Collecting insulators, or anything for that matter, is usually fun, enjoyable and a pleasant way to pass the time, otherwise we wouldn't continue. And the collection grows and grows. Finally the day comes when it has to be downsized or completely sold, or as they say these days -re-homed. So here I am, thousands of insulators of all types --and values. Selling online is a non-starter as postage to 90% of potential buyers far exceeds the value of 95% of anything I have. What to do becomes the issue. Listing bulk lots locally at even a buck a piece doesn't find many takers. Get a table at a show and become the person on the other side of the table ? Then covid comes along. Years have gone by and now the time to move it or lose it is on my doorstep. Emails go out, questions are asked and answered. The decision to send a few to the Mid-Ohio after hours auction is confirmed. For decades I have attended auctions of all sorts and in most sales always felt the items were the left overs from being cherry picked. My decision to send insulators to the auction was to not do this. I picked the collection starting at one end and took everything. Some sold for pennies, some brought over $100. This porcelain did not go for two reasons; it has a chip and is also the first item I purchased online off eBay. Won the auction for .99 cents but paid another $15 to get it. My introduction to online shopping! [id=555265634]

The wood thing was my second attempt at doing something a little different from what I had seen other people turn. I even went so far as to add enough of a pinhole that an old, broken pin could have been added for aesthetics. Tossed the idea around about marking it Hemingray but lost interest. At the time I thought it would have been a great gift for a Hemingray specialist collector- a better place holder than just a picture until a better one came along, and since only one is known, that could be a very long time. I debated whether to include it but decided no. Nowadays with the 3-D printers doing so many rare types it would be seen as just a joke piece. 10 years ago I thought it was nice- still do, so for now it stays where it is appreciated. Thank you to everybody connected to the auction, Curt in particular, but also the buyers without whom there would be no auction.