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Clear Telephones (by Jim S. and others)

Started by Jim Stettler, December 29, 2009, 12:06:36 AM

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AET

- Tom

Dan

I can see clearly now you have nice phones... ;D
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

Greg G.

Quote from: Dan on December 30, 2009, 03:31:26 PM
I can see clearly now you have nice phones... ;D

He's very transparent about his collection...
The idea that a four-year degree is the only path to worthwhile knowledge is insane.
- Mike Row
e

McHeath

I remember those clear Trimlines in the 80's with the neon colored parts inside. 

You could still make a clear 2500 if one were so inclined, the needed parts are still being made and quite inexpensive. 

AET

Very interesting, I've got a few 2500s from my ma's plant.  I may have to do this.
- Tom

Jim Stettler

I would say there are at least 20-30 different clear trimline styles. I call these novelty trimlines. I have a bunch of them that I used to pick up at thrift stores when my collection was lean, and I was itching for a phone.
As far as clear unmarked 2500 housings. There are a bunch of different ones out there. The biggest difference is the thickness and clarity of the plastic. They also have transparent pink and Blue. NT also made a finally run of smoke tint 2500 style e-phones. These were given to the employees on the line. I have 1 and I have seen 2 others. However instead of making a generic clear 2500, you may as well use the housings on cooler 2500 variations. I used my first clear 2500 (generic) housing to create a 1500. Since then I have used them on turn key and plunger sets(you need to use the original grip). Also some of the later generic 2500 type phones have clear touchpad masks and extra buttons. These make great cores. I want to eventually drill out a housing for a headset phone.
Jim S.
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

McHeath

Here is a company that has clear housings for 2500s Tom:

http://www.fivestarphones.com/index.php?cPath=59_179

I don't know if the have the clear housings however, but you could ask as I got a certain handset out of them once by asking after not finding it on their web site.

I've bought 2500 housings from them and they are surprisingly thick and well made.  Thicker in fact that the WE housings were for that model, at least the ones I have.  They have a fully chromed 2500 that is pretty cool, but they want a king's ransom for it.

teka-bb

=============================================
Regards,

Remco, JKL Museum of Telephony Curator

JKL Museum of Telephony: http://jklmuseum.com/
=============================================
TCI Library: http://www.telephonecollectors.info/
=============================================

Jim Stettler

Remco,
I don't have one of those (yet), However I did just get a photo of one.

What model is it?

Thanks,
Jim S.
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

teka-bb

Quote from: Jim S. on January 28, 2010, 06:05:11 PM
Remco,
I don't have one of those (yet), However I did just get a photo of one.

What model is it?

Thanks,
Jim S.

It's one of the T&N (Telefonbau und Normalzeit) T4 luxury models.
=============================================
Regards,

Remco, JKL Museum of Telephony Curator

JKL Museum of Telephony: http://jklmuseum.com/
=============================================
TCI Library: http://www.telephonecollectors.info/
=============================================

WesternElectricBen

I have a clear 2500 and tirmline from the eighties.
Ben

Phonewizard

#26
I am looking for a clear WE 500 set. Please let me know if you have one for sale.  It does not have to be perfect as long as it shows well.   I have a clear Leich convertible with blue dial and handset (yellowed) and  a Stromberg Carlson 500 set with a Black dial and the clear handset is damaged.  I have a bunch of 2500 soft plastic cases that are unbranded.  
Bruce Patterson
Lovettsville Virginia

Jim Stettler

Does it have a "Designed by Steven Rogin" sticker on the bottom?  These sets outgassed from clear to orange to yellow. Mine was orange and then changed.
I think SC always used a colored dial on their clear 500's. I have owned 3 different styles of clear SC500's. My favorite one has a clear network. My NOS one has a clear 4 prong FEMALE end. Vern ended up with my Rogin set.

I think the Rogin sets were a sales gift from Steve Rogin. This is only a guess.

I was told the clear leich housings should be somewhat common. 1was typically shipped with a case of housings. It's purpose was so the installers could learn how to swap the housings. I only Know of 1 other leich housing (badly distorted) and a complete leich w/ clear handset. I suspect the complete leich was a sales sample vs a practice housing.

My clear phones are currently packed, but I may have a spare WE 500 that I would sell, probably a modular set.
I have owned 6 WE 500 sets, I don't know offhand  how many I currently own.
JMO,
Jim

Clear phones show stress hazing and  cracks a lot easier than a colored phone, Many of the clear sets out there have some cracks or hazing from stress.


Do the 2500's have a number inside the housing?  The ITT/Cortelco cases are the most common of the unmarked clear housings, and they have a long # by the cradle. I don't recall they # , but all I compared had the same #

Later clear housings are typically an acrylic type plastic, and came in clear, clear blue and clear pink. I think the acrylic 2500 housings were sold as "kits" (no phone, just cords and plastics). I don't know the manf.

There are some other varieties of generic clear housings as well, they seem to be small batches and were probably special order items.
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

Phonewizard

Yes it does "Designed by Steven Rogin" sticker on the bottom.  It is dated Jun 1970.

I found in the Western Electric Design Line book  (scanned by David Massey) a listing of a clear 500DM-29 clear phone.  I am sure this phone is modular. 

When you dig out phones and discover you have a spare WE 500 set let me know.

I had a chance to buy one 3 years ago at a phone show but spent my phone budget on an A1 instead.  I did not have enough to buy both.  I should have bought the clear 500 because since I seen at least a dozen A1's show up on e-bay.

I am trying to collect 500 sets in every color made including colors not made by Western Electric. I called Paul Fassbender had a nice long chat with him.  While he has a fairly good idea of what colors were made before 1983 there were some new colors introduced towards the end of production of the 500 sets branded AT&T but no one appears to know for sure what all of them are.

I bought an entire case of 2500 clear plastic intending to resale them.  Then ITT came out with their clear case phones.  This sort of knocked the wind out of my plans.  The ITT cases were very clear.  The ones I have were less clear and have a hint of milky cast to them and the plastic quite thick.  They also have been notched with a tool to make them modular. I just got one out and there are no marking at all on them.  Not even any mold numbers. They have not discolored at all even the ones that have been out and in use for years.   I am fairly sure these were some sort of small patch made by one of the after market case makers.  This all happened years ago.  I may be mistaken but I think I found the cases from a suppler advertising in Telcom Gear Magazine. 
Bruce Patterson
Lovettsville Virginia

andyb

#29
i have a clear phone i know nothing about   ive psted some pics

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Edit: - link added

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=12265.msg129516#msg129516