Storing & Organizing Lots of Phones

[AET]

This is why I'm glad I'm moving into that big apartment by myself, it has some built-ins and there's practically no windows (it's a downtown building), so I will have lots of wall space for shelves and curio cabinets for my phones!!  However, there is a big storage room about 30x30 I'd say that comes with the apt and I am going to employ this method with my more 'boring' phones I think.

[Jim Stettler]

This is why I'm glad I'm moving into that big apartment by myself, it has some built-ins and there's practically no windows (it's a downtown building), so I will have lots of wall space for shelves and curio cabinets for my phones!!  However, there is a big storage room about 30x30 I'd say that comes with the apt and I am going to employ this method with my more 'boring' phones I think.

30x30 storage is a good start.
Jim S.

[AET]

That little room was a blessing.  Dad wanted to have it for the store, but I convinced him that with a basement there, a 3 car garage at our house, and 2 sheds, and 2 1 car garages at their other house, they could spare that garage size room upstairs for this guy!!!

[Doug Rose]

I'm probably not the best to respond on this, but space issues are space issues; no matter how much space you have to display. When a new one comes into my phone room, an existing phone has to leave. If its not on my shelves, its on its way to someones shelf. I have zero phones in storage. Either I enjoy them or someone else does.. ...Kidphone

[bwanna]

i have quite a few "project" phones. those are the ones in storage. the "good" ones are on display or in use around the house(s).

[Dan/Panther]

Kidphone;
Do you restore phones or display them as you get them ?
D/P

[bwanna]

btw, d/p...i'm gonna steal your logsheet idea

[Tonyrotary]

Hey great way to store telephones. And of course you can use them to ship such as the AE40 I am gonna buy from you in the coming months!

D/P, great idea with the logsheet.

[Doug Rose]

Kidphone;
Do you restore phones or display them as you get them ?
D/P

D/P....when I find a new phone, I make a decision right away. Is it for my collection, is it for resale or is it for parts. At that time, I will refurb it or part it out. Nothing goes on my shelves unless it looks "Like New." What I mean by like new is sitting on my shelf, you would think its a new phone. This year finally I found my Thermoplastic Red 302. From the front, sitting on my shelf it looks brand new. From the back there is a chip out of it the size of a quarter. Tough phone to find and its probably the best I can do as I refuse to pay the astronomical prices for tough phones. I will always try to make a phone work, but I will not sacrifice the integrity of the phone as it is just going to sit on a shelf. Example of this would be a WE 102. It was produced with either a #2 or a #4 dial. I would never add a #5 or #6 dial to make it work. It losses its authenticity. If I was selling it, I would make it work and note the changes. WE102s came with a seamless bullet E1. Most are found with a seamed E1 or even a F1. If its found that way, I will advertised it in as found condition. For my collection, I want it real, even if it is not functional.Collectors want a phone with all dates matching and everything original. Someone who wants a 302 in their living room, wants it to work and hear that wonderful Ring!...Great question, sorry for the long winded answer....Kidphone

[HobieSport]

I guess that I really do feel guilty about having to store my phones at all, instead of having them immediately restored and polished and displayed and functional and enjoyed.

I'm starting to think that maybe I really should just pack them all up and ship them on a palette to D/P.
Or NOT.

[Dan/Panther]

Matt;
I'm a short 4 hours away, I can help pack.

Bwanna;
I have a slight licensing fee for the concept of the log sheet
I've since updated the log sheet to include some obviously missing items..

D/P

[bwanna]

why certainly, d/p.....the check is in the mail ...trust me

[Dan/Panther]

What originally got me going on the log sheet idea, was getting sick and tired of knowing I had something and not knowing what I did with it.
The way it's set up now, If I need a specific item, I sit at my desk, and thumb through my sheets until I find what I want, then just go get the box. Remember to update the sheet if you remove an item from a box. You can also inventory parts this way with a list of items in a box and not the log sheet. Say for instance all of your coiled handset cords in a box, and list them by color and date. If you need a specific color or date of cord, it's right at your fingertips, and you don't have TO OPEN A DOZEN BOXES TO FIND IT.
D/P

[Dan/Panther]

One more thing,.....
When you go to the big phone booth in the sky, your family won't have to go through a million boxes to know what's in them.
You can even puts notes as to what the value of an item is, or maybe if you want a specific person to have a specific item.  And to My Dear Sweet Niece Esmerelda (LN ), I leave the contents of Box Number 41.
The neat thing about this system, is it doesn't matter what order you stack your boxes. Just organize your sheets by category, then when you need an item, it doesn't matter if it's with other completely different items, you just want the specific box. You can organize all, of your stored items, and not worry about putting all like items together, so long as your sheets are cataloged in sections of all the same type items.
D/P

[Dennis Markham]

Although this is a great way of documenting one's telephones, not only for the convenience of finding parts, dates, etc., but for insurance purposes too, if there were a computer guru in the house it would be nice to come up with a data base for this type of documentation.

Perhaps a spreadsheet that can be searched.  Fill in the data on a new page and save it.  Then when one needs a transmitter with a certain date, punch in the date and boom, it tells you what box it is located.  You could still label each box but instead of a piece of paper that has to be hand written on, you'd have it on the computer.  File saved, file backed up, ability to e-mail, turn into a pdf, maybe attach a photo or two.

I have seen programs for documenting household property for insurance purposes that are similar to this.

Come on, there must be a computer wizard out there than create this!

Just a thought..............