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Photos
Story - HistoryThis style of insulator is nicknamed the AGEE Bell due to its shape. It is the largest of the common Australian glass insulators, other than the large power multiparts. They stand 5" tall and are 4.25" in diameter. The weight of one of these must be around two pounds.
The CD 490 produced by AGEE was considered "the" standard trunk insulator of its time in Australia. Over the course of its production life three distinct versions of this insulator were produced. AGEE embossed insulators were produced from 1926 until 1942, with production of the CD 490 starting in 1926 or 1927. The three versions are designated Type I, Type II and Type III.
The earliest Type I design proved to be unsatisfactory in the field so the design was modified after only a year or so to produce the Type II version. This style still had some of the problems of the Type I so it was further modified to produce the Type III about a year later. Look at the close-up photos of the three domes below, and note the differences in the wire groove ridge, dome shape and the area directly under the wire groove. For a more complete story of the development of the CD 490 click here.
There were also differences in the inner skirt from Type I to Type II and III. Look at the base photo below to see how the flush inner skirt on the Type I was raised on the Type II and III. There is also an uncommon variant of the Type I that has four sharp drip points. See photo below.
More Photos
Embossing, Colours and Price Guide ListingThe Type I insulators usually have just AGEE embossed on them. The Type IIs usually have AGEE and a mold number, while all the Type IIIs have AGEE and a date code and most have a mold number as well.
The normal colours for the CD 490 AGEE insulators are purples and amethysts. There is a less common version of the Type III found in straw and straw with rose tint. This is completely opposite most North American glass where clear/straw is the common colour and the purples are rare. There are several shades of gray found as well as a few gray/green and amethyst/green two-tone variations.
ConditionI have six or seven insulators of this CD in the various types and colours. Condition of most of them is NM to M. They are, however, often found with scuff marks and dings on the domes.
Market Place MusingsThere are usually at least a couple of these up for sale on eBay at any given time. The closing bid prices for this CD seem to vary widely. There is some variation in book pricing between the different styles but only the odd colours and the rare SDP variant really command any kind of a premium price in the GIFONA price guide. The Type III version appears most often, as they were made for a longer period of time. The Type I is the next most common and the Type II version appears on eBay only occasionally. Among buyers in the know, the Type II version will generally command a higher bid, with a good Type I coming second. The sheer number of Type III pieces available seems to keep their price down somewhat.
With so many colour variations of purple for this CD, I feel many people would have difficulty separating a dark amethyst from a royal purple. I've been buying Aussie insulators for more than a year now, and I would still be hard pressed to give exact colours for some of my pieces.
Given the popularity of purple glass insulators in general, that may explain the prices some of these make on eBay. I have seen good pieces sell for as little at $7-10 US and others go over $75 US. Compared to most North American insulators in purple, a large purple AGEE is a bargain. Even the common CD 154 Whitall Tatum No. 1 in purple regularly sells for more than one of these will make. In general I would say that the price guide values are probably a little low for this CD, as the popularity of collecting Aussie glass has driven up the demand in the past couple of years.
Another factor in buying one of these is the weight. They are a big, heavy chunk of glass, so postage costs to mail them can get high. Many of these are sold by Australian dealers and generally get lower bids than the same piece would if it were a US seller listing the piece. Postage for a single CD 490 from Australia is generally about $10-14 US. I have paid more than that to get a single, smaller insulator from the United States to Canada.
Update: After a considerable length of time buying Australian insulators on eBay, I was finaly able to purchase one of the Type I's with the 4 SDP. It is a deep purple colour and is in mint condition. (see photo above)
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