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Auction 176: WE 1959 "Shmoo" Telephone, Trial Model # F53273 - Ended 5-10-15

Started by TelePlay, May 03, 2015, 11:34:35 PM

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TelePlay

New forum members are very welcome and encouraged to take a guess. After all, there are no wrong guesses, just one lucky one. No one knows the winning bid on any auction until it ends. However, it is important to get your guess in before someone else grabs your guess.

Just listed in a 7 day auction with no reserve starting at $100.00 is that rare "Shmoo" (one sold in auction contest #146 for $510). The phone has attracted 3 bidders in the first half hour of being listed and they have increased the price to $405.00. Is there going to be an upside to the current price? Who knows?.

NOTE: since the current bid is close to the selling price of the last one, instead of a percentage we will use a flat rate gap of $20, make your guesses at least $20 away from any prior guesses.

This should be interesting. A week to go in the auction and it's already at a prior sale price. So, once again, who best knows what this phone will sell for when the actions ends?

The seller listed it as an "RARE western Electric Bell SHMOO Telephone 1959 Trial Model # F53273 BEIGE TAN" with the item condition as "Used" and " - - - " with the auction listing description saying "Purchased a group of phones from a local estate sale of gentleman who work for Bell Laboratories from 1950's to late 70's. I'll be listing several this week. For Sale this Auction: Rare Western electric Shmoo Telephone. It is a Beige tan color. In good condition, the handset has a yellow streak discoloring(see Photos). Selling Untested As Is As Found. Below is some information about the phone I found online. "This is the "Shmoo", a fore-runner of the Trimline telephone. This telephone was used in field trials between 1959 and 1960 in New Brunswick, NJ. (Info thanks to paul-f.com)"."The nickname for this telephone was a reference to The Shmoo, a character in the Lil' Abner comic strip, who the handset of this phone coincidentally resembles.  A close-up of the dial portion of the handset. Notice the space between the 1 and the finger-stop, the smaller dial with the moving finger-stop used in later Trimline phones had not yet been developed, causing this telephone to have this distinctive bulging shape. The screw-tab accesses the night-light. On one side is phone's night light switch. The phone's underside, showing its Western Electric field trial model number.""

http://www.ebay.com/itm/121640745861

It's another chance to move up a rung or to get onto the CRPF -> Contest Standings <- list,

     . . . for as twocvbloke said,   ---> "You gotta be in it to win it !!!" ;D "

If you want to see the phones of past Auction Contests, click -> HERE <-


S C O R E B O A R D

$     700.00 - poplar1  ( 17 )
$     775.00 - andre_janew  ( 15 )
$     800.00 - WEBellSystemChristian  ( 4 )
$     840.00 - TelePlay  ( 18 )
$     880.00 - 19and41  ( 16 )
$  1,010.00 - Kenton K  ( 2 )
$  1,111.00 - Autonut  ( 5 )
$  1,202.00 - WesternElectricBen  ( 3 )
$  1,346.00 - twocvbloke  ( 1 )  -> WINNER - Final Selling Price $1,280.99
$  1,440.00 - tallguy58  ( 14 )
$  1,500.00 - compubit  ( 6 )
$  1,575.00 - wds  ( 11 )
$  1,650.00 - Russ Kirk  ( 7 )
$  1,700.00 - Fabius  ( 12 )
$  1,855.00 - skyrider  ( 13 )
$  2,200.00 - Mr. Bones  ( 8 )
$  2,500.00 - HarrySmith  ( 9 )
$  2,599.99 - zapper  ( 10 )


Early Morning Auction Status

05-03-15     Listed       $    100.00
05-04-15     7 bids       $    405.00
05-05-15     8 bids       $    430.00
05-06-15     8 bids       $    430.00
05-07-15     8 bids       $    430.00
05-08-15     9 bids       $    510.00
05-09-15     9 bids       $    510.00
05-10-15     9 bids       $    510.00
05-10-15     9 bidders, 14 bids, $1,280.99  Ended 19:00:35 PDT

twocvbloke




WEBellSystemChristian

Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford


compubit

A phone phanatic since I was less than 2 (thanks to Fisher Price); collector since a teenager; now able to afford to play!
Favorite Phone: Western Electric Trimline - it just feels right holding it up to my face!

Russ Kirk

- Russ Kirk
ATCA & TCI

Mr. Bones

Sláinte!
   Mr. Bones
      Rubricollis Ferus

HarrySmith

Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"



Fabius

Tom Vaughn
La Porte, Indiana
ATCA Past President
ATCA #765
C*NET 1+ 821-9905


tallguy58

Cheers........Bill