Collectors from several states in the Great Lakes region braved the elements (mainly rain) and ventured forth to Olmsted Township, Ohio (and the home of John and Carol McDougald) for the Great Lakes Insulator Swap Meet and Show on September 27. While attendance was down due to the rain and several competing extravaganzas, everyone enjoyed themselves highly and finished the day with a super pot-luck buffet supper. What was the Deal of the Century? Read on....

After the fine repast, several of the heartiest souls (they all seemed to be from New York State, for some reason) still were thirsty and partook of some fine imported brew from the St. Louis area and were in the mood to deal some more. Enter the participants: "Dealer A" is a well-known New York State entrepreneur, fast with the sales pitch; "Dealer B" is a well-known Ohio huckster, equally quick with the line. "Dealer B" inquired about one of "Dealer A's" better specimens of threadless insulators (CD 740 blackglass). "Dealer A" commented: "You don't collect threadless!" "B's" reply was: "I sure do, let me go get my collection." Upon his return, the assembled throng oohed and aahed over some fine specimens of threadless insulators, all in MAJOR DISREPAIR. "B" commented that the piece in question would FIT in nicely in his collection. No one disagreed.

Scott Ash and friend look over Kevin Lawless's table of goodies.

Bill Anderson, East Point, Georgia,
shows his want list to
Dick Bowman, Webster, NY.

At this point, the wheeling and dealing started. The price tag of $20 was discussed. "$5" offered “B". $10 was "A's" counteroffer. "B" then generous- ly upped his offer: "$6". "A" replied with an $11 quote. "Wait a minute," said "B", "when my offer goes up, yours is supposed to go down!" "Not from $10," said "A".

Everyone regrouped and started again. "$20", said "A". "$5", said "B". "$30", replied "A", to which "B" mentioned that they weren't getting anywhere.

"A" then asked if there was any chance of a trade. "B" said "yep!" and both parties left to fetch their treasured traders. "B" returned and showed yours truly his proposed barter: a beautiful CUTTER. My quote: "I thought transpositions were the only TWO PIECE insulators!?!"

When "Dealer A" returned with the threadless and saw the beautiful Cutter, his breath was taken away. "We've got a deal!" said "A" and everyone shook hands and exchanged congratulations. The spouse of "Dealer B" thought it would be a good idea to record this record-breaking transaction for posterity and I fetched my camera. The picture of these two wheeler-dealers gloating over their new acquisitions is a sight to see!

John McDougald with a CD 740 and Dick Bowman 
with a Cutter show their obvious delight over the "DEAL."

The story doesn't end here though! The next day, I ventured back to New York and stopped at "Dealer A's" home for a break before I continued my journey home. No sooner had we arrived at his home when he had to go to work - a young couple stopped by to see the automobile he had for sale. The combination of the two days dealings must have had an effect on Mr. Bowman, because he had a twinge of "guilty conscience." "I can glue this Cutter together and do much better with it than with the CD 740," said Dick. "I'll send John an insulator to even the deal!" Dick returned with a beautiful CD 251 NEGM -- in TWO pieces. "Do you think this will fit John's needs?" he asked. I replied that I thought John would be delighted, and then offered to take a picture of this gem, too. (Note the character of this drunken beauty as it leans like the Tower of Pisa!

The conclusion to the "Deal of the Century." John said, "Hummm, 
if I reglue this I may be "ahead of Dick." Maybe a reglued 
CD 126 Brookfield would EVEN things out!!"

GOOD COLLECTING.