These are usually
common genuine insulators
that have been changed to a different color from the original.
This can be done by
many methods including
painting, staining, dipping, tinting or irradiating.
This is
usually done to achieve a more desirable
color. Such colors may be those that real insulators were made in but
which
are more rarely found, or they may be colors that were never seen in
genuine
insulators.
TIP: BRIGHT RED
insulators were never made by real insulator manufacturers.
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These are
essentially "after market" pieces.
They have been made by creating a mold of a genuine piece. They may be
found in various materials, including glass or resin.
They may be
found in a dazzling array of improbable
colors, as well as colors that may seem genuine. These can be nice for
the purpose of filling in a hole in one's collection, but they should
not
be expected to fetch as high a price as the genuine article would. It
is
also important that they be appropriately marked as reproduction items.
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Let's face it,
advertising is advertising.
Some unscrupulous or ignorant sellers will try to make the insulators
they
are selling sound like they are "rare" and "scarce." They would have
you
believe that they are worth a great deal more than their true value.
They
want to make a buck.
Many
insulators are somewhat "old," but some
are very common. The book value on the commons is typically about $1-$5.
Know what
you are buying before you shell out
too much money for a common piece.
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