Let's go to Muncie and Coolie land this tine for our interview, and that can only mean one place; Montana. Butte, to be specific. Therefore, our collectors must be Marvin and Vicki Miller.

In 1974 we had the pleasure of visiting the Millers, and on that same trip, we saw Muncies and Coolies in service, which was a beautiful sight to see (for insulator buffs). We also saw stackers on the line, some of which had the amber bases.

Marvin and Vicki first became interested in insulators in 1968, after a visit that year from Vicki's parents. Vicki says, "My mother, being an avid 'antiquer', was saying that insulators were the rage back in New York, and asked that we try to find some for her when we were visiting the old gold mining areas in Montana. Well, we kept an eye open for insulators and the next thing we knew, we were hooked on collecting them."

They started out collecting anything in glass with preferences for purple and power glass, and have stayed with that from the beginning. Once something goes into their collection, it doesn't come out. That includes the fifteen varieties of aqua Hemingray 9's!

Marvin and Vicki are both, collectors. They list their favorite insulator as their large set of ten Cochrane purple bells, that were used in power substations in Montana. There are only about six sets of them known. But as for favorites, they say they don't really have any; they love them all. Marvin's main "want" is the purple Jumbo (CD 140); Vicki's is the purple blob top. About six years ago Vicki counted their insulators, which at that tine numbered over 3,000; they have more than that now.

Vicki continues, "For the first year or so, we collected blindly, not knowing that we were not the only crazy people in the world who loved those lumps of glass. During this early time we collected three of everything, no matter what it was. The first national show we attended was the second one at Colorado springs [Colorado]. I don't recall that we sold anything, but we had a fabulous two days trading everything in sight.

"During the early years (early 1970's), the power glass from Montana -- stackers, Coolies, and Muncies -- built our collection, as it had not been exported from here to any extent at that time. Arriving at a national (for in stance Hershey, Pennsylvania), we were literally selling the power glass as fast as we could unpack it."

Marvin holding a lime green Chambers CD 317.

Marvin was born in Laramie, Wyoming, on May 9, 1941. He attended college at the University of Montana at Missoula, then went to Indiana University for graduate work in hydrogeology, graduating from there in1967. He has lived in Laramie, Big Timber, Montana, and Butte.

Vicki with an emerald green Knowles CD 321
and a cobalt N.A.T. CO. CD 151.

Vicki was born in Buffalo, New York, on January 16, 1945, attending State University of New York at Oswego. She then went to Indiana U. for graduate work in geology, finishing in January 1968. She has lived in Buffalo, Hornell, and Syracuse, New York, and Butte. They met at Indiana U., and were married on April 10, 1968. Marvin is a hydrogeologist for the state of Montana, and Vicki is a substitute science teacher in Butte. They have two sons; James R., age 12, and Robert T., age 14. 

The Millers have displayed at many shows in the past, winning several ribbons for their efforts. One beautiful display which many collectors will remember well, was one of all purple glass called "Riders of the Purple Sage".

Along with collecting insulators, Marvin and Vicki also enjoy stamp collecting, antiques, and genealogy. They are nice people to know and talk to. They have a beautiful collection, and hopefully, we will see more displays from them in the future.

Marvin with a gray purple Locke CD 293.

Vicki and threadless'; an 
olive green No Name CD 740 
and a cobalt Tillotson CD 731.