eBay Find: Code-Correct Garnet Red AE80 from 1972

[KaiserFrazer67]

Hello everyone,

Just want to share with all of you (especially my fellow Automatic Electric fans) my new find after about a year's hiatus in this hobby.

I've always wanted a good, code-correct Garnet Red AE80, and I found a couple good red ones on eBay a few weeks ago, one of which had the correct code.   The first two screencaps are the phones I bought; the first via a sniper bid, and the second, a Buy It Now.  Turned out the cheaper of the two ultimately wound up being the keeper of the pair; and this is how the story went:

My intention was to take the best plastic from the two of them and put them together on the chassis which had the correct Garnet Red code (14).  Turns out the cheaper one, the one with the correct code, actually had the better plastic once I got it cleaned up.  In the end, only the handset plastic was switched out.   All the same remaining components (receiver, transmitter, ringer, etc.) were kept with each respective phone.  When I received them (packaged correctly per my requests to each seller, thankfully!), I noticed the nicer-looking, more expensive phone (which also has a longer handset cord from a wall phone) actually had some of the molded-in writing on the phone body carrying handle worn down from whomever decided to do a polish job on it.  I was pretty disappointed, since I had hoped to use the plastic off of that one on the red-coded phone, since the chassis for this one was coded for a black phone.

A happy surprise came when the cheaper, code-correct phone arrived; for despite the tape and dirt, the plastic was actually in better shape, and the molded-in writing was good and crisp!  Thankfully, the adhesive from the tape came right off, and with some very light progressive wet-sanding and buffing, it cleaned up beautifully.  The handset plastic wasn't as great, however, so I did wind up switching out only the handset plastic, while keeping the original receiver and transmitter the phone originally came with.  Here are the auction photos:

1) Screencap of the cheaper phone, which actually came from California, and won after 5 bids.  This was the one with the correct color code on the chassis.  The plastic didn't look so good in the photos, so my original intention was to switch the plastic out with one from a better phone.

2) Pic from the auction post showing some instructions taped on the side of the phone (not sure what they pertained to since they did not matter once I hooked my AE-branded 283B plug to it).

3) Pic from the auction showing the correct code on the bottom; according to Paul-F's information on his site, Garnet Red (14) is after the model code (802).  Phone appears to be dated November of 1972.

4)  An interesting pic from the auction listing showing the original AE tag on the plug end of the cord.

5)  The second, more expensive red AE80 I bought as a Buy-It-Now (yes, I paid double what the other one was... )  That one, the details of which I won't bother with, is coded for a black phone, and has a much longer handset cord, most likely for a AE90 wall phone.  EDIT:  That phone now has its own thread:  http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=22151.0

[KaiserFrazer67]

The next series of photos show the components of the code-correct Garnet Red AE80, the one I intend to keep:

1) My photo of the base of the phone, showing the code and date stamps.

2) Photos showing the codes on the transmitter and receiver elements (OO on each).

3) Photo showing the code on the dial (OO2) and also a code (or part number?) on the back of the number ring (903F).  (Yes; I wrote "TOP" on the back of the dial mount, so I wouldn't put it back on the wrong way, which I have done once already...  )

4) Close-up of what little there is of a code stamp on the circuit board.  It may very well have been intended to be "OO"; if so, the component codes are remarkably consistent on this phone.

5) Shot of the interior of the phone.  The straight-line ringer bore no code that I could find.  I am not sure if this phone is a "transition" piece, since the ringer bears the newer "GTE" logo whereas the rest of the phone still bears the older AECO diamond logo.  It is possible that the ringer may be a newer replacement, although the phone is coded for a straight-line ringer with adjusting wheel (the "SA" part of the "CSA" code).

[KaiserFrazer67]

...And finally, a couple photos of the polished up original!  I am glad I was able to at least keep the original body plastic with the phone.  As I'd mentioned, only the handset plastic was switched out.  I did have to add a new-old-stock fingerwheel (thankfully, I'd bought a few quite some time ago) as the original one had become cracked and crazed a bit.

