How many hot dogs is this insulator worth?

ORIGINAL: cowseatmaize

What brand hot dog, they aren't all the same.

Click to expand...

ORIGINAL: BillinMo

Nice - that extra photo helps a lot. This is a CD 158. The three-segment version has a different profile than the four-segment version one usually sees at insulator shows but it's considered the same CD.

Any Boston Bottle Works insulator is highly desirable and well into the 500+ range in good shape, and the three segment versions of any style are a good deal scarcer. I've been pursuing any and all glass related to Samuel Oakman for 28 years now, and I’ve not seen many three-segment 158s for sale.

I hesitate to attempt a response to your question on value because it’ll be here on the internet for everyone to misconstrue, and even with a well-done price guide like we have in the insulator hobby, prices can be very quirky, especially on high-end pieces. I think you and most serious glass collectors understand that condition plays a HUGE role in values and prices. For this particular piece, the book lists 1750-2000, but most I've seen sell have been for less.

HOWEVER, this is a heavily damaged specimen that won't display well and won't even stand upright to fill a shelf spot until a better one comes along. I’ve seen the same scenario play out again and again: a damaged specimen sits on a table at a show, everyone picks it up, looks it over, shakes their head and says "Wow, what a neat piece... if only it was mint.†Not many people will actually spend money to buy it. I’d be thinking around 17.50-20.00 (10% of book price) just because it's a rare, old piece of glass with enough of it to identify what it is. Keep in mind that I’m a cheapskate and some other collector might come up with a completely different value -- we don't have many rules to go by when the insulator's not the book VNM standard. If hot dogs are 2.00 apiece, then it’s still safe to say you have at least a few more years coming.

Click to expand...