Expert: Bob Berry - 9/23/2011

Question
I have a 15 inch long section of a 5 inch diameter wooden post which has two wooden arms attached, each threaded on the end, and screwed on these threaded ends are a pair of Hemingray 17 insulators. These have the marking 49-50 and I presume that they were made in 1950. There is still attached to each insulator a piece of wire, and the wooden arms are fastened to the post by flat and formed metal brackets with square head screws. There also are 2 very heavy nails through each arm.
Is there any value to this intact assembly?
Thank you

Answer
Hi John --

Thanks for your question.  The two insulators you found are telephone styles made by Hemingray in the 1950's (you are right that the mold has a 1950 date so the insulators were made within a few years of that).  We identify these as CD 122 and they are pretty common with a $1.00 value or so.  The intact assembly is worth a significant premium over the insulators themselves -- you have a very nice pole-top with original hardware.  Collectors always like this kind of a set-up to display their pieces.  The metal brackets that hold the side-pins are a bonus.  I'd value the whole set-up at $30 or so.  Nice piece of history work keeping intact!

         Thanks, --Bob