Auction 99: Early 1900s Tapered Shaft Candlestick

[TelePlay]

$442.50 or so . . .

[TelePlay]

Congratulations to Sargeguy for picking up his 5th win in our Auction Contests with his guess of $400.00, only $13.11 away from the selling price of $386.89. It was the second guess of the contest and beat out the first guess, by wds of $350, which itself was very close. What did they know?

Check out the updated Contest Standings to see who's who through the first 99 contests.

Thanks to all who played in this contest. Auction Contest 100 is still ongoing so if you haven't already taken a guess, check it out and place a guess.

As always, there is only one way to get on the winner's board or move up a rung - you have to play.

[Sargeguy]

Finally, after a long drought!

[wds]

Looks like this phone is back on the market.  $450.00  Same hardware store bolt in the perch.  New cords look like lamp shade cords.

http://tinyurl.com/nr3cu3m

[wds]

Price drop - $425 with free shipping.  I sent the seller a question about the phone which probably prompted the drop in price.

[TelePlay]

Price drop - $425 with free shipping.  I sent the seller a question about the phone which probably prompted the drop in price.

Seems to have been discounted even more to $400 BIN with free shipping.


Seller of this item states: "According to Kate Dooner Author of Telephones Antique to Modern this is a Century Telephone construction CO. Split shaft Telephone page 161. It was made in 1905 and appears to be all there, the nickel is in beautiful condition and it may have been replated at one time. The mouthpiece and receiver are free of any defects and the cords are very nice. A very nice phone for a collector to have."

[wds]

Wake me up when it hits $300!

[wds]

$395 w/ free shipping.  Assuming that this is the same stick, it's interesting that the seller is willing to take a loss after just a couple weeks.  There were no inside pictures of the phone so I wonder if there is more wrong than meets the eye.   Maybe we should have a backwards contest to see how low it will go?

[TelePlay]

I tried to compare photos at high magnification but the pictures from the first listing were so fuzzy that identifying marks can not be found to compare with the new listing. The first auction did not show the base "felt" and the cords have been changed so if it is the same phone or not, can't tell. Also, the buyer is not the same as the seller but the nut seems to be the same, as are the prices.

[wds]

I compared the pictures pretty carefully, and I think it's the same phone.  I just wonder if the first seller wasn't playing games and bid against himself to drive the price up one the first sale.  (oops, Ebay sellers wouldn't do that, would they?).  And if it was a legitimate sale, and the phone had problems, why wouldn't that buyer just return the phone instead of listing it on Ebay for a loss?

[TelePlay]

Something fishy so it seems. As for the return, the first auction was a

"Returns: No returns or exchanges, but item is covered by eBay Buyer Protection" (whatever that would be - the phone was delivered, maybe, to someone else). Buying a phone without good and complete photos inside and out is a pig in a poke deal, isn't it? Or as, I think Doug, would say, sometimes you bite the bear, sometimes the bear bites you.

[wds]

Today it's $375, free shipping.

[AE_Collector]

I've got $350 Shipping included tomorrow.

Terry

[wds]

$350 - free shipping.  I don't know if the price changed last night or today.  good call on the $350 price!

[wds]

I heard back from the Seller today - he says despite the bolt going through the perch, it has not been drilled out.  I'm skeptical, but I don't have one to compare.  It seems that the correct arrangement is two screws, that thread in from each side.  It must have been drilled out for that bolt to go all the way through?  Also, the terminal strip in the bottom is missing, and all wiring is gone.  Seller said he would take $300.