We are home after a wonderful road trip through the Canadian Rockies, and to visit our daughter and family in Washington state. I thought I would share one of our stops, with a bit of an explanation.

I have been a collector of telephone/telegraph insulators for years. If you have read my page, my only explanation of this collection is because they are a part of our history, and many are just pretty glass!

It started when my husband began collecting vintage telephones. We often encountered people who assumed that if we were interested in telephones, we would also be interested in insulators, and gave us boxes full of them. They were happy to get rid of them because they were of no use and just took up space. However, the more I looked into the history, the more fascinated I was with them.

Growing up on a farm, we would often use them for target practice, much to the annoyance of the local telephone man. When I married my "telephone man", he was one of those annoyed guys because he had to climb the telephone poles to replace the smashed insulators, to get the telephones back in service. Now he has to put up with his wife who likes them because they are "pretty glass" objects.

On our trip, I finally had the opportunity to visit The Insulator Ranch, and meet the 'Insulator Bob'. Now THAT'S A COLLECTION! I'll have to get reconnected with more collectors now ... I have a renewed interest now. We are planning to return to the Ranch in September, for the Annual Collectors' Show and Sale.

Click on the link below to visit the

The Insulator Ranch

Now I must keep reminding myself that my "treasures" are our kids' junk! So be it!   

Tags: Hobby Insulator Glass Vintage