There are at least a dozen collectible shows and tailgaters a year in California, some specializing strictly in insulators, others offering insulators in conjunction with bottles and other tabletop collectibles. This report encompasses three shows held in the successive months of April, May & June.
                                                                                                                 

"Pin King" Lou Hall (right) shares a new find with 
Jerry Buckland (left) and Richard Dawson (center)

Our first spring fling was held in Fresno on April 26 at the infamous Rohde Ranch Roundup, AKA: "the great chow tailgater". Bill, Don & Camille always go beyond the call of duty to make certain the attending NorCal & Central & Southern Counties Insulator Club members are set up with adequate selling and trading space, plus all the tasty food you can eat! The weather was once again near perfect, something the Rohdes have a knack for pulling off.

Interesting bracket on a roman helmet.

There appeared to be a record crowd this year, with well over 20 tables full of glass and porcelain insulators. The selection was extensive. One table boasted several large, early porcelain multi parts that had just been pulled from service. Another sales table offered nothing but California embossed insulators. There was yet another that was exclusively devoted to McLaughlins. One dealer quickly sold several historically significant insulators he had just purchased from a Fresno collection the day prior. These particular insulators, including a Roman helmet, Johnny ball, and purple wall tube, had been used in the legendary historic ghost town of Bodie, California! The remaining overall selection at this event was well rounded with good affordable color and popular styles, plus a few higher end rarities.

Mike Doyle assisting Mike Spadafora with the reconstruction 
of the M-2795 to its original  installation spec's. This could 
very well have been a first time event  in collector hands.

One of the many high points of this event was the reconstruction of a complete M-2795 eaves trough unit, as it was used in the field. This reportedly was the first time all materials were reunited, including the pole top! Another interesting item that appeared was a CD 259 cable with a unique metal harness that clamped over the insulator's ears. It's often worth the trip to your Local shows just to see the oddities that routinely surface.

Hosts Bill Rohde & Don Rohde dishing out desert.

The Rohde Ranch Roundups are always a crowd pleaser. It's all about getting back to the roots of this hobby where insulator meets were casual, backyard get-togethers. The country feel of the location is an added windfall, as is the generosity of the Rohde family. If you join one (or both) of the California insulator clubs you too will receive an instant invitation to next year's extravaganza. As Bill Rohde says, "It's all about promoting and supporting your local clubs!"

The month of May brings us to the Cayucos Show, hosted by the Central & Southern Counties Insulator Club. This was their 11th Annual Show and BBQ. The show was once again held at the Cayucos Lions Veterans Hall, which provides one of the most scenic show locations known in the hobby. The hall is right on a sandy beach and adjacent to a pier that juts out into the Pacific Ocean. This charming small town is primarily comprised of beach homes, quaint motels, restaurants and antique shops. It's quite apparent that it's an ideal location for enticing attendance from non-collecting spouses and other family members.

Bob Merzoian's "All Stars" exhibit at the Cayucos Show.

Unless you arrive early or extend your stay, there's not a whole lot time for the serious collector to see the sites of Cayucos. The show usually gets off to a brisk start on Friday afternoon and continues through late Saturday afternoon. The showroom only holds 32 tables, so a sellout is always guaranteed. A stage is used for exhibits, which held a total of three this year. Bob Merzoian displayed his collection of colorful stars, ranging in shades of aqua to deep olive green. Many of his two-toned and olive-amber swirled specimens were favorites of the crowd. Bob proved that there are attractive specialty categories you can collect without breaking the bank. He won the Crown Jewels award and the C&SCIC 1st place ribbon. Richard Dawson provided an excellent visually informative exhibit on Gamewell batteries. He demonstrated how a battery bank was wired for city fire alarm use, complete with the placement of four green Gould battery insulators under a reproduced wooden battery tray. His exhibit won the C&SCIC 2nd place ribbon. The final exhibit was a joint display by club members of their recent acquisitions.

Richard Dawson's Gamewell battery exhibit

The selection of insulators for sale was on par with past shows and dealers reported brisk sales. At least three dealers present were offering fresh sales stock from recently purchased collections. A colorful group of colored signals also made their debut from a consigned collection. Crown Jewels of the Wire's Laughlines Editor, Christian Willis, was seen selling from his first-ever  sales table, along with his dad, Bud Willis.

Dave LeForge admiring the gems in the Club Joint Display

Clarice Gordon was also on hand selling and signing her book, The Hemingray Glass Co., a Most Colorful History. Some of the items seen changing hands included a CD 123 olive EC&M, CD 723 blue aqua dot-dash Wade, CD 731 blue aqua S. McKee, CD 162 mustard Hemingray signal and CD 151 peacock blue H.G. Co NATCO. An unusually light shade of off-clear/purple Cochrane Bells were offered for sale on one dealer's table.

"Watch those fingers, Sid!"

By mid afternoon on Saturday, the smell of sausage and barbequed tri-tip was in the air, .signaling to the dealers that it was time to begin packing up. All the advance preparations by Sid and Isabel Marques for the BBQ dinner were now in place, with Isabel busy heading up the activity in the kitchen and Sid slaving over the flames with his barbequing buddy, Alfred. A line quickly formed at the BBQ pit, where each attendee was served some of the best tri-tip imaginable, along with hearty fixin's.

The Cayucos Show is one of the most pleasant, relaxed shows one could imagine. Considering the fact that the Central & Southern Counties Insulator Club has temporarily fallen into a state of decline, the show went over well. Many thanks go out to Show Chairman, Paul Alleeson, for holding things together. Several collectors discussed revitalizing the club to assure future shows and collector camaraderie in the region. With all the positive interest expressed, it appears the club should see some new life soon. That being the case, you won't want to miss the next Cayucos Show, scheduled for May 14-15, 2004!

Our final stop on the spring show circuit was in Victorville, CA, on June 7. This High Desert town is just far enough out on the fringes of the dreaded Southern California freeway system that it draws attendees from all directions, including many from the north. Hosted by the San Bernardino County Historical Bottle & Collectible Club, this show is primarily known as a bottle and collectible show, but there's always a presence of insulators.

Richard Wightman and Bill Kemp pose next to 
Dwayne Anthony's table at the Victorville Show.

This one-day show proved to be a pleasant and welcomed success for the San Bernardino County club, after suffering a decline in participation in recent years. They are now revitalized and planning an even better show next year. Be sure to watch for the 2004 show dates in the coming events section of this magazine. The future success of these shows, or any show for that matter, is based on your participation, whether it is as a buyer, seller, exhibitor, show host, or assistant to a show host. Let's keep up the good work of supporting your local shows!