Marv Collins

Retired educator Marv Collins of Colorado is one of the hobby's founding collectors.

While living in Northern California in the 1960's, Marv began building the outstanding collection he still owns. In fact, virtually every insulator in his collection he had acquired by the mid-1970's.                                                                                            
                                                                                               

Marv had a connection to one of the West Coast's most famous insulator finds. Although he never removed any of the insulators himself, Marv purchased the first and second CD 260 yellow California helmets to come from a redwood lumber mill in Scotia, CA. But the workers at mill had removed the insulators without permission, thinking they might have some value. Marv says he feels fortunate that he was away at school in the summer of 1964 when police came around to inquire about the mill's missing insulators.

One of the first yellow CD 260 
California's ever found.

Marv's collection contains, as you might expect, some outstanding crown jewels. A partial list would include one of the tallest CD 123 EC&M's known, and in cobalt blue no less. He owns another "F "mold EC&M in emerald green that came off a line through the redwoods. It was purchased by Marv at an antique shop in Eureka, California. (That's especially cool since Eureka means, "I found it!") The emerald was found by a farmer in the Ferndale area south of Eureka. Marv reports owning three EC&M's that came off that line.

But in addition to western insulators, Marv's collection sports some rare CD's and some spectacular Hemingrays. On the following two pages we picture some of Marv's insulators... just for your viewing pleasure.

Marv's Gallery: Both EC&M's are the "F" mold style. The cobalt is one of the tallest known. Note how the threads only extend into the wire groove. In the middle row is a rare CD 168.6, and a nice CD 731 threadless on the original pin. Bottom: CD 317.5 Chambers and a beautiful amber Hemingray CD 220.

Marv's Gallery: His collection contains some great Hemingray insulators also. Above are a green CD 131 and a super bubbly CD 132. In the middle row are a clear HG Co CD 160 and an dark olive green Hemingray CD 162. At the bottom are two great HG Co CD 145 beehives. The one on the left is an intense depression glass green color. The insulator on the right I'd describe as a pea soup green, although I didn't find that color listed in the price guide.