The Virtual Insulator Collections

When I first started collecting, I wanted everything I could get my hands on. Gradually I came to realize that I was most interested in the wide variety of shapes that insulators come in. At a certain point in time, I went through my collection and got rid of all my duplicates, and formed the first real collection that I consider that I have today -- CDs -- Integral Numbers. I did keep a number of other insulators for sentimental reasons and because I liked the colors. These formed the basis of the Miscellaneous and Colors collections. After a while, I discovered that I wasn't getting too many new insulators because there weren't that many more integral CD numbers I could find -- so I decided to branch out and start picking up the points, hence the CDs -- Points collection. In 1983 I was an exchange student in France, where I got a nice number of French insulators. In addition, I have accumulated a good number of insulators from other countries, through travel, friends and family. These form the basis of the French and Foreign collections. Last, but certainly not least, I have acquired an interest in the various manufacturers and the ideas that they had about making insulators. This forms the basis of my final two collections currently, Embossings and Patents.

Please note that a single insulator can actually be in multiple collections. For example, my CD 728.4 Brookfield is in the CDs -- Points collection and also in the Patents collection.

General Views

When we moved back in 2000, I just stuck all my insulators out on bookcases of one sort or another. I've been meaning to get some lightboxes to really display them nicely, but with one thing and another, have never gotten around to it. With a couple of young kids in the house now, it would be rather nice to get them behind glass doors for a bit of protection!

CDs 100-211	CDs 213-307	The Points	Note that the Rogue's Gallery pictured on the front page is no more -- it has been put "in-line" with all the other CDs!
French	Primary Embossings