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Flea Market Find--WE C1

Started by WEBellSystemChristian, August 13, 2017, 06:55:19 PM

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WEBellSystemChristian

I came back from the flea market today with one phone, a very nice C1.

When I saw it, I was actually thinking about getting a G1 Space Saver at a different table for $45, unless I didn't find anything else very interesting there.

I saw the curved hook sitting on its side on the table, and started speed walking toward it. A girl cut in front of me to take a look at the phone. She picked up the handset, looked at the price tag, laughed, and said to her mother; "This is it? Pfft, it's not worth that much!" and walked away. I casually walked over to it. I noticed the handset was a nice E1 with the original cord, and the paint on the housing was actually in good shape. I looked at the price: $22! ;D

I came back after I looked at everything else there and bought it for $20.

I didn't take any 'before' pictures because I didn't think it was going to look this nice. I wiped it down with something I bought for my truck--Meguiar's Quik Detailer. It cleans the surface and leaves behind a very weak wax, which just protects the paint, it doesn't add any sheen. It also lubricates the dirt particles as it lifts them off, so they don't scratch or haze the paint while you scrub or buff.

The housing paint turned out to be practically NOS, with only some scuffing and wear where the handset sat in the cradle. The handset looked pretty worn and beaten, but it looks like I was wrong again! I used the buffing wheel to make what I thought was severe wear look acceptable, but it turns out that it must not have been used much! There isn't a single spot of wear anywhere on it, other than a couple chips in the holes in the side of the spitcup. This is also the smoothest opening E1 I have ever seen. There wasn't a single threaded part that was even remotely seized, just a little tight from dirt build-up. Heck, some threads were actually fairly loose against eachother!

The original bracket is in great shape, and came with all four original 8/36 screws, plus the original screws that mounted the phone to the wall.

$20 wasn't a bad deal for this one!
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

TelePlay

Very nice condition, and, with the bracket. Great find. Was this at Fireman's Park?

LarryInMichigan

That was a great deal.  Those brackets seem to be quite rare.  I expect that the bracket alone is worth more than the $20 price.

Larry

Ktownphoneco

Very nice find Christian, and as Larry said, the bracket by itself is worth more than the whole thing put together.     Shined up nicely as well.   Good for you.

Jeff Lamb

oldguy

Great find Christian, congratulations.
Gary

AL_as_needed

Not sure what stars you were born under, but they seem to be pretty lucky  :D

Great find, in great condition!
TWinbrook7

cihensley@aol.com

Very good, excellent condition find.

Chuck

WEBellSystemChristian

Thanks guys!! This will make a great replacement for the empty C1 housing that I bought for $12 awhile ago!

John;

This was actually in Elkhorn.
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford