Celebrating Our 30th Year

Reprinted from "Crown Jewels of the Wire", March 1999, page 3

THE EDITOR: Dora Harned of Chico, California originated INSULATORS, Crown Jewels of the Wire in March, 1969. "With no capital, a handful of insulator collectors' names and addresses, a printer willing to take a flyer and a borrowed typewriter, we started in a corner of our living room. I believe approximately seventy-five flyers were sent out to see if collectors were interested in a journal of their own. The response was good, and subscriptions started coming in along with information on insulators to be printed. With the first subscription money I bought a typewriter for $10 ($15 more to be cleaned and adjusted)." 

Dora also shared in her 5th anniversary editorial, "...we are still having problems with mailing. The post office manages to lose a few copies each month; they are still slow with second class mail delivery; and if you don't send me your address changes (no matter what you tell the post office), they will return your issues to me. This is just the way it is."

THE EDITOR 30 YEARS LATER: I, too, began with no capital and the responsibility of continuing what Dora had established as the "No.1 insulator magazine serving the insulator hobby since 1969." A small computer with an electric typewriter hooked up as a printer which had the luxury of two daisy wheels to vary the printing styles was how I started publishing. The tools available today for publishing far exceed anything I could have dreamed or imagined would exist.

Some things do not change...a few of the 1800 magazines mailed each month get lost and periodicals rate mail delivery still can be slow.

THE FIRST SHOW REPORT: Editor Dora Harned wrote in the May 1969 issue ... "On Saturday, May 3, 1969, a very exciting event took place in the large back yard of Greg and Judy Bickford in Woodland, California.

This was an "Insulator Swap Meet" hosted by the Bickfords with co-hosts John Tibbitts and wife and Mr. Gary Cranfill. As far as this editor knows, it's a first of its kind. We have all been to Bottle Shows and Sales and meet many insulator collectors, but I have never seen so many insulators and collectors of insulators all in one place before. It was slated to start at 10:00 a.m. and we were late (11:00 a.m.) since we had to take a little detour to pick up a couple of insulators. Everyone had to bring their own table and chairs and most were set up by the time we arrived. Although there were people coming and going all the time which made it difficult to see everyone and talk to them, we met many fellow collectors face to face that before we had only met through the mails. It was quite an experience to see part of their collections and all their good trades. I would hate to try to estimate how many insulators traded ownership that day, but here were many happy smiles as two collectors parted, each back to his own table with his coveted prize to be wrapped for the journey home, later to be unwrapped and set among the new owner's collection.

Mrs. Judy Bickford with the help of Mrs. Tibbitts and several other wives prepared a delicious lunch. All you could eat for the small donation of 50 cents to defray the cost of the food. This service was much appreciated by all since no one wanted to leave long enough to eat for fear he might miss out on a good trade. Our thanks to you ladies. 

Some of the collectors had driven several hours to get there. The Potters of Hemet and Ron Ipswitch and family of Ventura live in southern California. There were four collectors from Oregon: Howard Banks of Merlin, James Hill of Canyonville, Charles Fox of Glendale and Jim Sanders and family of Eugene.

Greg Bickford spent many hours in his "hole" (which is their nickname for his display room built in the basement of their home) showing his collection, which is one of the best that I have seen in the state. Also, his display room is unique in the fact that it's fairly small but lined with shelves to the ceiling. Walls and shelves are painted a stark white with a least five 200 watt bulbs lighting the area. I will never forget the first time I walked into his display room and saw all those different insulators lined up on the shelves like soldiers standing at attention. The colors and different shapes really stand out against the white background. Hats off to Greg and Judy for displaying their rare and beautiful insulators so well. In fact, their whole home is a showplace. It's one of the oldest homes in Woodland and they are redoing and furnishing it with beautiful antique pieces. Judy is also interested in fruit jars. So if any of you collectors happen to have any old odd fruit jars you just might get one of Greg's insulators for it. (Hope I don't start a family feud.) 

