The $75 to $100 Category

How to begin? "Once upon a time" is no good because this is no fairy tale. What a job I created for myself when I told the editor I would try to help collectors in pricing insulators from my observations at shows and lists received thru the mails, plus shops I have visited and collectors I have talked to.

So here goes, feet first. Of course, you realize the $75 figure can be tops for some and starting price for others. I had planned on listing the CALIFORNIA S.C.A. helmet (CD 260) in this category, as I felt it was selling for about $85 to $90, but at the Woodland insulator meet there were two mint S.C.A. California helmets (CD 260) for $100 each. Some insulators that are rare are rapidly rising in price. Of course, if you are lucky, you may find someone who isn't interested in insulators and make a good buy or trade. Another one going out of sight in price is the Purple CALIFORNIA egg or strain insulator.

One insulator that I failed to mention (and there probably are a lot of them) in the $100 category is the CHAMBERS. I know of a woman who just got one for $10. What a buy!

I think I mentioned in the October 1969 issue that these prices are for mint or on the very rare insulators, near mint. Plus the fact these prices aren't stationary. The prices may go up or down, but most of the time they go up.

Following are just a few of the insulators I have mentioned in Price Guide Lines.

From left to right: Chicago diamond, blue aqua (CD 135); California helmet, S.C.A. (CD 260); Jeffery Mine insulator, aqua. (CD 185) (This insulator has the embossing upside down.)

From left to fight: Columbia, aqua (CD 263); No. 3 Cable, aqua (CD 254); NATCo., peacock blue (CD 151); E.C.&M. CO., olive amber (CD 123).

From left to right: Homer Brooks, aqua (CD 133.1); Cutter, aqua (CD 1001); Mulford & Biddle, U.P.R.R., aqua (CD 735); California helmet, yellow-gold (CD 260); California egg or strain insulator, green (CD 1030)