Last photo is of both of the eBay phones.  The one on the left has the correct base code, and is the one I intend to keep in my collection.  I put my brown AECO-branded 283B plug on the end of it (hopefully I can get more of the AECO-branded ones sometime!).

Comments and feedback are welcome.  Hope you found this interesting!

[rdelius]

Even though I live in ex GTE territory, red type 80s were rather rare. Any i ever found were the earlier ones with metal plungers and earlier plastic fingerwheels with the chrome ring.

[KaiserFrazer67]

Even though I live in ex GTE territory, red type 80s were rather rare. Any i ever found were the earlier ones with metal plungers and earlier plastic fingerwheels with the chrome ring.

I would have preferred to have gotten one of those earlier ones myself, but very few ever come up on eBay or show up in local rummage sales/antique shops and malls, and the few I have ran across were in horrific shape.  I'm just thankful to have found the ones I did.  My next AE80 goal is to find nice ones in Dawn Gray and Colonial Blue.  After seeing Jorge Amely's phones, I've decided having one each of those two very rare colors is next on my AE80 list. 

[rdelius]

I have the blue one but have not restored it. Cords will be hard to find

[RotarDad]

That red AE80 is very nice, and I also really like the laminate counter top it is sitting on.  My parents' 1961 ranch home had the exact same pattern with dark cabinets and light yellow appliances.  Fun to see that again!

[jsowers]

I had hoped to use the plastic off of that one on the red-coded phone, since the chassis for this one was coded for a black phone.

I've looked and looked at the base pics of both phones and they have the same code info exactly. The only difference I can see is the black areas at the corners near the feet are larger on one than the other. Where did you say the code for black was, and what was it?

Pic below: Top half is first phone, bottom half, rotated, is second phone.

You did a beautiful job cleaning up the phone and you definitely picked the right parts to combine. I grew up in AE territory and never saw a red phone there. Only at my aunt's house when I was about 3 or 4--and that was Bell territory. She had a red 554 in the kitchen of the first house they lived in. Your efforts to make this phone historically accurate are to be applauded too. It's not easy since AE didn't put dates on everything.

[KaiserFrazer67]

I've looked and looked at the base pics of both phones and they have the same code info exactly. The only difference I can see is the black areas at the corners near the feet are larger on one than the other. Where did you say the code for black was, and what was it?

Pic below: Top half is first phone, bottom half, rotated, is second phone.

You did a beautiful job cleaning up the phone and you definitely picked the right parts to combine. I grew up in AE territory and never saw a red phone there. Only at my aunt's house when I was about 3 or 4--and that was Bell territory. She had a red 554 in the kitchen of the first house they lived in. Your efforts to make this phone historically accurate are to be applauded too. It's not easy since AE didn't put dates on everything.

I'm sorry for the confusion, jsowers; those are two different photos of the exact same phone.  To clarify:  In my top (first) post, the first 4 photos are the screencap of the auction of the phone I'm keeping, and three pics the seller took of that phone and posted in the listing.  The last pic (a screencap) is of the auction of the other black-coded, more expensive phone. 

Post #2 are photos I took of the "keeper" phone during and after disassembly and cleaning.

I hadn't posted any pictures of the black-coded phone's base or interior as I thought it irrelevant (I'm not keeping it), so I'll post the base photo now.  Here's a pic of the base from that "Buy-It-Now" auction (the more expensive one).  This particular photo is the one the seller took and posted in the listing.  I can take and post pictures of the interior and components if you want; but as I'm pretty sure it's a "thrown-together" phone for the purpose of flipping it, I'm not sure how accurate it would be (the handset cord is much longer, as if it were taken from an AE90 wall phone).  The ringer is also a straight-line ringer.  It's possible, with the "CXX" code on the base, that it was a generic chassis made to be completed at the telco in response to a customer's request, but I don't know how much that was done back in the day.  Wondering if AE_Collector or someone who is more knowledgeable with AE phones would know...?

