Guess we'll see how bad this turns out...UPDATE: it did.......

[Shovelhead]

Just found on EvilBay a WE 233G pay phone with a BIN of $135.00 Could not pass the chance.

Coin box door looks a little rough, seller stated it might be a mix of new and old, and what looks like a modular plug on the back. I jumped on it, hopefully it's not a pig in a poke as I have had mixed results on the Bay.

I have literally always wanted one of these, in fact my avatar is one. One talent I had as a teenager was the ability to make phone calls with this type of phone for a penny. Drop in the nickel slot, at the right point when it entered the coin mechanism, karate chop the coin release, "ding", dial tone.

I demonstrated this at my mother's work, a Michigan Bell Public Office. She and her office coworker didn't believe it could be done, they were used to seeing slugs used. Proved it, if you had the knack.

[gpo706]

Thats a shocking revelation Shovelhead!

Hope its a nice buy and you can post a demo of your old technique on it.

[Shovelhead]

300441343260

Here's the link, I should have looked a little more carefully at the dial.

I've been beat out on any other one that I have bid on, so I jumped.

There's a better appearing one on now, less that one hour and at $76.00 as we speak

Oh well, hope mine does not turn out too badly....buyer's remorse already.

[Shovelhead]

Externally, not too bad. The chrome on the vault door is bad, but replateable. It has been converted to modular connection, but following the wiring is where it gets interesting. In place of the coin vault, a ringer and network have been installed, albeit poorly. Can you say loose? At least they taped the wires off at the connector strip. The locks have been replaced by carriage bolts, but they did not damage the housings. A plus. The receiver is a late W/E molded part with an armored cable. I have a G1 handset somewhere here and a spring cord or two around. The dial was loose inside, a nut had fallen off, no big deal. But the coins have been diverted to the return slot, got to find out what they did there. The coin release works, but one of the quarter turn posts retaining the coin mechanism is missing, but the spring is at the bottom of the case. Dates range from 1954 to 1965 internally.

So, I guess it's a wash, seller stated that this was not her area of expertise, it's a starting point for a winter project. The last project 233G I found locally was twenty years ago, and missing a lot more parts. Guess the outcome could have been a lot worse, it is a starting point.