Anyhow, I wish to express sincere thanks to Judy and Greg for making this swap meet possible. Also our thanks to Gary Cranfill and John Tibbitts and wife for their help. The swap meet was enjoyed by all and I hope that this one will be the forerunner of many more, not only in our area but all over the United States, and if you collectors out there do have one, I hope you will send in a report on it so we can all keep in touch with what's going on in the insulator world.

SHOW REPORTS 30 YEARS LATER: Since March 1998, there have been 26 show reports written, a good number for one year...and I am sure that others occurred that were not covered in Crown Jewels of the Wire. To the west coast, midwest and east coast show report authors...thank you for all of your continued support...Happy 30th Birthday!!

YOUTHFUL ENTHUSIASM: Look closer, you may recognize this enthusiastic collector of three decades. I am sure that his membership #15 in the National Insulator Association designated him as the first Junior collector to join. It almost makes him older that dirt (er, mud) itself! His display and sales table featured a lot more glass in those days! But, his participation in the hobby has been relentless for thirty years! The name on the wall behind the table reads: CHRIS HEDGES of Kansas City.

YOUTHFUL ENTHUSIASM 30 YEARS LATER: How do we promote the continuation of the hobby? By capturing the enthusiasm of the young. During the past three decades, many of you have shared insulators with new collectors--young and old alike. "Here, enjoy!" Unexpected, unanticipated gifts of an insulator slipped into one's hand.

A collection often has many desirable starter pieces that cannot be offered for much money, but they can be shared with new collectors. An e-mail from a new subscriber, Lee Brewer, got my attention last year. His students were interested in learning more about insulators. Several packages with an assortment of insulators were sent to his students. They were instructed to not thank me, but to send thank-you notes to a family who had given me insulators that could be given away to new collectors. A group of letters from the students describing the insulators as looking like "babies", "Darth Vader" and "salt shakers" and expressing their gratitude were received by the donating family...and deemed priceless.

Several other new collectors joined the hobby and when I discovered they were young, I sent more boxes. One went to Mike McLall. Several days after the package arrived, I received a telephone message from his mother. She was thanking me for taking the time to send a box of insulators. The family was in the process of relocating and it had made Mike feel much better during a rough time of transition. Several months later I received a second note from Mrs. McLall. "We did send a thank you note to the donors of the insulators---it was a treasured box by our young insulator collector. Also Mike made a new friend from the new subscriber's list printed in Crown Jewels of the Wire when Rick Kelly of Salt Lake City looked him up and came to our house."

Mike McLall

In receiving the gift, it is just right to say thank you! And our youth lead the way on that score as well. We met Seth and Sam Brewer at the London, Ohio show last fall. They were eyeing a row of Mickey Mouse insulators on our table that were marked $3.00 each. I was willing to give them each one, but I could tell that it might be better to have a quick sale...half price. I think their mother agreed that there was an economics lessen to be learned. Thank you to all of you who continue to encourage the new collectors....Happy 30th Birthday!

Grampa and Gramma Mac with Sam and Seth Brewer

THE MAGAZINE: The first issue in March 1969 was sent to 160 individuals. It was an admirable beginning. That first year was filled with crude drawings and questions, questions, and more questions about what each new insulator was or how it was used. The annual subscription rate was only $4.00 a year!

The first issue of
Insulators, Crown Jewels
of the Wire

THE MAGAZINE 30 YEARS LATER: Over the past 30 years, this publication has continued its growth. But magazines such as Crown Jewels of the Wire that dedicate themselves to a small collectible field may not survive the computer in every home syndrome, website development, affordable digital cameras and the exponential growth of the Internet. Our hobby, as well as many others like it, are now available to whomever is interested worldwide through sites dedicated to providing information and a place for communications among collectors. And this is good! We can all rejoice that such networking does exist, and in such professional sites as www.insulators.com or www.nia.org or any of nearly three dozen individuals who post information about insulators or offer them for sale on their own websites. 

