# S.McKEE & Co Threadless Insulator CD-731



## mr2real

I found this insulator at an antique store today. I bought because I knew that the threadless insulators are older than the threaded, and it was a great price $5. It's embossed on the front S. McKEE & Co.  The insulator is chipped at all, but there is a white residue and a few small circular impact fractures that didn't chip off. I was wondering if there's an easy method for cleaning it without damaging the glass? Also, I'm curious as to rarity or value, I can't find a price online. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks, Joe


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## kwalker

If it's thread less, you basically stole that from the antique store []


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## mr2real

Embossing on front- the "& Co." is very weakly embossed.


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## Wheelah23

If that is really threadless, I'd imagine you can multiply your investment by 1000... [] I don't know everything about insulators, but I know the threadless ones are worth an absolute ton, and are so rare that even damaged ones are worth a great deal of cash.

 I found a bit of relevant info, from this site.

 "Threadless glass telegraph line insulators (CD 731) marked "S.McKee & Co." were evidently produced in the Civil War period and immediately afterward (circa 1865-1875)."


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## mr2real

Here's the white stuff on the bottom. The whole piece looks rough and I would like it to see it shine. There's not any chips, but the insulator still doesn't look to great.


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## Wheelah23

That's sickness, caused by being buried in the ground. Strangely, I am sometimes able to wipe the kind of sickness on the inside of that insulator with my fingernail... The outside is beyond hope, except for tumbling, but that inside sickness might come off.

 And now I'm realizing I overshot the price on this one; I think it should still be worth considerably more than you paid for it, but not $5000, I think... []

A similar (but unembossed) one, in a nice color, on eBay

According to this site... "This is one of the more common threadless styles, although still tough to find.  This style was known as the "compromise" between the egg styles and hat styles that had previously been used.  With the invention of threads CD 131 was made as a threaded version of this insulator."


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## mr2real

Yeah I seen the unembossed examples on eBay, not that amber one though. [] I was kind of thinking that site with blue example was referring to the unembossed examples as being "one of the more common threadless styles". I can't find any references to a price for an embossed example. I appreciate your help.


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## Bixel

Lists in the 2011 price guide at $400-$500 dollars..... but in that condition it would probably be worth more like 250-300 or so.


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## carobran

lime-away sometimes takes that inside sickness off,maybe not all,but some[]


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## mr2real

That's great news!!! Is the BV for an unembossed CD-731 or embossed? Or does that even matter?

 The reason I'm asking is because I seen this website ( http://www.insulators.info/articles/fruitref.htm#McKEE ) that states "There are many non-embossed CD-731 types attributed to S. McKEE but only a few have been found with the embossing."


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## JOETHECROW

Real nice find...


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## Bixel

The BV was for a McKee embossed 731

 There are alot of unembossed CD 731s as well.

 I would disagree with "There are many non-embossed CD-731 types attributed to S. McKEE* but only a few have been found with the embossing." *

 There have been a fair number of S.McKee embossed CD 731s found. They are not as common as the unembossed CD 731s, but I think the info that "there have only been a few found with embossing" is probably very old.

 Looking at the prices of them that have actually sold in the past..... I think around 300 would be around the price for that piece. Maybe more on a good day.


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## appliedlips

Very nice insulator, I think the quote was referring to the # of types found with that embossing. As Kyle stated, your insulator is not exceedingly rare but desirable. I think $300 is a little high in its condition. Congrats.  Having it professionally cleaned, tumbled, is the only way to remove the sickness, don't waste your time with chemicals.


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## Dansalata

THAT IS A NICE FIND...WTG....I HAD A CRANBERRY PURPLE CD700 THREADLESS I DUG...SOLD FOR OVER 3K ABOUT 7 YEARS AGO..WHENEVER SOMEONE FINDS A NICE INSULATOR BRINGS BACK THAT EXCITING MEMORY..THANKS


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## mr2real

I've managed to get off most of the sickness, but it still doesn't have much shine. Would it increase the value to have this piece tumbled or should I leave that up to a potential buyer?


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## cyberdigger

That's a darn good question!


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## David Fertig

My opinion is about $125 to $150 or so.  The condition hurts a lot.   If you tumble it, you would have to cut it pretty good to get out all of the ding marks and then you would probably loose a lot of the embossing since it is faint to start.  The fish-eye poses a problem.  You could tumble it, then pop out that eye and do an epoxy repair.

 I'd probably let this one as is.  If you had to pay someone to clean and repair it, you'd probably break even on this cost.


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## mr2real

I hope the condition didn't hurt the value that significantly. The first pictures served little justice, I've tried to clean it a little in the meantime. Here's the new and improved pictures. What exactly would this color be called? It has an iced blue appearance to me.


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## mr2real

It front of a light...


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## Brains

don't tumble it, it's fine in that condition


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## David Fertig

It's aqua.

 That fish-eye bruise and the wire groove damage on the front hurts more then the surface mineralization.  

 If you were to tumble it lightly, to save as much embossing as possible, you would end up seeing many more small surface fractures.  If you tumbled it hard enough to remove them, you'd loose a lot of the embossing.

 I would let it as is.  It's an honest piece.  Sometimes a tumble helps.  Sometimes not.  Think of an old piece of furniture.  A light dusting and a coat of paste wax could really make a piece.  On the other hand, if it needs dipped and stripped it could end up looking like a skinned cat.

 For what you paid, I'd gladly put it on a shelf and display it.  If you just want to sell it, someone should give you $150 or so.  Might bring $225 or so on a good day, but that might be pushing it.  There's a fair number of these around.

 As to threadless, there are a few you can get for under a few hundred or so and a McMicking shouldn't set you back more then $75.  If you are willing to take a few chips or a base slice, you can knock at least a third off book price, if not more.


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