VERY RARE CLEAR WESTERN ELECTRIC MODEL 500 ROTARY TELEPHONE DATED 1949

[zapper]

eBay item number:
233341824032
Sold last evening for $1350.00
Zapper

[Doug Rose]

I give up. How do you search a auction number on eBay? 15 minutes of trying. A link is just so much easier. How do your search this number on eBay?

[countryman]

You search for an item no. by copying it into the normal eBay search frame. But this only works for active sales, not expired like this one! Learned this recently...
If zapper still has a link to the item, this would work.

[FABphones]

Listing was active for just over two hours and received 47 views before selling.
Buy It Now. $1350.00.

Screenshot from listing:

ETA: Link below from tubaman.

[tubaman]

Here's the link - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VERY-RARE-CLEAR-WESTERN-ELECTRIC-MODEL-500-ROTARY-TELEPHONE-DATED-1949/233341824032
( dead link 04-09-21 )   - $1350 Buy It Now.

The case does indeed appear to date from 1949 as per attached photo.
If a listing has completed then search for the listing number and then check the 'Completed Listing' box on the left .

[Doug Rose]

Thanks for the Link. I did not see this on eBay. Was it a BIN? I can never tell. What a fantastic find! Is this the earliest known 500 set date?.....Doug

[tubaman]

Thanks for the Link. I did not see this on eBay. Was it a BIN? I can never tell. What a fantastic find! Is this the earliest known 500 set date?.....Doug

Doug, yes looks like it was a BIN.

[zapper]

The listing originally was an auction $399.00 opening bid.  The seller apparently received an offer for the $1350.00 and changed the listing to Buy It Now
Was going to ask the seller to remove the cover and see if the dates matched.  The number card is newer dial look worn, and the cords also look newer.

[andre_janew]

It has a coiled handset cord, which they didn't offer in 1949 on the 500 sets.

[tubaman]

It has a coiled handset cord, which they didn't offer in 1949 on the 500 sets.

Indeed, it also has a 425B network and no sign of the separate 311A equaliser that the early sets had I believe.
I've a nasty feeling the only possibly 1949 bit is the case and the buyer will be very unhappy.

[Ktownphoneco]

For completed listings :   copy the listing number into the search box, and go to the left side of the page and put a check mark in the box labeled "Completed Listings" and hit search.

Jeff Lamb

[andre_janew]

It does have the right dial bracket for an early 500.

[david@london]

Indeed, it also has a 425B network and no sign of the separate 311A equaliser that the early sets had I believe.
I've a nasty feeling the only possibly 1949 bit is the case and the buyer will be very unhappy.

Centre holes in handset caps too, however the 'operator' on the dial bezel looks like the early small font, with the zero above the letter 'p'. Or should that be the curved 'operator' if it's a 1949 model?

[tubaman]

Centre holes in handset caps too, however the 'operator' on the dial bezel looks like the early small font, with the zero above the letter 'e'.

Hmm, that is different - I assume you mean 'the zero above the p' as all my later 500 sets have it above the 'e'?
Somehow it's just not all adding up.

[david@london]

Woops.....yes I did mean P. Thanks.
Have corrected that.