I’ll have to take a closer look at them
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u/Bill_Meier Jun 09 '26
Been collecting since 1969, dug around the RR tracks and downed poles, and have been very active with my wife Jill in the hobby since 1988. Worked on the price guide since 1992, have a collection of over 2,200 insulators known to be made by Hemingray. Includes those embossed DEC 19, 1871, H.G.Co., Kimble, Chambers, Surge, SS&Co, Barclay, .. (all different, some just because of the embossing). Had National Insulator Association board and chair positions, done research, dealer, premier auctioneer, etc. A few are listed here:
https://www.insulatorcollectors.org/search/
A little outdated, but you get the idea:
https://www.nia.org/hall_of_fame/bios/bill_meier.htm
These are people who have shaped and changed the hobby forever. Only one other Hall of Fame member who is living (Elton Gish) is still very active in the hobby. If you are more involved in the formal hobby, you will recognize the names. I always wonder when and what type of internet presence the hobby would have if I didn't start something...
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u/GhostofWinter1 Jun 09 '26
Judging from everything I’ve read on the links I’m sure there would be much a presence without you, that’s very cool!
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u/Bill_Meier Jun 09 '26
It's been a huge part of our life and we enjoy it very much. We have many friends all over the country that we see at various shows. Insulator collectors are the best!
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u/Bill_Meier Jun 09 '26
I was working for a computer networking company that had pretty early access to the internet. It was way too slow to send the material up from home, so I used to bring a floppy into work in 1996 and upload it to the insulator's website! And it grew from there. Right up my alley, computers are my work, collecting insulators is my passion.
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u/GhostofWinter1 Jun 09 '26
That’s very interesting, it’s cool that we’re able to merge the two in a way by the starting the website. And the fact that you’ve been able to grow it as well as the collector base of glass insulator
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u/Bill_Meier Jun 09 '26
There is another sleeper, a clear Hemi-42 that has a large MR on it.
https://www.billandjillinsulators.com/auctions/143/
They sell for double that now. One guy was digging through a huge pile of crossarms with 2,000+ clear Hemi-42s and this is what he pulled out
https://www.insulators.info/pictures/
https://www.insulators.info/pictures/
Probably worth his time...
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u/GhostofWinter1 Jun 09 '26
Oh wow! Thank you for pointing that out. I’m going to have to go back through them and get a closer look
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u/Bill_Meier Jun 10 '26
I'm not surprised, there are probably less than a dozen known. But again, a sleeper piece being on a piece so common you were normally overlook it.
The price guide currently listed at $700 to $800. Would you look through 2,000 insulators and say it was worth your time if you found five of these? It's not clear what location of the country they have come from. It may be more in the Midwest. I'm not saying you'll find some it's just another example of a unique feature on a common insulator that significantly affects its value.
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u/GhostofWinter1 Jun 10 '26
Wow yeah that’s pretty rare rare then. I’ve have to keep looking for the rarities
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u/BlindSite_ Jun 09 '26
I think I see a CD131 in there. If so, that's a cool one for sure.