Today's Finds

[compubit]

Decided I needed to take a "long" drive into the country, so I searched for flea markets/antique shows (not much around the DC area - due to the holiday weekend), so I headed north to Harrisburg, PA.

First stop was a flea market (half indoors, half outdoors). Indoors was a bust (a mix of food stands, massage/fortune tellers/new age stuphph - as my old band director would say - and what I call "Little Lots" - where they take the leftovers from Big Lots and then try to see it for retail price... - many of which were closed for the holiday weekend). Outdoors was a little better.  A few phones (a couple of $20 early 60s 500s, a $25 AT&T 500 and a $25 AT&T 554 (both for $40, but no lower), a $125 firm American Telco Candlestick (uh, no), and a $10 grey 2500 (not a 2503) non-modular with thick line cord and junction box (the cord was not cut, yea!), original plastic 2500 number cover (smooth top and ribbed on the bottom) and original number card: 215 OR3-8058.  Guess which one I ended up with...?

Second stop was outside of Chambersburg: an antique mall with 4 separate storefronts. Ran into a couple of SC 500s (I guess Chambersburg was United Telephone, based on the stickers on the bottom), but also saw an Orange 1654 Mini Rotary Dial phone. Didn't initially see the price on it, but when I did, I held onto it for dear life: $5. Not only a mini wall rotary, but also orange (and not the WE Rust).

Third stop was Hagerstown, which was basically a bust (but a nice phone > lamp conversion...  )

Final stop was Frederick.  First place downtown was a bust - nearly all furniture and plates/glassware. Second place had several phones, but nothing worth writing home about (500s/554s/2500, mostly ITT), but also saw a yellow Noteworthy. If I weren't saving for my cruise in 2 weeks, I might have bought it...

Anyway, back home now and time to clean the 2 phones I did pick up.

Jim

[jsowers]

That light gray 2500 was quite a find! I hope you're planning to post an "after" picture without the shoulder rest and 911 sticker. Those add-on things, like funeral home stickers and silverplate handset covers, are not too attractive. The number card and junction box should remain, though. That's a rare card, with the two-letter prefix, likely only used for a short time in the 1960s and not updated to one using all numbers.

[compubit]

Will definitely.  I just finished an orange 554.  Once I got the Novus 2 on it, I was thinking "Wow! That's shiny!"  I have to get the background out to get my "after" shot.  Before I clean, I'll try to remember to get a series of before shots (with the felt background and outside for lighting).

I already have a 2503 light grey, but it's modular. Very happy with this find.

Jim