The Western Reserve Insulator Club will showcase antique telegraph and electrical insulators at its 19th annual show April 6 in West Leechburg.
The free public show will take place at the West Leechburg Fire Hall. The club will have a table of freebies to entice the public.
“If you want to see something different, learn a little history, come see what it’s all about,” said Tim Grantz, of West Leechburg, a member of the insulator club who has been collecting the glass artifacts since the 1970s.
Production of glass insulators began in the 1850s with the stringing of the first telegraph lines, according to Grantz.
Some of the rarest and oldest insulators can fetch prices as high as $20,000, he said.
Glass insulators haven’t been made since 1970s as they have been replaced by ceramics and plastic, according to Grantz.
They’re fun to collect because of their uniqueness and the fact that they are found everywhere. he said.
About 20 dealers are expected for show that typically attracts between 100 and 150 people.
The Western Reserve Insulator Club has about 100 members from eastern Ohio, northern West Virginia and Western Pennsylvania.