[KaiserFrazer67]

I have the blue one but have not restored it. Cords will be hard to find

I had a lead on a complete, code-correct Colonial Blue one, an earlier one with good cordage and the compensator adjustment on the bottom.  That was around a year ago.  Hopefully the person in question still has it and is willing to part with it...   
As for a Dawn Gray one, haven't seen any other ones out there, live or online, besides Jorge's beautiful example.

[jsowers]

I'm sorry for the confusion, jsowers; those are two different photos of the exact same phone. 
(snip)
Wondering if AE_Collector or someone who is more knowledgeable with AE phones would know...?

Thanks, Tom, for clearing that up. I woke up with a sinus headache today and I guess I was still in a fog. It was the kind that even made my teeth hurt.

I too would like to hear Terry's take on it all. He must be on another cruise. Lucky him.

[compubit]

I'll have to post a pic of my Dawn Gray when I get home. Alas, the Colonial Blue alludes me too!

I'm a little more partial to the AE-90, and have all of the colors, save Dawn Gray and Colonial Blue... (and IIRC, there's some question if there really was a Colonial Blue AE-90...)

Jim

[KaiserFrazer67]

I'll have to post a pic of my Dawn Gray when I get home. Alas, the Colonial Blue alludes me too!

I'm a little more partial to the AE-90, and have all of the colors, save Dawn Gray and Colonial Blue... (and IIRC, there's some question if there really was a Colonial Blue AE-90...)

Jim

There is a genuine, code-correct dark blue AE90 which does, or did, exist, owned by a fellow by the name of Gene Doom.  Here's the link to the photos:  https://www.telephonecollectors.org/pictures/?op=list&folder=22&sort=date&start=801

Bear in mind those photos were posted back in October of 2009, about 9-1/2 years ago.  There are five pics in all.  On the left side of the list, you'll see three headings that read "Dk Blue AE 90 insides" which Gene Doom posted (the third one of that group shows the code on the back of the phone, which reads "N92216 CXX", "16" being the code for dark ("Colonial") blue), and two more following that group which read "Gene Doom's AE 90" posted by Bill Wright.  It's a beautiful rare, possibly one-of-a-kind phone, and I also hope there are more out there to be discovered...  right now, it sure does seem to be a unicorn... 

[kleenax]

There is a genuine, code-correct dark blue AE90 which does, or did, exist, owned by a fellow by the name of Gene Doom.  Here's the link to the photos:  https://www.telephonecollectors.org/pictures/?op=list&folder=22&sort=date&start=801

Bear in mind those photos were posted back in October of 2009, about 9-1/2 years ago.  There are five pics in all.  On the left side of the list, you'll see three headings that read "Dk Blue AE 90 insides" which Gene Doom posted (the third one of that group shows the code on the back of the phone, which reads "N92216 CXX", "16" being the code for dark ("Colonial") blue), and two more following that group which read "Gene Doom's AE 90" posted by Bill Wright.  It's a beautiful rare, possibly one-of-a-kind phone, and I also hope there are more out there to be discovered...  right now, it sure does seem to be a unicorn... 

Ha!
I was with Gene Doom when he found that Dark Blue AE90 in Paul Vaverchak's polebarn!  Gene no longer owns it because I convinced him to take it to a telephone show (I think Cinci) for display, and someone offered him $300 for it so he sold it! Only example that I have EVER heard of, but I looked it over well, and it had indeed been in service, and was just in a pile of other out-of-service (used) telephones that Paul had purchased from an independent telco. I honestly think that Dave Willingham (poplar1) ended up with it?

[compubit]

It is a beautiful color and a beautiful phone.  I never understood why there wasn't a dark blue phone when I was growing up (70s), as I would have had one!  Now I know more about the history, but wish the darker blue colors were around longer. I personally would love a Navy Blue WE Princess and/or Trimline Phone - but that will have to fall in my "irrealistic models", along with a Western Electric compact rotary wall phone and a white Western Electric single-slot pay phone...

Jim