Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some of the questions we are
asked most often. Let us know if you
don't find your answer here.

Do you offer shipping insurance?
Yes. Shipping insurance is free with your paid order, and automatically included on all orders.

Do you appraise glass insululators?
In the vast majority of cases, it is possible to determine the approximate value of a glass insulator without an appraisal. Scroll down to read the section entitled "I want to know the value of an insulator I already have. Can you help?".

I am getting a message that an item is "Currently Temporarily Sold". What does it mean?
The vast majority of items on the Insulator Store are one-of-a-kind. That means that if another collector has added that insulator to their cart, you will receive a message that says, "Temporarily" means that the item has been added to someone's shopping cart, but they have not checked out. If they do not complete the purchase, the item will be free in 2 hours, so please check back."

You can check back to see if the item becomes available again. If the item has been purchased, it will be marked as "Out of Stock". If you continue to see a message that the item is Currently Temporarily Sold, please contact us. 

How do I know the insulators I purchase from you are genuine?
We do not sell painted, irradiated, or otherwise altered insulators. Guaranteed.

How old are the insulators on this site?
All the insulators on this site, with the exception of commemoratives/reproductions, are historic & vintage pieces. Unless we have specifically noted that a piece is a commemorative or a reproduction, you can assume that it is vintage. The dating ranges from just after the American civil war, to the early to mid-1900s. Glass insulators are recognized by the Smithsonian Institute as historic. Many of the insulators found here were used for telegraph purposes and (in addition to being beautiful collectibles) are a part of American history.

I don't see any porcelain insulators on the Insulator Store. Why is that?
The Insulator Store sells mainly North American glass pintype antique & collectible insulators. Though porcelain insulators are also popular, they are simply not our specialty.

I'm new to the hobby. Where should I start?
First of all, welcome! Some collectors like to specialize in a certain type, color or style. Others like to collect whatever interests them. There are so many different insulators that it can be overwhelming at first. You may want to start by collecting a variety of interesting shapes or colors. If you are not certain where to start, drop us a line! We will do our best to make helpful suggestions. You may also want to pick up an insulator price guide. Whether you plan to be a serious or leisurely collector, you'll be glad you did!

I want to know the value of an insulator I already own. Can you help?
You can start by entering the particulars about your insulator (color, exact embossing, etc.) and look up the top book value of the piece at the link below. The value is going to vary based on all those factors, plus rarity and condition. The online lookup is free of charge:

http://insulatoremporium.com/priceguide/PriceGuide.CFM

If you are not familiar with the Consolidated Design (CD) numbering system used to classify insulators, this cross-reference page will help you out in most cases:

http://www.insulators.info/general/styles

If your insulator doesn't have a style number, try searching for it by name on this site. If you find one that looks simililar, you might be in luck. You can ignore drip points on the base, and other features; many styles were made with both smooth bases and bases with either sharp drip points (SDP) or round drip points (RDP). In some cases, you can also overlook subtle differences in shape, due to varying molds used over the years. You might also want to try this site:

http://nia.org/general/g_natpt.htm

If you'd like to get into more detail (or still can't find your insulator), a very helpful price guide book by John and Carol McDougald is available. It is the definitive guide for the hobby, used by collectors at every level. We find it a little easier to use than the above websites. It has all the information the above websites do, as well as drawings, measurements, tables, and lists of known colors for each style with dollar values for each one. It is by far the best tool available to help you identify and price insulators:

http://www.insulatorstore.com/proddetail.asp?prod=NAGPI07

Finally, there are a few other factors that are difficult to measure that can determine the value of an insulator. Traits such as exceptional amounts of snow, amber or bubbles can make a common insulator worth substantially more than book value. We call it "special character". We've created a page on this site where you can read about such traits. Click here to view it.

Does the Insulator Store accept credit cards?
We do accept PayPal, where you can use any major credit card in a secure environment. For your protection, we do not receive, keep or store any of your financial information on this site. We also accept money orders & cashier's checks.

Please explain what the numbers in brackets [] after the word "Embossing" mean that I see on most of your descriptions.
The embossing codes are cross references, and are provided as a convenience. They allow collectors who own the McDougald price guide book to look up the embossing and determine exactly what the insulator says on it, down to the last patent date, comma and period. You can find a bit more about insulator embossings here.

My insulator is a gift, how do I place my order?
Select the insulators or gift items as you normally would. On the item detail page, you can specify if you'd like them gift wrapped. Gift wrap is an available option for most items on the site.

Once the items are added to your cart, you can begin the checkout process as usual. Enter your address in the top portion of the checkout screen. If the shipping details are different, enter them in the Shipping Details section. If you enter an address in the Shipping Details section, the order will be sent to that address. If it is left blank, the order will ship to your address.

You can add a gift message in the Additional Information or Gift Message field if you wish. It will be included in the package.

What does "CD" mean?
"CD" stands for "Consolidated Design" and is the number used to identify the hundreds of different known styles of glass insulators that exist. The system was developed by N.R. Woodward, and was adopted decades ago as the standard in the hobby. Insulators.info offers this description:

"Consolidated Design (CD) numbers are assigned to specific shapes of pintype glass insulators, regardless of the manufacturer, embossing or style number. Minor variations in size or detail do not affect the CD number assigned to an insulator. The CD numbering system is designed to provide a concise way for collectors to refer to these shapes. This system is universally adopted by all collectors, and is used extensively in all aspects of the hobby."

This page lists the different groupings, and helps clarify how insulators are generally categorized. Note that the word 'petticoat' refers to the number of skirts an insulator has.

When will my insulator(s) ship?
Under normal circumstances, your package will ship within 24-48 hours (business days, excluding weekends and holidays) after we receive payment for your order. Depending on our shipping schedule, some orders even ship the same day. UPS orders will receive a confirmation e-mail with your tracking number when your order ships.

Why can't I order more than one of a certain insulator?
When you try to increase the quantity of an insulator in my cart, you get an error message that says "We're sorry, the quantity you added exceeds the amount we have in stock. Please decrease the quantity and try again."

As with most vintage/antique items, the vast majority of insulators on this site are one-of-a-kind. That means there is only one in stock just like it, and in some cases only one in the world just like it!

We do offer a number of different insulators in quantity, and they're ideal for numerous projects. We provide insulators in quantity to landscape architects, lighting designers, retailers large and small, artists, amateur and professional crafters, home do-it-yourselfers and the entertainment industry. If you would like to order a quantity of two or more, we suggest you try these styles. If you still can't find what you're looking for, feel free to contact us.