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What is a 202 worth

Started by Kenny C, March 14, 2010, 05:52:28 PM

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Kenny C

I called all of the antique stores in the yellow pages (like every weekend) and they said a 202 with ringer box and all. She said it had been rewired to plug into a "regular outlet" but the cord went in side. I looked at it before and they wanted 125 but it is marked down to 100 it is in pretty rough shape. Do you guys think it is worth 100?
In memory of
  Marie B.
1926-2010

Doug Rose

Kenny...a lot of variables; does it have an E1 or a F1? Are there chips in the bakelite? Is there corrosion on the phone base. Cloth cords? Fraying? Is it the correct ringer box. Is it a 4H dial? Does the dial spin and return properly? Is the leather bottom cover in good shape? Normally, $100 for a working 202 with the correct ringer is not a bad price. Condition is the key....Doug
Kidphone

Kenny C

the dial works great, the ringer box is oak, it does have a cloth cord and she said i could try it out when i come back.
In memory of
  Marie B.
1926-2010

bingster

A true 202 wouldn't have come with an oak subset, so that raises questions.  Do you have a cell phone with a camera so you might be able to take a photo of the setup and post it for us? Or is it too far away for that to be convenient?  It would be especially important to see the inside of the oak box. 
= DARRIN =



Kenny C

well the tag said oak ringer box old telephone i cant tell one wood from another but i will take some pics
In memory of
  Marie B.
1926-2010

bingster

I'm sure it's probably oak.  What I meant is that a 202 wouldn't have come with a wooden subset of any type.  They either came with a steel box or a bakelite box.  But that's not all that important, because the old oak subsets are nice, too.  I'd just be worried about what's inside it. Since it's so unoriginal and has a modular cord installed, you may find it has modern components inside the box. 
= DARRIN =



Kenny C

ok it looks rough i don't know if i will buy it or not I realy want a 302 I let one go a couple of months ago I had 120 and it was 100 but at the time i didn't know what a 302 was
In memory of
  Marie B.
1926-2010

Phonesrfun

Kenny:

There are so many variables, it would be good to see the pictures of the phone base with its handset and the subset.

It could be any number of things,  However a D mount (Elliptical base) at $125 with a subset could be a good price or a bad price depending on condition, and the kind of subset it really is.  A WE wooden 295 would be a great subset to have, although it is earlier than the D-mount itself.

Why do I say D-mount and not 202?

The B-mount is the round base desk set; The D-mount is the later elliptical base desk set.

A 102 is an older way of hooking up phones that had excessive sidetone (hearing ones own voice in the receiver)  Some sidetone is desireable, but too much is distracting.

A 202 is a better circuit that was designed to lower sidetone, so they call that antisidetone.

The B mount was issued before antisidetone subsets were made.  Coincidentally, the D-mount came out at about the same time the Bell System started using antisidetone sets.  Some people, most notably the e-bay sellers that do not really understand the hobby, just jumped to the conclusion that the round base was a 102, and the elliptical base was a 202.

It really depends on which subset is being used, since a B or D mount can be used on either subset.  So, that is the long story.......

zzzzzzzzzz


-Bill Geurts
-Bill G

Kenny C

In memory of
  Marie B.
1926-2010

LarryInMichigan

Kenny,

You shouldn't have to pay $100 for a 302.  They can be bought on ebay for $25 or so, even less if you look enough.  If the phone in the antiques shop has a round base, it is probably a B1 base.  Those are far less common than the D1 base and therefore more valuable.  Keep in mind that the B1 and D1 bases only contained a hook switch and possibly a dial, and the induction coil, capacitor (condenser), and ringer were in a separate subset box.  Many people have added mini network cards inside of the bases to eliminate the need for a subset.

I would strongly suggest that you follow bingster's advice and take some pictures of the phone, including the dial and handset, so that the experts here can look at it before you part with your money.  While these phones can be great additions to a collection, they can also require an enormous amount of effort to restore properly, especially if they need to be stripped, sanded, and repainted.

Larry

Kenny C

ok i will get some pics but they probably wont let me open it up but i will ask. My birthday is the 19th so i will have 100 dollars or so
In memory of
  Marie B.
1926-2010

Jim Stettler

Quote from: Kennyc1955 on March 14, 2010, 08:38:49 PM
it is round on the bottom

Does it have a short straight shaft coming out of the base and to the cradel,  or is  the base "humped" to meet the cradle?

Could be one of them "sawed-off"  Candlesticks. In which case $100.00 is a very good deal.

Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

LarryInMichigan

QuoteCould be one of them "sawed-off"  Candlesticks. In which case $100.00 is a very good deal.

That would be an A1 base, wouldn't it?  If that is what it is, Kenny should grab it and run.  I have seen those go for $1000.

Kenny,

I don't think that you need to take anything apart, but you want to see what kind of handset it has and what its condition is.  An E1 handset is worth much more than an F1.  Also, turn the dial and see how well it turns and how it sounds.  The older dials are more valuable and make louder clicking sounds. 

Take a look at the different models here:
http://www.telephonearchive.com/phones/we/we-a1.html

Larry

Jim Stettler

$1,000 is cheap for an A1.  They should be worth around maybe $1200. However I have seen them go on ebay for over 3K.  They are pretty scarce but there are lot's of them still out there.

Years ago a collector transformed a bunch of them into Candlesticks.  Paul Vaverchak (I think) ended up with the cradles. He would always check candlestick bases trying to find A1 bases, so he could convert them back.

Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

LarryInMichigan

Jim,

Speaking of A1s, did you notice item #150423698492.  It sold between the time I saw and when I pushed the buy button.  It is an A1 base with an E1 handset for $25!!!!

Larry