Insulator swap meet in Dalton

IF YOU GOWhat: Insulator swap meet.When: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday.Where: Dalton Freight Depot, 305 S. Depot St., Dalton, Ga.Admission: Free.Phone: 423-756-4106 or 423-326-9248.Email: wgh@tnaqua.org.

Collectors from at least eight states are expected in Dalton, Ga., Saturday for the Dixie Jewels Insulator Club's insulator swap meet.

Tables will be filled with these glass and porcelain collectibles, which commonly are seen at the top of power poles with electric wires attached to them. Sometimes several will be mounted on a wooden cross called a crossarm. Their practical purpose, said club president Bill Haley, is to hold the wire away from the power pole or crossarm to prevent electric wires from touching other objects and the electric current from leaking to the ground.

Most are made of porcelain, plastics or composition materials now, he said. Glass, a favorite with modern collectors, was used for many decades but is rarely seen in service these days.

Insulators are prized by collectors for their visual appeal.

"Many were produced when quality control as we know it today wasn't a top priority," Haley said. "This gives them individuality and character. The fact that they were manufactured in many colors, shapes and embossings is a win-win situation for modern-day admirers."

According to Haley, color, condition, rarity, popularity of a particular style and other variables, such as bubbles, milky or amber swirls, rocks or other objects in the glass can add value to an insulator.

"It is interesting that many very early collectors deemed those latter variables as a detriment, thinking they decreased value," he said. "Today, many collectors avidly collect insulators with 'junk' in them and will pay a premium for the best examples."

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