Here is my collection acquisition from the Antioch Show. The green California helmet CD 260 in the center of the photo came out of the Bob Hendricks' Collection. As you can see in the back-lit photo the green color is difficult to discern without optimal lighting conditions and side-by-side sage green examples for comparison. I included a CD 161 in the photo because my sage green helmet on the left has amber infused throughout the insulator which throws off the color.

Bob Hendricks did not collect Cals and very rarely sold items from his collection and this was the only Cal helmet found in his collection. What does this all mean and why should this be of special interest to old Nor-Cal Insulator Club members? This particular helmet was attached to the Nor-Cal Insulator Club trophy that was awarded to Bob at the 2003 Western Regional for his McLaughlin display, which was judged to be the best display of western glass. The wooden trophy was suppose to come with a sage green Cal helmet (2003 value: $75-$100), but a green Cal helmet was substituted (2003 value: $400-$500).

Why did the Nor-Cal Club do this? It was an accident, a blunder. Historically, the club purchases its sage green Cal helmets for its trophy from a club member or from a Southern California Insulator Club member. If none are available, members attending the National or other large, out-of-state show would purchase the helmet for the trophy. Under most lighting conditions, this green Cal helmet passed unnoticed among all the sage green helmets and was probably handled by many experienced collectors. The correct ID was made by Glenn Adkins after noticing something odd about the glass color and being able to compare it to the green helmet in his own collection.