Find of the Month - February 2016

[AE_Collector]

Post your "Find of the Month" here.

A "Find of the Month" is a telephone or a related item that you acquired during the month that you are particularly excited about either because of its rarity, the difficulty you had in trying to find it for your collection or the exceptional "deal" that you got on it.

The "Find of the Month" contest is focused on the collection of telephones rather than on their sale for a profit. To be eligible for the "Find of the Month" contest:

- The finder must have personally acquired and actually own the item.
- The item can be acquired for free but it can not be a gift or present from anyone.
- The item (or any of its components) cannot be put up for sale during the contest period.
- Only one "Find" per owner can be in a "Find of the Month" contest.


A Nomination Should Include:

1) at least one picture of the item.
2) the price & shipping cost.
3) where and/or how it was found.
4) the forum link if discussed in another topic on CRPF.
5) the eBay link if won there.
6) and other information of importance about the find.


Ideally your item would be posted in its own thread elsewhere on the forum such as "Auction Talk", "Flea Market/Yard Sale Finds" or "Collectors Corner" Board. Then you or anyone else can nominate your "Find" to the Current "Find of the Month" thread by posting at least one picture and other details including the price paid, any shipping costs and a link to the original discussion on the forum. It is not a requirement that your find be posted elsewhere on the forum but the more details the better.

Nominations of phones listed in other forum discussion topics, by members that do not own the item but realize it is indeed a "find" worthy of being nominated as a "Find of the Month" candidate, are always welcome.

Please pick your best "Find" to submit for the month limiting your entry to one phone or one "Find" that might include multiple items. If you have already entered for the month and come up with something even better either submit your new find indicating that it replaces your previous entry OR you can enter your new Find in next months contest.

To check out a list of all past winners including the Find of the YEAR winners click here:  http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=12971.0

TelePlay has grabbed pictures of all of the "Find of the Month" winners since we started this back in 2010 and he has put them into albums on PhotoBucket. Thanks John.

To check them out, click --> HERE <--

Terry

[HarrySmith]

I guess I will start this with a phone from the Maitland show. My 1955 WE 554. This is the first year for the 554, replacing the 354. This is dated 11-55 throughout. It has the big chrome hook and the straight handset cord. The only thing I can find that is not original is the handset caps, they were replaced with plastic ones at some point but I have plenty of bakelite handsets I can get correct caps from. Picked it up for $20.00.

[LarryInMichigan]

I was hoping to nominate my rose beige Kellogg K-500 (forum link) for January, but it was held up in the mail for a couple of extra days and just now arrived on the 1st of Feb.  Does it qualify for February?

I paid $34.99, shipping included, for this phone on ebay (link).


Larry

[TelePlay]

I was hoping to nominate my rose beige Kellogg K-500 (forum link) for January, but it was held up in the mail for a couple of extra days and just now arrived on the 1st of Feb.  Does it qualify for February?

YES!

[EdTel]

My find of the month, a Kellogg 1000 series 'red bar
This is pretty different that any of the other old rotary phones that I've seen, and kind of cool.

Picked up from Ebay (where else?!) for $30 plus $23 for shipping. 
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/272099354753

I haven't tried hooking it up yet but hope to do so soon.

[Fabius]

Found my third Vail Medal. Awarded to Thomas Clark of the  Cumberland Telephone and Telegraph Company in Tennessee. Mr. Clark was a toll lineman's helper. He was awarded the Vail Medal in bronze in 1920 for going above and beyond in restoring a toll line to service in January of 1920 during a snow storm. This occurred in the Stewart TN area. The medal is marked 10 1920 on the edge. The 10 indicates it was the 10th bronze medal issued in 1920 by the local operating Bell company.

Found on eBay for $210 with free shipping  With the original case

[.....]

My find of the month is this 1967 Northern Electric Model # 592A external ringer. It has 3" bells and is appox. 7.5" X 6.5" I hooked it up and the ring is very loud. Found it locally on Kijiji and paid $20.00 CDN for it. ( approx. $14.20 USD ) They are priced on eBay from $26.25 to $79.95 USD plus shipping costs.

[NorthernElectric]

I got 2 phones this month (posted here) and have decided to nominate the Western Electric B1 I bought at a shop near work on Feb. 10th.  When I bought it, it had a dial blank, a hardened rubber straight handset cord which cracked on me, and a layer of dirt.  It looked like someone had tried to hot  wire it with a piece of 300 ohm antenna wire.  Sorry that I didn't take a photo of it as found before I cleaned it up, added a 4H dial, swapped out the handset cord (with a curly cord for now), and wired it up to a 684BA subset, but I was eager to try it out.  I paid $45C for it plus maybe $5 gas to visit the shop.

[Pourme]

I suppose the new guy can enter his 1900-1905 Stromberg-Carlson oilcan candlestick, as posted earlier this week in the candlestick forum. I found it at a local Antique Mall last Thursday. Someone added a dial, probably decades ago. I have removed it and am contemplating my best plan for it's restoration. Asking price was $195.00 he accepted my $125.00 offer and I now have my first  candlestick! I'm so proud...Ha

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=15729.0

Thanks for looking!

[HarrySmith]

That was an awesome find! Great submission, I think "The new guy" has a good shot at winning!

I vote for removing the dial and restoring the base to original. If you want a dial you can build a box with a touch tone dial you can hook into the line cord without modifying the phone. Easy hookup, just wire in series into either of them! Instructions by Stan S. are on here somewhere!

[Pourme]

Thanks Harry,
I have removed the dial and now have 3 small holes to deal with. I'd love to find a oil can base cover from a donor phone to use. I'm looking into the process of nickel plating & intend to do it myself. I don't think I'm going to use a dialer at all. Thanks for the positive comments!

[HarrySmith]

You might want to try our own member Dennis. He does awesome plating, just for us collectors, and he has a "new" process which results in a less glossy finish, looks just like the original finishes. He can probably fix the holes also. Here is a post about it:

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=13394.msg140159#msg140159

[Pourme]

Thanks for that, Harry. Another option to consider, for sure!

[AE_Collector]

February's "Bonus Day" is over so that means it is "Time to Vote" for your "Find of the Month" for February 2016.

Everyone gets TWO VOTES so use them wisely voting for the two items that you would most like to have found for yourself!

Terry

[AE_Collector]

Hah! Finally a Find of the Month contest that doesn't need run off votes to finish. A good competition this month with many items getting significant votes. And 28 voters made it to the polls, thats a good turn out.

LarryInMichigan's Rose Beige Kellogg K-500 turned out to be the overall favorite taking the prize for February. Nice find Larry, Congratulations!

Lots of great finds again this month. Thanks to everyone for nominating and voting. On to March.....

To check out a list of all past winners including the Find of the YEAR winners click here:  http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=12971.0

Terry