A dramatic change has taken place in the way insulators are sold. For nearly 25 years, Crown Jewels of the Wire was a source for many of the insulators that changed ownership ... as were individual sales/trade lists made available by collectors, a friendly letter or phone call that began a transaction, and local, regional and national shows. For nearly 10 years auctioning of insulators has played a more active roll in our collectible's marketing. And today, Ebay -- better than any garage sale you can imagine -- has revolutionized how people sell and buy all kinds of collectibles as well as insulators on the Internet. 

Many of you readers sell insulators using the Internet. I have probably sold nearly 100 units in the last year on Ebay...posting many of my foreign insulator duplicates that didn't sell in a Crown Jewels of the Wire ad. I wanted to sell them, and if they didn't sell in a magazine ad, one takes them to other markets like shows or Ebay. There is no way any publication is to compete with the thrill of the electronic auction and the "I won, I won" mentality of the bidding public.

Last year we put 38,000 miles on our car driving to attend insulator shows. Why would anyone do that, you ask! Well, we still get great pleasure out of seeing the countryside, visiting with collectors along the way and taking part in insulator gatherings in various regions. We actively chose to support the local shows...and you cannot do that electronically...yet! 

So, where is the hobby heading? I haven't a clue? If I knew, I would certainly try to incorporate this magazine's presence within those yet uncharted waters. 

One year ago I contracted with a local web designer to develop a website for Crown Jewels of the Wire. Talk about trying to navigate new, uncharted waters!

www.crownjewelsofthewire.com (now www.cjow.com) does exist. We developed a place where one can find basic information about the magazine, reference books available in the hobby, a calendar of shows, an on-line version of the 1995 Price Guide for Insulators and several sample stories from Crown Jewels of the Wire. To fund the development of the site as well as maintain it, Grampa Mac's Antique Insulator Emporium provides an on-line marketplace for the sale of insulators. Of course, that is not the only place we sell insulators...we have a small display booth at a local antique store and travel to as many shows as possible and we sell in Crown Jewels. All of this will help to underwrite two important additions that will be made to this website during 1999's 30th year celebration.

They are... 
...an INDEX to all Crown Jewels of the Wire articles since 1969 referencing the year, month and page will be made available. We are about 75% completed on this project at this time. You will, if you have a computer, be able to find articles and where you can reference them in your library of back issues. Clarice Gordon has been the inspiration behind this project from its inception and she has continued to contribute to its updates. A hard copy of the index will also be made available for those who do not wish to use a computer. 

Equipment has been purchased and personnel hired to begin scanning each ARTICLE from Crown Jewels of the Wire into a text format so that it can be placed for referencing at the website. Thanks to friend of the hobby's "software engineer" Bill Meier who has pushed me off the mark and gotten me started in the right direction with some wonderful programming to simplify the task. As of this printing, we have completed scanning the first three years of the magazine. Soon more articles from early issues of CJ will be appearing at www.crownjewelsofthewire.com (now www.cjow.com). 

In other words, this will make the history of the insulator hobby chronicled in this publication available for every one to read worldwide on the Internet. I find this terribly exciting!

And, what of the magazine? Readership is as large as it has ever been. Advertising is down, but the magazine does not survive on advertising alone. And its volume has grown to a whopping 76 pages practically every month. From reports received with renewals, it continues to provide immense enjoyment to its readers every month. My personal gratitude goes to Elton Gish and Marilyn Albers for their long-term commitment to the magazine. And for all of the well researched articles by many dedicated editors, the stories and thrills of the hunt by readers like you, I express my thanks. YOU are the "crown jewels of the wire"...YOU, the readers. Each month I spend time putting together, to the best of my abilities, a publication that I contributes to your involvement in the insulator hobby. Thank you for all of your continued support...Happy 30th Birthday to each and every one of YOU!!