Darn thing doesn't work!

[Greg G.]

I bought this from Goodwill, but it won't light up.  Guess I'll have to convert it back to a phone.  Besides a subset, what else will I need?  The receiver is in bad shape.  I think that's a 4H dial, it goes clickity-clack, but could use a good cleaning.  I'm not real up on candlesticks, so anything you can tell me about this one would be appreciated.  I paid $40 for it.

[Greg G.]

More pics.

[wds]

Nice one.  It looks like a #2 dial.  I've recently purchased two We candlesticks that were converted to lamps, and both of them had #2 dials with the no notch faceplate.  But I paid more than $40 for mine!  Great catch!

[Greg G.]

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[Greg G.]

Nice one.  It looks like a #2 dial.  I've recently purchased two We candlesticks that were converted to lamps, and both of them had #2 dials with the no notch faceplate.  But I paid more than $40 for mine!  Great catch!

What is that leftover part?  It obviously belongs to the phone, but I'm not sure where.  They used it to mount the lamp to (pic Lamp modification 6).

[wds]

That's the part the light bulb mounted to.  Your lucky they used that instead of drilling a hole through the transmitter cup.  Saved you from having to buy a replacement cup.  You should be able to turn that into a working phone without too much trouble.  (throw that leftover part in the trash so it's never used on another phone!)

[Sargeguy]

Excellent catch!  that is the perfect conversion since they did not damage the phone during the conversion.  You could use a wiring harness, but you could also make your own.  I would swap out the faceplate for one you can read.  I believe the ones that say AMERICAN TELEPHONE  & TELEGRAPH COMPANY are appropriate for this phone.  The hardest part of the conversion will be the repainting.

[wds]

I wonder if the dial number plate has a notch next to the fingerstop?

[Sargeguy]

Everything you need:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/280872022917

[Greg G.]

That's the part the light bulb mounted to.  Your lucky they used that instead of drilling a hole through the transmitter cup.  Saved you from having to buy a replacement cup.  You should be able to turn that into a working phone without too much trouble.  (throw that leftover part in the trash so it's never used on another phone!)

So it's just coincidental that the left over part is tarnished brass, and not part of the phone?

[wds]

Not part of the phone.  It doesn't look like you have any parts missing other than the wiring.

[TelePlay]

Your lucky they used that instead of drilling a hole through the transmitter cup.  Saved you from having to buy a replacement cup.  You should be able to turn that into a working phone without too much trouble.

Yes you are. And your lucky the coverter didn't have a welder. The one I got had the lamp bracket welded to the perch. The cup was in bad shape, as was the receiver. Those parts, a subset, internal wiring harness, mounting cord and line cord took my $15 stick with a #2 dial into 3 digits. But it was worth it. You have a great stick to start with there.

[Greg G.]

I wonder if the dial number plate has a notch next to the fingerstop?

Negative.  It's not that bad, I just wiped off the crud.  Just has a nick by the #8.

[LarryInMichigan]

Briny,

Great find!  How do you keep doing it?  Goodwill has no stores in the Detroit area, but I have stopped in their stores in other parts of MI and in IN and MD and haven't found anything even remotely resembling a valuable antique.  I guess I need to do a west coast Goodwill store tour

Larry

[Greg G.]

Briny,

Great find!  How do you keep doing it?  Goodwill has no stores in the Detroit area, but I have stopped in their stores in other parts of MI and in IN and MD and haven't found anything even remotely resembling a valuable antique.  I guess I need to do a west coast Goodwill store tour

Larry

Larry, check Goodwill online, there are several vintage phones on there at the moment, that's where I got this one.  http://tinyurl.com/86mog5l