TWENTY-EIGHTH ANNUAL LONE STAR INSULATOR CLUB SHOW & SALE

The Twenty-Eighth Annual Lone Star Insulator Club show and sale was held on Saturday, September 21, 2019 in the Pasadena Room at the Hobby Airport Marriott Inn in Houston, Texas.  My alarm phone lit up at 4:45 a.m.  A last-quarter moon hung over my neighborhood as I hit the road.  Tolls were waived over the Beltway 8 Sam Houston Ship Channel Bridge, so I went that way.  The front lot at the hotel was closed, so I had to troll the back lot for a parking space.  I relaxed in the hotel atrium for about ten minutes before the breakfast area opened.  I was loading a plate with bacon, biscuits, and blueberries when Chris Renaudo found me in the serving line.

Tropical Storm Imelda had left her mark on the Houston area the previous Thursday.  Among the troubles were loose barges that struck an Interstate 10 bridge, necessitating the bridge’s closure and the aforementioned toll suspension.  Consequently, this may have kept many collectors away.  Even so, those of us who came enjoyed a small but close-knit show.  Among our walk-through guests were Steven Burton, Spencer Garten, Israel Jones, Jeff and Anne Markwart, Blas Rodriguez, and Paul Rubin.

Our insulator dealers were:
Jack Roach – cornflower blue CD 151 H.G.Co., yellow green CD 104 New. Eng. Tel. & Tel. Co., olive amber blackglass CD 734.8 Baby Battleford, olive green CD 164 H.G.Co.
Mike Lyell – aqua CD 102 S.F., light lemon CD 233 Hemingray, green aqua CD 252 Lynchburg, root beer amber CD 272 Armstrong’s
Chris Renaudo – two blue CD 154 Hemingrays with amber, three green CD 145 N.E.G.M., olive CD 152 Brookfield, lavender CD 143 Withycombe, green aqua CD 205 Brookfield
Gil Hedges-Blanquez – aqua CD 102 Brookfield SDP, Johnny balls, Mexican glass, cobalt-glazed U-296 Thomas
John Hall – olive CD 113 Hemingray, blue CD 102 £ Sterling, jade CD 121 Am. Tel., red amber CD 134 T-H.E.Co., aqua CD 117 &, ice green CD 143 Withycombe, three CD 128.4 big mouths
Mike Murphy – selection of CD 121 Am. Tels

There were a couple of early pack-ups.  Jack Roach had to get aid for a spider bite on his right hand, while Gil Hedges-Blanquez had to pick up a misplaced credit card.  The rest of us lingered until about 3:00 p.m., when we closed the show.

Thanks to Chris Renaudo for toughing things out and making this year’s show possible.  Although our show was much smaller than usual, it was a welcome respite from a difficult week.  Stay tuned for our next gathering.  Until then, happy collecting!