SAY IT ISN'T SO

The above line of a familiar song just about sums up my feelings about the recent article published in the Old Bottle Magazine as a reprint from the Wall Street Journal. It was not too long ago that the Wall Street Journal also published an article about Grandma at Grundy Center, Iowa and how well she was doing on her investments in plates. Both articles were misleading with many half-truths or statements based on one instance.

I would like to establish a few facts about insulator collectors. First, they are not thieves. There are thousands of insulator collectors who have never climbed a pole. A visit to any show would indicate that they come from all walks of life--bankers, bakers, teachers, lawyers, housewives, and common folk from all ages.

Second, these people collect insulators for the fun of putting together collections of type, name, color and size. They enjoy learning about insulators through the study of books, magazines and published articles. They attend club meetings and insulator shows, and a true insulator collector would rather talk about his insulators than eat.

Third, insulator collectors are honest, reliable people with a code of ethics. Not long ago I sent a check to an insulator collector in Maine for an insulator. In my letter I said it should be mint (perfect). When the insulator arrived there was a note saying that he would not cash my check until he heard from me, as there was a small nick in the insulator. Most of the business of the insulator collector is carried on by telephone and by mail order from published lists describing the insulators and the prices. I am certain the exchange of insulators approaches in confidence and honesty the dealing of the stock exchange.

The Old Bottle Magazine was one of the first to have an insulator section. I started reading Frances Terrill's articles on insulators. In 1968 we went West for our vacation, and you guessed it, a visit with Frances in her house in Portland, Oregon. We were complete strangers, but within minutes we were viewing her collection, and when we left she had prepared a box of about thirty insulators for us to take with us with only our promise to send her a like number from our community. She gave the insulator collector the dimension of honesty.

We are insulator collectors--proud of our hobby--working hard to make it better--not thieves, but honest people having fun in an educational manner. To these ends we have formed the National Insulator Association with a code of ethics and with the determination of building an outstanding hobby. Our first president--Fred Griffin--a dentist.