The ICON chatter lately has included some discussion as to whether trading for insulators is or is not practiced to any great degree anymore. Well, I can say that I for one often make trades for insulators and other items. Sometimes online, other times in person, either at insulator shows/swap meets (note that term: "swap"), or just with folks around here. Today, I made a trade with a coastal pawn broker who likes insulators and didn't know they came in cool colors besides Clear and Aqua (see photo). I traded him a Royal Purple CD 143 CanPac with a few dings and bruises (which I just upgraded to mint) for this length of cross-arm (which I plan to use in an outdoor display) and the five insulators shown (which I picked off a shelf from among about twenty other commons). These include (clockwise from left front in lower pic): two CD 145 two-date Americans, one with a big bubble and messed-up inner skirt, and the other with a milk swirl; a fizzy CD 145 postal-style Star with a little junk; a CD 145 CREB with some light snow; and a CD 121 Denver-style (I believe) Am.Tel. toll in Blue with a small olive splotch at the top of the pinhole. I also traded him a Honey Amber CD 154 Dominion for a large granite millstone for my wife's garden (which was a pain in the . . . er, back . . . to load in the car). I couldn't get him to fork over any little green paper rectangles for a Dark Cobalt CD 162 Hemi signal, though. Oh well, something for next time. Keep on tradin'! 8^D