Recent Sales--500U, 500H, 500P "Mushroom" Phones

[poplar1]

Red 500U--dated June, 1959
Sold for $159.88 on May 20, 2014 (Buy-it-now)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/171336946563

[jsowers]

That red 500U went to a phone collecting buddy of mine who isn't on the Forum. I thought I would report on it in case anyone thought this was a bargain price. Not as much as you'd think. It has a problem. The phone has some kind of clear coating on it. You can see the splotches on the handset and swirled dirt on the dial number plate that was under the coating. He hasn't been able to get all the coating off the housing, so he'll have to sand it. Not impossible, but a lot of trouble.

Also, there are three recent 500U auctions mentioned in this thread on 500 prices, so I didn't want them to be excluded.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=12215.0

[poplar1]

White WE 500U
Dated 12-58--all original including the lamp cap
Sold for $899.98 May 18, 2014 (CA) 18 bids

http://www.ebay.com/itm/161303189673

[poplar1]

Pink WE 500U dated 6-59
All original including lamp cap
Sold for $527.64 on May 25, 2014 (CA) 21 bids

http://www.ebay.com/itm/161310563279

[WesternElectricBen]

I hope you don't mind if I add my one, which I got at a bargain price..

Black WE 500 P/U, 1959.
All original, missing lamp cover.
Purchased locally (June 3013) for 22 dollars.

Ben

[poplar1]

500U 6-59
Sold for $699 June 19, 2014--4 bids (IL)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/251557748639

[poplar1]

Pink 500U
date is difficult to read, but base is old enough to be marked P/U
Sold for $224.72 after 35 bids on May 15, 2014 (OH)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/231226591240

[jsowers]

Here's a black 500U from 11-59 that sold as a BIN for $400 on 6-30-14. It was a very handsome example and should be to command that price. Black seems to be the most plentiful color for these phones, followed closely by pink.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/301226997470

[david@london]

interesting that the date of the housing is much earlier - 4/58, so it's soft plastic, as stated :     

"THE PHONE HAS BEAUTIFUL SHINE. THE CASE IS MADE OF SOFT PLASTIC AND THE HANDSET IS BAKELITE. IT HAS A BEAUTIFUL SHINE! NO CRACKS OR DAMAGE, NOTHING TO DISTRACT FROM THIS BEAUTIFUL PHONE!             
    THE DIAL LIGHT AND NIGHT LIGHT BOTH WORK AND ARE CONTROLLED BY THE TURN SWITCH ON THE LEFT CORNER OF THE PHONE, SEE THE PICTURES. A TRANSFORMER FOR THE LIGHT IS NOT INCLUDED WITH THE PHONE.   
     THE CRYSTAL CLEAR PLASTIC SOFT CENTER DIAL TURNS SMOOTHLY AND SOUNDS GREAT, WITH AN ORIGINAL "ADams 3-2334" NUMBER CARD. THE TRANSMITTER AND RECEIVER CAPS HAVE NO CENTER HOLE , THE HOOK SWITCH BUTTONS ARE BLACK AND THE CORDS ARE ORIGINAL IN VERY NICE CONDITION. 
    ALL 100% ORIGINAL WESTERN ELECTRIC/BELL SYSTEM PHONE MADE IN THE USA IN 1959,  THE PARTS ARE DATED,1958 OR 1959[SEE THE PICTURES]. "

[unbeldi]

interesting that the date of the housing is much earlier - 4/58, so it's soft plastic, as stated :     

For black plastic housings this date line is not very significant.
No clear changes were made for black housings until the 60s. That transition may have been completed only in 1964 or 5.

[poplar1]

I wonder why the dial is a 7D-3 instead of a 7C-3.

[unbeldi]

I wonder why the dial is a 7D-3 instead of a 7C-3.

All later black sets have 7D dials, colored sets have 7C dials.

Black sets initially had 7A dials. The upgrade to 7D on black sets occurred in 1954.

[poplar1]

I wonder why the dial is a 7D-3 instead of a 7C-3.

All later black sets have 7D dials, colored sets have 7C dials.

Black sets initially had 7A dials.

Except that all dial light phones supposedly had 7C dials, including the black ones, because of the Lucite finger wheel.

[unbeldi]

I wonder why the dial is a 7D-3 instead of a 7C-3.

All later black sets have 7D dials, colored sets have 7C dials.

Black sets initially had 7A dials.

Except that all dial light phones supposedly had 7C dials, including the black ones, because of the Lucite finger wheel.

Ah, yes, you are right.   Hmm, perhaps that explains the date difference.  The phone needed work and they didn't have a replacement?

[Dennis Markham]

I have four black "mushroom" phones.  The dates and dial markings are as follows:

Black 500H, dated 9/54.  Dial is marked 7C -3 , 9/54 and a number 1 below the date.

Black 500H, dated 4/55.  Dial is marked 7C -3,  2/55.

Black 500U - dated 6/58.  Dial is marked 7C-3, 6/58.

Black 500 P/U, Dated 8/59.......Dial is marked 7C - 58, 7/59.  Obviously a change as -58 is White.