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yellow phone mystery

Started by Dan, September 11, 2009, 11:23:05 PM

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Dan

I watched this auction closely, made a bid, and then the seller ended the auction early. I figured he got an offer 'under the table" and cancelled my bid. At the time, I thought it was an original 1956 soft plastic yellow with soft  leather feet.

http://tinyurl.com/l6fsls ( dead link 08-04-21 )

Now today the auction is relisted, with a slightly different description. The seller has perfect feedback. Notice the feet are now 1959 or older rubber and the base has a 1955 date instead of a 1956.

http://tinyurl.com/l26wpy ( dead link 08-04-21 )

Why would a guy change an original phone, change the base and feet , and relist it?

This deserves a "forensic phone "investigation. I am not going to bid on it, but i may ask the seller what is going on. Any guesses?
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

Phonesrfun

He or she must have thought a one year older phone would make a big difference in price.  Actually the 56 had older feet than the 55.  Interesting.....

-Bill G

Dan

I sent him an email asking if he could list the phone in it's 1956 original listing, since it is more accurate that way. I am waiting to see why he did it and what he will say.
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

bingster

I'd be curious to know that, too.  I was watching the last listing, too, and noticed the new listing, but didn't pick up on the differences.  I need to pay more attention.
= DARRIN =



Dennis Markham

Yea Dan, that's pretty strange.  Those later feet are obviously replacement feet with fasteners found on some of the 5302's.  A base from 1955 would have had leather footpads, as you know.  Maybe someone needed a '56 base to complete a project and offered him a good price for just the base, or money and a swap.  Perhaps he'll fill you (us) in on the scoop.

Dan

#5
Dennis, I believe he had a white one also listed that had the 1955 base at the same time he originally listed the yellow.  It didn't sell (it had a seven hole ear cap and looked like the receiver cord was replaced too). The leather feet on the old yellow  1956 listing are pristine!

It would make perfect sense that someone bought the 1956 base and he put the white base on the yellow shell because he knows yellow soft phones have more value that white ones with replaced earpiece caps and cords.

Bill's idea makes sense too, especially if he thinks a 1955 is more valuable than a 1956 ( but we know  not really with the  newer 1959 or later feet)
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

Dennis Markham

#6
I was just looking at the seller's other items for sale.  He's got a dial and bezel (yellow) for sale independently.   Note the date on the back of that dial is 7/55....the same date as the new base and ringer.  The color code suffix has been blackened out.  Maybe this dial bezel isn't yellow but looks like a faded yellow on my monitor.  Maybe he has two yellow phones?  The handset also looks different on the two listings but that could be lighting.    There is a cradle mark at the receiver end that does look the same on both.  But the cap sure looks nicer on the first listing and he does not show a hair line crack on the '56 listing, just the second one.  I thought it may be two different phones but that dial card is the same in both listings.

Added Info.  My posting came out after you posted the info about the white phone.  That dial bezel is white that has yellowed from UV exposure.

http://tinyurl.com/mye8gq ( dead link 08-04-21 )

Dan

#7
Great details Dennis. Hopefully he will be upfront and answer my question. I offered him a very generous buy it now when it had Zero bids  when it was listed as a 1956 yellow originally, which he declined (he said specifically he wanted to let the auction run it's course) Then I placed the ONLY bid on it and he closed the auction.

I am going to predict someone did make him an offer for JUST the base and that is why the white parts are available. He is trying to assemble a "frankenstein yellow."

Heck, if the  yellow housing is a 1956, I probably could swap out a black one and match it back to originality.

It is interesting he "blacked" out the color code on the dial that is listed. Bet it says 58 under that sharpie mark ;) And also it is interesting that white didn't come out until 1957 so the 1955 base is definately wrong.
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

Dennis Markham

In fairness to the seller with regard to the blackened out color code, that looks like a refurb shop mark.  I've seen them blackened out in the past when dials were changed.  And there is a refurbish date on the back of that white dial that reads 2L58.  I don't know how to decipher the 2L but it must have been in 1958.  He also has the yellowed mounting cord and handset cord for sale too.  So he stripped that old white phone and put the yellow pieces on the white base with the rubber feet.

Dan

You nailed it Dennis. It is fun to do a little "forensic phones", isn't it?

