Two-Tone Colored WECo 500 Telephones

[AE40FAN]

Won this on Ebay for 50 bucks including shipping.  It was a BIN and withe impulse I accepted not realizing the seller has 0 feedback and this is the first item they sold!!  I sent a couple messages pleading that they please package it carefully and never received a reply they just shipped it.  I pray it arrives safely.  I believe this may be an original two tone black and yellow from 1956.  It has a straight handset cord.  Was two tone actually offered in yellow?

[Dennis Markham]

Any chance you could post the eBay link?

[AE40FAN]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/200853232928?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2648


I know it's a long link I'm sure if I spent more time I could figure out how to shorten it...  You think 50 bucks is a good deal on a two tone? 

[AE_Collector]

The link could be shorter but it isn't one of the ones that wrap over three lines! Cut off the ? and everything after it in this example.

$50 seems quite reasonable to me for it if it turns out to be an original two-tone which I think it will.

Terry

[Gilas]

I saw that listed and talked to him a bit. I asked him if there were numbers in the housing that would show a soft plastic and he couldn't find any. Hopefully he was wrong and you got one.   Let us know and crossing my fingers for ya

Mike

[AE40FAN]

Well, gambling has never been my thing.  All dates match 1956 with the exception of the yellow housing which is from 1972.  I knew as soon as I touched it that it wasn't soft plastic.  Oh well, parts phone it is.  Interesting that the yellow housing is from 1972 and the bell systems logo is still square not rounded.

[Tom B]

Tough luck with that one - that's the trouble with buying online without having the chance to examine the piece hands on. Better luck next time.

[AE_Collector]

It still will display well while you collect other colored two-tones!

Terry

[LarryInMichigan]

From the listing pictures, it appeared that the shell was thinner than a soft plastic shell.

Larry

[AE40FAN]

Actually Terry, for some reason it just doesn't look right.  I can't even salvage the straight handset cord as there is a really bad break that goes almost all the way through!  On a positive note I just snagged what seems to be a NOS 1962 all matching dates white (no fade) 500 for 35 bucks including shipping.  Only damage is some rust on one of the feet.   

[baldopeacock]

This thread documents at least one early 500 in red with a black dial, but with red handset.

Does anyone know if any of the other colors went out with just a black dial?   I think I've seen one Oxford Gray mentioned here before, possibly.   Has anyone seen a Mediterranean Blue with black dial, but a blue handset?

[Dennis Markham]

There has been a lot written on the "two-tone" sets and the "black-dial" sets.  Check out one of those links here:

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=2249.15


You will see pages from a booklet illustrating those phones.

[jsowers]

This thread documents at least one early 500 in red with a black dial, but with red handset.

Does anyone know if any of the other colors went out with just a black dial?   I think I've seen one Oxford Gray mentioned here before, possibly.   Has anyone seen a Mediterranean Blue with black dial, but a blue handset?

The first "full color" sets in red, yellow, dark blue and dark gray had black dials. They also had dark gray cords and color housings and handsets. There were actually three tones if you count the cords. This was the case until very early 1955 when the dials started matching for all "full color" sets.

In case you didn't see it in the link Dennis posted, here is the first page of that thread with the sets you mentioned.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=2249.0

Farther down on the page you can see what were called "two-tone" sets and they have black handsets, cords and dials, with color housings only.

I hope this clears up the confusion. You're not the only one who has questions about these early phones. They're not easy to find and to the untrained eye they look like someone replaced the dial with a black one.

[JorgeAmely]

... snip ...   I think I've seen one Oxford Gray mentioned here before, possibly. ... snip ...

This one perhaps ...?

[Doug Rose]

breath taking!