Some things I saw in Memphis...

[deedubya3800]

I went to Memphis yesterday and crawled several antique malls. I mainly found a lot of junk, but I saw over twenty decent phones today, including enough 500's to sink a small vessel. The 500's were black, light blue, green, white, and yellow, and ranged from 1961 to 1976, mostly Western Electric with a couple Stromberg Carlsons as well, and not one priced over $30. I saw a 1983 Western Electric 554 in very good shape for less than $30, and a 1968 Stromberg Carlson 1554 that had been upgraded at some point to 12 buttons. A white 1965 Princess was asking $30. An Automatic Electric wall phone wanted $85, a couple of brass WE candlesticks and a couple of WE space savers were priced at $125 each. I saw a Western Electric 506C for about $24. There were a couple really old Kellogg sets in the low three-digits that included the subsets, too. Below are some various pics of some of the phones I saw. Ask me about some of them, and I'll recall some more details about them.

I was really looking for a 302 in decent shape on the cheap today, which is hard to find in Memphis. I eventually found one, which I'll discuss later, but before I did, I found a 1946 with a really good plastic shell but scarcely another good part on it for $65, a really nice dial-less set from a hotel room for $45, and a metal 302 that was so horrible-looking I didn't bother looking for a price. Most of the 302 types I saw were F1W's.

[Kenny C]

if the blue phone was turquoise (started in 1964 and was the last year for color sets with open center fingerwheels wich that one has) i would have bought it if it was turqouise.

[Dan]

It  is hard to find a one year only open center wheel 1964 turquoise. I have one. I think a nice one last year went for 300 or so on ebay (maybe it was a finlover auction?)

[Dennis Markham]

I like that Kellogg Masterphone wall phone (the Red Bar--wall version).  I'm still looking to add one to my collection.  Nice phones.

[deedubya3800]

That Kellogg and its AE friend there were among the most expensive phones I saw. They were in a glass case, and if memory serves, they were in the $300 range. They look stunning in person, though.

And as for the blue phone, I don't remember the year, but it has the matching handset and line cords. I'll check it again when I go back. They didn't want much for it, or any 500 I saw yesterday, regardless of the year. But a some of these "junk" dealers wouldn't know a 1948 prototype from a 2003 Cortelco. But that's why I like these places.

[deedubya3800]

if the blue phone was turquoise (started in 1964 and was the last year for color sets with open center fingerwheels wich that one has) i would have bought it if it was turqouise.

I stopped back by this place (to get a cool old Miller High Life stash can I wanted) and so I took a lot more pictures of this phone. It's certainly yellowed, but I can't tell what color it is.

[deedubya3800]

And more. Notice how each and every piece of this phone is dated 5-63, 6-63, or II-63. I was amazed.

[Dan]

It is a yellowed aqua. If you look under the dial you will see a number 62. If it was turquoise it would be a 64. It won't be, because turquoise wasn't made until 1964 in the 500 model and this one is a 1963

[deedubya3800]

That's what I was thinking. I do rather like this phone anyway, though, because of all the matching dates and how good everything looks. I think it would probably clean up to very nice-looking phone. But right now, I'm going after bigger game.