Too bad an original 1956 yellow bit the dust here. I even had a nice grey cord I could have put on it to really jazz it up . (I think either you or Jorge has a yellow with a straight grey cord)
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

Dennis Markham

I wish it were me with the yellow 500 with straight cord...but I'm still searching for that phone!

I thought some more about this yellow phone.  It just doesn't make sense that someone would take apart something with consistent dates just to sell or use a specific dated chassis.  If it is the plastic parts are the same in each listing, I wonder why there was no mention of the handset cap crack in the first.  What happened to the white housing?  Perhaps it wasn't in good enough shape to sell separately. 

You probably could find another chassis to build the phone on that has the same date.  Before I pushed the button it I'd ask the seller to see the inside of the cover and handset, to verify the dates.  Maybe a shot of the back of the dial showing the color suffix would be nice too.

Dan

I got a response today. He said this was  a different phone and the other previous  yellow phone was already sold. How did he get the exact same phone center  number in both phones? I still am going with your chassis exchange theory.
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

jsowers

Quote from: Dan on September 12, 2009, 12:28:30 AM
I offered him a very generous buy it now when it had Zero bids  when it was listed as a 1956 yellow originally, which he declined (he said specifically he wanted to let the auction run it's course) Then I placed the ONLY bid on it and he closed the auction.

Dan, I have to ask something. How is your making that offer fair to all the rest of your fellow phone collectors? I don't care how generous you think your offer was, you were trying to buy it out from under the rest of us and not let it go to the highest bidder. It looks like someone else beat you at your own game, though. I can only say it wasn't me and I would never think of doing that. In the future, please think of all of us and just bid what you think it's worth and let the highest bidder win.

I'm sorry if my remarks were critical. It's a sore spot with me after seeing many valuable phones suddenly disappear over the years, so I'm a little militant about this and couldn't let it slide. It just comes down to fairness.

One other thing about the second phone. I think the seller must have re-used pictures from the first one, thinking nobody would notice. I think you're wise in not bidding on this one. It does sound a bit like a Frankenphone.
Jonathan

Dan

#13
Very fair question.  I am not trying to steal anyones phones out from under them. I do not offer people $25 for mushroom phones or soft yellow ones . I feel  my offer of $175 was not trying to snipe anyone. He said no, so I put a bid in with a huge maximum and they dropped the auction. If some one offered him more and he took it, good for him/her. It doesn't bother me, the seller got what he wanted, the buyer was happy. Another one will eventually come along.

If you went to an antique show and a guy had a rose beige you wanted on a table with a bunch of touchtones and he was asking $25 for it, I don't think you would tell him how rare it was if you needed it, would you? Sellers need to be aware of their product when they sell it, otherwise any soft red, grey or white 500 that comes along would automatically be over $100. The seller may have just picked it up for $1 at a yard sale, so $25 may make him happy.

I have had three mediterrannean blues auctions  lost because I lost out in the last minute of bidding. .  

I generally get my phones off yard sales, antique shows, and craigs list and don't  snipe anyone.

Your words are not harse to me, I used to get worked up about losing out on phones too.

I think we had a thread a while back about "mr information" or whatever we called him. He was someone who told a seller what jewel he had really  and didn't have any intention of buying it. He just drives the price up for everyone. That kind of guy bugs me more than a buy  it now sniper type.
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

McHeath

QuoteDan, I have to ask something. How is your making that offer fair to all the rest of your fellow phone collectors? I don't care how generous you think your offer was, you were trying to buy it out from under the rest of us and not let it go to the highest bidder. It looks like someone else beat you at your own game, though. I can only say it wasn't me and I would never think of doing that. In the future, please think of all of us and just bid what you think it's worth and let the highest bidder win.

I'll weigh in here where angels fear to tread and argue that the way E-Bay works is not "fair" in any way at all.  They aren't real auctions where I have a last chance to bid more, "Going once, going twice...".   Instead it's more like a game, they are essentially sniper wars where the person who can zing in that last second bid can win.  Sure I can set my private bid high, but that also defeats the point and makes it no longer a real auction either.  And sellers can end an auction in progress if they get an under the table bid they like, or if they change their mind, also not something that happens in real auctions.  E-Bay is an animal all it's own, but it's not an auction in the traditional and expected sense.  It's a very frustrating place to buy things, and it could certainly be redone to work like an auction does, but the powers that run it like the gaming feel that it has, so that's what we get.