500 P/U black mushroom desk set.

[terryfeckett]

Does anyone know the value of these units. Stand 500 series western electric with dial light also turn switch to allow night light.
Thanks, Terry

[TelePlay]

Is it your phone? Can you post photos of the phone?

Based on the forum auction contests, the 7 subject mushroom phones were all colored and sold for $200 to $600.
Sometimes a more rare color or very nice phone will sell for more. A yellow sold for just over $1,000 a bit over 2 years ago.

I just searched eBay and got the same range, and all were colored phones.

I seem to remember a discussion of a black mushroom phone on the forum but haven't found that as of this post.

Black is a more rare color, IIRC, than colored phones. If so, that will add to the value. The condition and completeness of the phone are factors.

Others may have better answers to your question and know better of which are the rare colors.

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EDIT:  Found this 500 Black Mushroom sold on eBay and discussed on the forum at this link

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=16439.0

[WEBellSystemChristian]

Actually, Black is considered the 2nd easiest color to find for Mushrooms, almost alongside Pink.

Still, in original, working condition with the original light cap, it could bring up to $400. Show us some pictures, if it's yours!

[jsowers]

I analyzed my bookmarks from 2010 to the present (I do have more, but not on this computer) and came up with this unofficial total of 500U and 500P mushroom phones by color, up for bids on eBay. I didn't count relists. I do annotate my bookmarks with color and ending date and if it's relisted, so I feel sure it's a fairly accurate count. It might not include BIN phones that may have been bought immediately after listing, since they are often unseen.

500U:
23 pink
12 black
11 white
10 aqua blue
  6 ivory
  1 red
  1 yellow
  4 green
  2 lt. beige
  1 sea green (an ITT-Kellogg)
  1 lt. gray

500P:
  1 pink
  1 black
  2 green
  1 dark blue

[TelePlay]

I do annotate my bookmarks with color and ending date and if it's relisted, so I feel sure it's a fairly accurate count.

Thanks, jonathan.

Can you give the dates of the black sales? Were they mostly early on or spread out evenly over the past 6 years?

[jsowers]

Thanks, jonathan.

Can you give the dates of the black sales? Were they mostly early on or spread out evenly over the past 6 years?

You're welcome. Black 500Us sold on 7-6-16, 7-6-14, 5-1-14, 1-6-13, 2-14-11, 3-3-11, 3-19-11, 10-27-11, 12-4-11, 11-18-10, 12-10-10, and 11-21-10.

The black 500P sold on 2-4-11.

So there were several in 2011 and 2010 and not many since. I do remember seeing many black mushroom phones over the years, but not recently.