I had a box of porcelains around for some time which I considered of little value or interest. But when I recently unpacked them to refresh my mind of what was in there, out popped a U-630 with an underglaze LOCKE marking. As the cobwebs cleared from my mind, I thought it strange to see a LOCKE underglaze. This was worth checking, so I turned to your Porcelain Insulators Guide Book, the 1971 First Edition, and sure enough on page 141:

"All 'Victor' and 'Locke' markings I have ever seen from 1896 to the very last ones have been incuse markings with one exception, and that one is illustrated below. Of possibly 20,000 miscellaneous Locke insulators I have seen, this is the lone specimen I have come across with an under-glaze marking (yellow ink)." 

My Locke fits this exactly, even to the yellow ink. Do I have something of value, or is it worth nothing extra except to a Locke specialist? Have thousands of these surfaced since you wrote that, or is it still relatively rare as markings go?

Another question, I collect blue glaze porcelains and wondered what you have seen that you would consider rare in this color. I paid $45 for a blue U-206 transposition, and I don't know if that's good, bad or proper value for this item. 
Tim Wood, NIA #1099
Scio, Oregon

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Dear Tim:

That statement about the old Locke underglaze marking was deleted from the second edition (1976) of the book, since we subsequently discovered the various Fred Locke underglaze markings used in the 1890's, plus also the 1962-1968 underglaze marking (#15 below) they used on certain large sky-glaze pin types. 

Even as unusual as an underglaze marking was for Locke, I don't think collectors, even Locke specialists, would go very far out of their way to add this yellow-ink underglaze marking to their crowded shelves. The insulator styles themselves are infinitely more important than the particular form of marking device used on them. I just pointed it out in the book that it was a bit interesting to note that of the many millions of insulators made by Locke over so many years, this was the only instance where they departed from their ordinary method of marking them.

Cobalt blue glaze is quite unusual for any pin type porcelains aside from styles commonly used as secondary distribution power insulators. Virtually any of the special-use insulators in cobalt would be real goodies. Few are known. I've never even heard of a blue U-206 transposition before and think it would be worth at least $45 -- or more.

Jack

Dear Jack: 

Recently while driving through central Florida, I saw some U-414's on an abandoned line that ran for at least 10 miles. The three-phase line had two conductors on outboard line posts on a crossarm, and the third wire on a sky pin with these U-414's. There was also miles of line with the wires remaining, and these poles also have U- 414's.

I think this line has been abandoned for some time, because I saw it a few years ago on the way to an insulator show. If I ever get any of these, I'll let you know. 
Paul Colburn, NIA #1348 
Lake Worth, Florida 

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The design of the U-414 as a high-voltage insulator was a flop electrically (lightning flashover), so most of them are probably buried in dumps. Except for a couple of such abandoned lines now known, collectors have never had a chance to find any of this short-lived style.

Jack

Dear Jack: 

Thought I would let you know that I obtained some U-762's with the GLADCO marking, These are real easy to spot because of their greenish-blue glaze -- almost blue instead of the normal sky-glaze color. They are somewhat crude, and the glaze job isn't too good either. 

I've seen many hundreds of this insulator style, but looked for over three years for these "gems". These six (all on the same pole) are the only ones I've ever seen.

Do you know how many insulators were in that initial shipment? Would you consider them uncommon at best? Do you know of anyone who might want one? If not, I'll turn the extra five back into the warehouse to be used again.
Robert Chiantelli 
55 Carlton Dr. 
Monetery, CA 93940 

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Dear Robert: 

Other than the single specimen sent to me a number of years ago, I've never heard anything from collectors about availability of GLADCO insulators. They might be in use only in the Pacific Gas & Electric system, and I have no idea of how many were made, or if they are still being made by Gladding up in San Jose. 

A number of years ago Arizona Public Service Co. evaluated samples of Gladding pin types and rejected their use because of their quality. It could be that PG&E eventually came to the same conclusion and that Gladding has thrown in the towel on manufacturer of pole line insulators. 

I'd guess that most collectors do not have a GLADCO insulator. Before you turn the extras back for reuse, you could consider sending one to anyone who wants one -- maybe a 10-spot each for the trouble to pack & mail (zone 8 postage alone would be about $4 each), Anyone interested can contact you by letter at the above address. 

Jack

Dear Jack:

I'm sending for your retention this little porcelain item I found at our local flea market. (This is a small ashtray, a bowl shape bisected with a rectangular barrier containing five square holes for snuffing out cigarettes. Yellow glaze, bottom firing rest, marking as above circularly embossed in double lines around the center of the base. JHT)

Since it was marked with the company name and shows a patent number, I wondered if it was a giveaway advertiser item, or was the patent for the ashtray design itself? I was also curious as to whether National Porcelain Co. made any electrical porcelain material. 

The lady I got it from probably thought I was nuts to offer to buy the ashtray she was using. She said this was the last item on her table anyone would even look at, and she hadn't even thought of selling it. I know she thought I was nuts when I explained that I wasn't interested in the ashtray -- just the name and numbers marked on it! 
Malcom R. Sanders, NIA #1567 
Starke, Florida 

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Dear Malcom: 

It figures this ashtray was not an "advertiser" item. Because of the patent and the "SNUF-A-RETTE" tradename for the item which would snuff out butts, it was probably an ordinary proprietary product of the company. The patent number 2,100,073 dates that patent as approximately 11/30/37.

National Porcelain Company did make electrical porcelain insulators, and the company history is given in my book "Electrical Porcelain". It was established in 1906, located at 500 Southland St., Trenton, NJ. The company was sold for $186,120 in a receivers sale to the former plant manager in 1953, and thereafter operated as National Ceramic Co. We have no definite info as to markings used by the older company on porcelain insulators they made. 

Jack

Dear Jack:

I recently acquired this multipart insulator at a flea market. It appears to be finely made, having a beautiful blue-grey glaze all over except the threads and the firing surface on the crown top. It has a "VICTOR" handstamp marking on the top skirt. Is this a Locke item, and when was it made? Also, is this a common or scarce item?
David Turner 
Virginia Beach, VA 

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Dear David: 

Yes, this lilly-shell style is an early classic item, made by Locke at Victor, N.Y., vintage about 1902 to 1906 (close enough?). If you paid less than about $30 for this jewel, you should have a guilt feeling! 

Jack