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1957 Red 500

Started by bingster, October 01, 2009, 11:42:05 PM

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bingster

Some of you may remember my troubles with a "bargain" soft red 500.  I bought it for something like $15, the price being a result of a de-laminated dial bezel.  I got the phone, and it was in good shape, all date matching to 4 and 5/57, and I figured a new bezel wouldn't be all that hard to find.  Boy, was I wrong!  My first attempt at locating a bezel resulted in a bezel that was way too bright.  The first photo below doesn't quite show how different the two bezels are.  It appears the colors are similar, but in reality, the reds aren't even close.  After that, I kept an eye out for a busted up phone that I could get a good bezel from, but I haven't been able to find one.  I thought I'd be stuck with that fire engine red bezel forever.

Then Jester to the rescue!  With a bezel supplied by him, I now have a very nice soft plastic red 500.  Thanks Stephen! I'm a pretty happy camper tonight. The end result is in the final photo.  One day, I'll learn to clean a phone before taking pictures.  It's covered in fingerprint smudges here.  But!  It's finally all the same color. 8)




= DARRIN =



Dan

I love the "blood red" WE500's. I  have a soft 500 cherry red too and an ITT in the brighter red. The WE 500 red looks better to me.
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

Jester

That bezel looks right at home on that phone, Bingster.  I'm glad I had something useful to you.
Stephen

Dennis Markham

Great looking phone, bingster.  You cleaned up the bezel real nice.  Did you have to use sandpaper on it or just clean and polish?  That bright one looks like an off-brand of some kind, with the white plastic showing where the screws attach the bezel to the dial.

McHeath

Maybe that bright red is a Kellogg. 

Good looking phone!

bingster

Quote from: Dennis Markham on October 02, 2009, 12:01:09 AM
Great looking phone, bingster.  You cleaned up the bezel real nice.  Did you have to use sandpaper on it or just clean and polish? 

All I did was take it out of the box and install it. 8)
= DARRIN =



Stephen Furley

#6
That 'phone is the same age as me; it really is difficult to think of them as being that old, they look much more modern.  Over here the 706 wasn't introduced until 1959 and didn't become really common until the '60s.  The Bakelite 300 series was still the standard GPO model here at the time that this 500 was produced.

Other than the feet that looks exactly the same as mine, dated November 1970.

How quickly did the 500 replace the 302 over there?  It was probably about 15 years from the introduction of the 706 to the 300 series being rare.

Dan/Panther

Gheez, I wish I could run across a 50's Red 500. Every time I get one up close, they all seem almost burgundy.
D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

bingster

That might not be easy, Dan.  I haven't seen them all, but the ones I've seen (including mine) are a very dark red, like what used to be called Chinese red.  If you're looking for a bright, fire engine red, these aren't the ones.
= DARRIN =



Dan

My bright red is an ITT. It is prettier than a red WE IMO, but the red WE is SOFT plastic. I can post pics if you want to see the difference.
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

Dan/Panther

From what I understand, WE ran a short run of #114 Bright Red 500's, standard Red like we are all used to is #53, called cherrty Red, seems I read in 1957 or ? Not sure maybe Dennis or Jorge or someone will set the record straight. When I've seen them They call them Coca Cola Red.
D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

Dan

Dan, I did not know that! Anyone with a WE coca-cola red, please chime in!
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

Dennis Markham

I've never read anything about the manufacturer running out of certain red dyes or anything like that.  That doesn't mean it's not true.  First I've heard of that.  I think the term Coca-Cola red is just a moniker that was put on the color from eBay sellers, nothing official that the manufacturer would have used---especially since that is a trade-marked name.  But the color of the soft plastic sets, when not discolored from sunlight resembles the red color of Coca-Cola's label/signage.  From Paul F's site, New in 1953 were the following red colors:
-53 Red, Cherry Red, Cardinal Red, Fiesta Red.   I don't know if they are all the same color or just different names for the same color.  Sometimes sets are darkened from UV exposure.  It is just not as noticeable as darkening of the lighter colors.  I've seen the color referred to as "blood red" too.  The hard plastic sets do seem to be brighter.

bingster

The multiple names for the same color stem from the local BOCs coming up with fanciful names for advertising purposes.  The brochures that have been posted here show some of these names.  I agree that the Coca-Cola description has been brought to us by the same group that gave us the "Lucy Phone."  I've read that Bell was bothered enough by the multiple color names that they issued an edict to restrict all reference in advertising to the "official" names as listed in the BSPs. 
= DARRIN =



bwanna

dentist dan, let's see some pics! i wanna see red ;)
donna