Anyone watch this red 302 "parts" phone?

[TelePlay]

Seller listed this "Vintage Red Western Electric Rotary Telephone F" 302 at $25. Rose to $60 where it sat until the final sniped drove it up to $192 plus $17 shipping.

It has a painted handset but the shell looks to be solid red. Red coiled line cord but a black coiled handset cord? Did someone pay a bit over $200 for the shell or was there other value in this phone?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/301151848816

[poplar1]

This is part of the line of late color 302s with moulded housings and painted handsets. Note that it is "dash 53" red--same as 500s--and not the usual Pekin Red.

[Contempra]

It's a nice looking telephone teleplay, is it yours? working ?

[baldopeacock]

This is part of the line of late color 302s with moulded housings and painted handsets. Note that it is "dash 53" red--same as 500s--and not the usual Pekin Red.

I thought it might be that.   The shell's faded enough to look Pekin-ish but I figured it would clean up.    Those don't come along often at all.

[TelePlay]

. . . Note that it is "dash 53" red--same as 500s--and not the usual Pekin Red.

How did you know that for this phone or are you just saying the shell would be a -53?

It's a nice looking telephone teleplay, is it yours? working ?

No, not mine. Didn't even bid on it. Was thinking of doing an auction contest with it but didn't think it would get up into the $300 range. It did surprise me that it jumped up to almost $200 in a snipe. Someone wanted it.

[poplar1]

Doug has one of the "blood red" 302s.
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=1947.msg26287#msg26287

John, you're right that perhaps I jumped to conclusions on the color. However, the fact that the handset is painted is another clue that this 302 may be -53 red and not -20 Pekin Red. Thermoplastic color 302s normally have Tenite handsets in matching color (not painted). Continentals usually have painted Bakelite handsets.

Same for green--though the 302 "gray-green" and the 500 "dash 51 green" are much closer than the 302 and 500 red colors--still, there were 302s in -51: There was one on Ebay this week but I can't find it right now. It is marked "302G-51" on the bottom of the phone. Does anyone have the link to it?

[poplar1]

Paul notes on his website that these 302s were produced in 1954,  with painted handsets, in the following 500-based colors: Ivory (-50), Moss Green (-51), Red (-53) and [Rose]Beige (-55):

http://www.paul-f.com/color.htm#WEcolors

[poplar1]

Here's the "dash 51" green 302 I was looking for, from the same "family" as the "dash 53" red 302. It is stamped "302G-51" on the bottom--not -19 (gray-green color code used on most green 302s). Notice that it has a moulded green housing and a black Bakelite handset that has been painted green. I can't read the date on the housing; they could have put a new housing on a 1947 base.

VINTAGE-BELL-SYSTEMS-WESTERN-ELECTRIC-302-OLIVE-GREEN-ROTARY-DESK-TELEPHONE

It sold on 4/22 for $129.40.

[WEBellSystemChristian]

I saw both of those phones, but had plans to bid on the red 302. I decided not to when it jumped to $60.

[poplar1]

The dash 53 red 302 with painted handset is much harder to find than the pekin red 302--and the pekin red sells for $400+

[WesternElectricBen]

I should have bought the green 302 when the BIN was at 4.99.. What I really should do, is step up my phone deals, this is the second time I've let a pretty good phone by.

Ben

[MMikeJBenN27]

Never knew that those 54 color 302s had a painted black handset.  Learn something new every day!