My favorite feature in Crown Jewels is an article written by collectors who explore remote regions uncovering rare insulators. The adverse conditions affecting the hunt compounded with the imminent dangers of outback explorations provide the drama and adventure that many collectors will never experience.

Hopefully, no collector will experience the dangers of my adventure unless they are bored with a typical Florida Vacation. 

For years, my college roommate and I have gotten together during long weekends to hunt, fish, and attend college football games. Arrangements were made in early 1991 for us to attend the Florida-Georgia football game played at the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville. This football game is recognized as the "world's largest outdoor cocktail party." Southern dialect was thicker than the steaks we were cooking at our pre-game tailgate party.

The Gator Bowl is a beautiful stadium but is surrounded by an economically depressed area. As we partied, I noticed that most of the homes in this area appeared to be quite old, many with Victorian style architecture. Once this area was an upscale area of Jacksonville, now many of the older homes are painted strange neon colors. Remains of burned houses, abandoned cars stripped of parts and graffiti painted everywhere made me think we were in Beirut not Florida.

A stunning lime green Victorian cottage was visible from our tailgate perch. Were there insulators on the side of this house or was it time to stop drinking beer? I grabbed my binoculars and recognized two signal type insulators which had been painted over. With the game about to start, I made my buddy promise to help me rescue these gems when the game was over. 

Keeping his promise, we left the game early and stumbled over to the lime green cottage. The woman who answered the door was surprised by our request to get the insulators. I don't know what I told her but she went upstairs and opened a window beside the gable where the two mounted insulators were located. She removed them both. The woman happily accepted two beers for the glass which turned out to be common H.G .Co. CD 162 signals. The success of this encounter gave us the courage to canvass the neighborhood looking for similar treasures. Hundreds of signal type insulators mounted on iron brackets were noticed. We stopped at every house that had easily accessible glass and attempted to convince the occupants to let us have the insulators. Perhaps 60% of the homes we inquired allowed us to remove the unwanted objects. It was a strange feeling to be in this area as dusk approached. You could feel hostility in the air as we continued deeper into the dregs of Jacksonville. Prostitutes, drug dealers and winos were appearing on every street corner yelling to gain our attention and solicit their wares.

We decided it was time to depart and drove towards the interstate. Then I saw an abandoned 3 story boarding house with 6 insulators on the side. My friend reluctantly agreed to stay in the car while I attempted to secure these insulators. I went to several nearby houses attempting to rent a ladder and finally located one.

The ladder was in place and I was staring to climb up when I heard music coming from a distance. By the time I reached the top, my friend called from the car telling me it was time to go. The music was getting louder as I ignored his call to leave, intent on getting these insulators.

Voices could be heard over the music as I was still trying to work loose the painted over glass. The horn tooted and my friend yelled once again in a vain attempt to get me to leave. I leaned out from the ladder to see where the noise was coming from when I saw what my friend was concerned over.

About 15 young men each wearing a bandana tied on their arms approached our car. The music boomed as they circled the car and started rocking it back and forth. I froze on top of the ladder at the sight of the street gang. What would happen next as I watched in fright? My greed over insulators would not make a fitting epitaph. Then my friend got out of the car and started talking to this potentially violent gang. I slowly crept down from the ladder and approached the car as the group had now circled my friend as he spoke to them in a friendly voice. I watched as he handed each of them an item which was studied by all.

I was now at the car as I saw that my friend had handed out to each of them one of my business cards. Being a Vice President with a large south Florida bank, my friend introduced me to the street gang as the President of the new bank that was to be opened at this boarded up site. He further stated I was measuring for a banner to be placed on the side of this building to proclaim the "GRAND OPENING"!!! 

The street gang immediately calmed down. They looked at us very carefully and then the old building. You could see their minds were reeling over the possibility of a Bank being made out of this old boarding house. My friend kept up the bank promotion asking them all to come back to the Grand Opening and plan to start banking with us in the near future.

We shook hands with each gang member as they continued their march away from us with boom boxes blaring. 

We departed Jacksonville with 12 insulators, 8 iron gable brackets and our lives! TODAY, insulators remain abundant in this area of Jacksonville and for the true adventure seeker, a challenge remains.

NOW, don't y'all stop In Jacksonville to pick up sales stock on your way to the National show in Orlando, ya hear?!?!