Classic Rotary Phones Forum

Telephone Talk => General Discussion => Topic started by: shortrackskater on December 06, 2017, 01:38:25 PM

Title: Gray? And it's certainly not a payphone, but what is it?
Post by: shortrackskater on December 06, 2017, 01:38:25 PM
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Gray-Bell-hand-crank-telephone-wall-phone-pay-phone/182940209328?

This is in eBay now Dec 6, 2017. I'd post pictures from the site but it's easier to just look at the link.
Seller says it's a Gray payphone. No I don't think do. And the back has a touch tone pad! But some of the internals do look old. Is this some kind of Frankenphone?
Title: Re: Gray? And it's certainly not a payphone, but what is it?
Post by: HarrySmith on December 06, 2017, 01:47:53 PM
Looks like a plain old wood wall phone someone "updated".
Title: Re: Gray? And it's certainly not a payphone, but what is it?
Post by: rdelius on December 06, 2017, 05:27:44 PM
Beleive it is a Sumter set
Title: Re: Gray? And it's certainly not a payphone, but what is it?
Post by: shortrackskater on December 06, 2017, 06:57:04 PM
What is a Sumter set? I'm a novice here.
Title: Re: Gray? And it's certainly not a payphone, but what is it?
Post by: AE_Collector on December 06, 2017, 07:43:36 PM
Quote from: shortrackskater on December 06, 2017, 01:38:25 PM
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Gray-Bell-hand-crank-telephone-wall-phone-pay-phone/182940209328?
I'd post pictures form the site but it's easier to just look at the link.

See how easily John saved and posted a couple of pictures when he came upon this topic? Yes it is easier to just post a link but it's only easier for the person posting, not for the Moderators, usually John. Think of all the hundreds of pictures he saves and uploads to avoid having the topic make no sense at all in the near future.

Please take an extra minute or two to upload a couple of pictures (in addition to links is okay) so that links becoming dead in the future doesn't reduce the topic to a waste of space.

Back to your regular scheduled program...

Terry
Title: Re: Gray? And it's certainly not a payphone, but what is it?
Post by: shortrackskater on December 06, 2017, 07:57:38 PM
I know! Sorry about that. I spend a lot of time on a site I moderate for slot machines and do the same things because the link will become dead and then no one knows what the heck it was!
I was just in a hurry this morning. :(
Title: Re: Gray? And it's certainly not a payphone, but what is it?
Post by: TelePlay on December 06, 2017, 08:23:36 PM
Thanks, Terry.

It's true but I also realize some people post from smart phones so adding an image is difficult so from the link, I can quickly help out.

Anybody catch the parts used to make that a "modern" phone? Someone used a 10 button TT keypad, probably from a 1500, which was one of the more ignorant moves I've seen when building a frankenphone. Not only did they loose the value of the 1500 but they are short two TT buttons to make it a really modern phone.

And they took that internal photo upside down, or the camera did it. Here's the modern internals up close and upright. Looks like it all came from a 1967 WE 1500.

Go figure.
Title: Re: Gray? And it's certainly not a payphone, but what is it?
Post by: rdelius on December 06, 2017, 10:48:36 PM
Sumter Telephone Mfg co Sumter SC. Not many companies is the south built telephone sets.Might have merged into Garford than Dean And finally SC.Made some car parts such as magnetos and later radios.Revived to build answering machines but not sure if there was any success
Title: Re: Gray? And it's certainly not a payphone, but what is it?
Post by: AE_Collector on December 06, 2017, 10:53:32 PM
Quote from: TelePlay on December 06, 2017, 08:23:36 PM

Anybody catch the parts used to make that a "modern" phone? Someone used a 10 button TT keypad, probably from a 1500, Looks like it all came from a 1967 WE 1500.

Or maybe an ivory 1554....don't tell Vern!

Terry
Title: Re: Gray? And it's certainly not a payphone, but what is it?
Post by: shortrackskater on December 06, 2017, 11:20:35 PM
And WHY is the seller saying it's a "Gray" ???
I don't see anything in the pictures that show the manufacture.
Title: Re: Gray? And it's certainly not a payphone, but what is it?
Post by: rdelius on December 06, 2017, 11:53:05 PM
Mfg by Sumter,not Grey,not Western or Bell could be a nice set but wooden sets almost cant be given away nowdays
Title: Re: Gray? And it's certainly not a payphone, but what is it?
Post by: shortrackskater on December 07, 2017, 12:03:38 PM
I sent a message to the seller to clarify what it was, a friendly message. She never replied so I sent this next:

Are you going to answer my question?
HOW IS THIS A PAYPHONE?
Where do coins go in?
And ... where does it say Gray?
Antique? With a TOUCH TONE pad? Huh?

Then she replied with this:

My apologies for not replying sooner.
The phone goes on the wall
But it does not take coins

So I followed up with:

Well.. thanks for answering 1 question of the 3 that I asked.

So it's not a payphone but the title says its a payphone.
It says it's made by Gray but I don't see the Gray name on any pictures.
And, it's an antique but it has an added-on touch tone pad, along with a modern ringer from a desk phone.
Fascinating!

This happens with slot machines too. I realize that some people aren't experts on what they're selling but why would they add additional "features" that don't exist??