1920's AE 3 Slot Payphone? I don't think so...

[Greg G.]

(Sigh).  Somebody who thinks anything not a cell phone is from the 1920s.  Not sure if the price is right, but my first impression is they are as clueless of the market price as they are the era:

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/atq/1451871383.html

[bingster]

Most definitely not 1920s, but certainly worth a hundred bucks.  Payphones tend to go for nutty prices.

[Greg G.]

Most definitely not 1920s, but certainly worth a hundred bucks.  Payphones tend to go for nutty prices.

Really?  Hmmm, I guess I'm the one who's out of step with the market price. 

Here comes the little devil and the little angel talking to me again.  I found the same phone posted again, with a couple more details.  The devil is saying: "It comes with MONEY in it, think VINTAGE coins from the 60s! Remember those silver Roosevelt dimes, before they started making sandwich coins?"

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/atq/1446001476.html ( dead link 03-09-21 )

[dsk]

  And you will get one of the 1920ies very rare transparent plastic dials

I know! we are a little bit slow here (Norway), our first transparent dial came in 1967.


dsk

[Dan/Panther]

I paid almost 300 for one similar to the one posted. However mine was concerted to plug and play. Still though I think I paid a litle more than I should have.
D/P

[Dan]

It's a 60's Automatic Electric, right?

[Phonesrfun]

Yep.

[Greg G.]

It's a 60's Automatic Electric, right?

AE for sure, if it isn't 60s I would be surprised.  I talked to him, he said he was going by some markings on the back that has a date from 1929.  That's probably a patent date or something, or maybe just the backplate.  Either way I'm going to pass.

[McHeath]

Just wait until 20 more years have passed and we have people selling early 1990's 2500s as being from the 1940s.

[Sean]

That price is about standard on eBay right now for a black one without keys and without a top sign. I am looking for a Chrome AE of this era to add to my 50s kitchen, which unless I am lucky will cost me $150-300.

Sean

[Greg G.]

That price is about standard on eBay right now for a black one without keys and without a top sign. I am looking for a Chrome AE of this era to add to my 50s kitchen, which unless I am lucky will cost me $150-300.

Sean

Is this an AE?  I don't know enough about pay phones to tell.

http://tinyurl.com/chromepayphone

[Phonesrfun]

Greg:

That is an AE 3-slot.

The body style of the three-slot payphones was largely unchanged since the Gray Company put out its 50-G in 1911.  During its time, Gray was associated with both Western Electric and Automatic Electric.  By the 50's Gray had gone by the wayside and Western and AE were each making their own payphones, but the body remained very unchanged.  This was until the single slots started to come on the scene in the 70's.

WE and AE made lots of changes to the insides of the phones and went their own ways on the guts, but outside, the distinguishing differences are that AE used their dials with the Operator hole in the 6 O'Clock position, and they used their handsets with the ridge down the center.  Also, the AE used a hookswitch arm that came out of the phone at an angle.  On phones with the coin return bucket that opens up, AE had a little different look to it.

So, they are not easy to tell apart for someone that does not know what to look for.

[Vern P]

To add to what Bill has said. Some other differnts between AE and WE are.

The AE dial, body is the size of the dial face, with a tapper.   

The WE has more of a "ring" around the face, then the body is smaller, forming a  "T" shape. If course they used a WE dial with this.

The AE hook is more of a "fork" shape. The WE is the cup shape, like on a 211 Space Saver.

The ones with a  coin bucket. The AE all most come to a point at the end. The WE look more like a box.

The name marking on a AE are across the top of the bottom box.  The WE and NE are marked  below the coin retun.   I think the Gray is amrked like the AE, but it has been a long time sice I have seen a Gray Co. pay phone.

Yes there are differnts on the inside too, but this is more about the outside.

Vern P

PS:  More about the Gray Co. After they split from WE, around 1934. They did make  phones with the Gray name, Later AE bought Gray and changed the name to AE. Time frame I don't know.

[rdelius]

The change from Gray to AE Chicago was around 1948.These both have the sloping id panel over the coin vault door.The later AE Northlake about 1957 sets  had a square coin vault. Beware of sets marked Western Electric above the coin vault door and AE handsets and dials. They might be Phoneco's replicas. Nice but do not have proper parts inside.
Robby