Auction 42 - 1958 Western Electric 500 in Light Beige

[bwanna]

probably 2 of my secret admirers, bidding on a birthday phone for me

my guess is $195.80

[ntophones]

I'll go with $230.33
--nto

[Dan/Panther]

probably 2 of my secret admirers, bidding on a birthday phone for me

my guess is $195.80

TWO ?
D/P

[Doug Rose]

Can I ask why you folks think this phone is so valuable? Its a faded soft plastic phone from the late 50s. I am just asking and certainly not trying to sound like I know it all. I was simply amazed at the Pink mushroom phone. These prices are through the roof. What makes these guys so rare? These are going for prices much higher than I would think color 500 sets would be going for. Just a question and not an accusation....thanks....Doug

[Jim Stettler]

Can I ask why you folks think this phone is so valuable? Its a faded soft plastic phone from the late 50s. I am just asking and certainly not trying to sound like I know it all. I was simply amazed at the Pink mushroom phone. These prices are through the roof. What makes these guys so rare? These are going for prices much higher than I would think color 500 sets would be going for. Just a question and not an accusation....thanks....Doug

Is this a soft plastic light Beige or a hard plastic light beige w/ 6 hole caps. I think it is hard plastic. I asked the seller but he hasn't responded yet.
As far as Hard plastic w/ 6 hole caps, I have red, light blue and Light grey.  If it is Hard w/ 6 holes then it is HTF (not super valuable). If it is soft in light beige then it is very HTF , and should have some decent value. (I have heard rumours of rumours that there were some soft light beige. 
If it is rose beige then it is faded and has the wrong Dial.

Jim S.

[bingster]

The case is stamped with a 1958 inside, so that should rule out hard plastic, I think

Doug, I don't think we all think this is a valuable phone.  The purpose of the little contest isn't to guess the phone's value, it's to guess the auction's closing price.  And that's where the fun of the game comes in.  Excellent photos of shiny phones cause the final price to be much higher than it otherwise would be, so that affects our guesses.  The quality of the description also will affect a price.  So we're not guessing what it's worth, we're guessing how nuts the bidders will go.

[jsowers]

Definitely soft plastic. I've gotten them for as little as $25, but in unrestored condition. Rose Beige was discontinued in early 1957, so it's not that. It may not be faded. That could just be the camera.

They did make hard plastic light beige with 6 holes in the cap. Those are from July, 1959 to about December, 1959. The sixth hole made its debut about January or February, 1960. Or at least that's what I've seen from all the phones I've observed.

Bingster is right about the amounts we're guessing. It's what it will bring, not necessarily what we personally would pay.

[Dennis Markham]

My example of Light Beige is from May of 1959.  I just made it under the soft plastic "wire".   I bought it at a very modest price.  I don't recall exactly now but it was well under $50 it is in 9+ condition.  I got lucky but had to do some work when I saw the poor photo on eBay.  I actually came from in-State.  The seller ended up sending me multiple photos directly to my e-mail which helped keep the rest of the world from seeing what a nice phone it was/is.  I would rather have one from 1958 only for the leather covered footpads.

[Jim Stettler]

My example of Light Beige is from May of 1959.  I just made it under the soft plastic "wire".   I bought it at a very modest price.  I don't recall exactly now but it was well under $50 it is in 9+ condition.  I got lucky but had to do some work when I saw the poor photo on eBay.  I actually came from in-State.  The seller ended up sending me multiple photos directly to my e-mail which helped keep the rest of the world from seeing what a nice phone it was/is.  I would rather have one from 1958 only for the leather covered footpads.

So you confirm "soft" Lt. beige exist. 
In my opinion this makes it  Hard to find,  I agree the early leather foot model is more desirable.
If you are trying to collect all the early "soft" colors. Then you would need this example for the palette.

This is probaly  scarcer than rose-beige
Did the other "new" colors come in "soft" at this time?
Jim S.

[bingster]

All the colors for the new 1957 color lineup would have been available in soft plastic. They were black, ivory, moss green, red, pastel yellow, white, pink, light beige, light gray, and aqua.  All of those would have gone to hard plastic, but they all started out in soft.  There wasn't a revised color lineup until 1964, when turquoise was added (nothing was dropped for '64)

[Dennis Markham]

Jim, I have found that soft plastic in colored 500's remained until mid June or through June of 1959.  That includes the 554's.  I have sets stamped inside the housings from later in 1959 that are hard plastic.  The black 500's are found made of soft plastic well into the mid 1960's.  I just refurbished one dated 1965 and the housing is definitely soft plastic.

Attached is a photo of my 5-59 set.  The photo (shadows) make the edges look dark.  It's evenly colored, not yellowed.

[Jim Stettler]

All the colors for the new 1957 color lineup would have been available in soft plastic. They were black, ivory, moss green, red, pastel yellow, white, pink, light beige, light gray, and aqua.  All of those would have gone to hard plastic, but they all started out in soft.  There wasn't a revised color lineup until 1964, when turquoise was added (nothing was dropped for '64)

{No offense intended}
Is this Assumption, Theory, Experience or Fact?
I agree w/ the basic assumption, and easily the theory, but I am looking for collector Experiences or BSP Facts.There are some details that aren't BSP Facts, but are Facts due to collector experience in seeing an example. Pictures are always nice for "collector Facts". BSP references s are needed for BSP Facts.
The "collector" fact of the 1959 "soft beige"
makes the existence of the 1958 "Fact", However, we need confirmation of all colors. The rumor I heard rumours of were on regarding beige. The theory is that all of the "new" colors were soft, however, I still want , "soft" color confirmations. I can Confirm At least 2 runs of soft transparent 500's (Clear sets) {thru Experience}



JimS

[bingster]

{No offense intended}
Is this Assumption, Theory, Experience or Fact?

No offense taken.  The information I quoted comes from Paul Fassbender, and is backed up (by him) with BSPs, AT&T marketing literature, and other sources.

[Dan]

Here's my soft light beige from 3-1959

[bwanna]

probably 2 of my secret admirers, bidding on a birthday phone for me

my guess is $195.80

TWO ?
D/P

o, i am sure there are more......