Find of the Month - September 2011

[AE_Collector]

Post your Finds of the Month for September 2011 here.

"Finds of the Month" are items that you acquired this month that you are particulatly excited about either because of its rarity, difficulty you had trying to find for your collection, the exceptional "deal" you got on its price etc.

Terry

[jsowers]

I think Robby's light gray 10-59 500U for $60 at the Hillsville flea market was a fantastic find. It even has the original cords and he rescued the mushroom cap.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=5363.0

[AE_Collector]

That is a keeper! Nice find Robby.

Thanks for submitting the nomination Jonathan and thanks for including both a picture and the link the the previous discussion here on the Rotary Phone Forum.

Terry

[bigdaddylove]

'shrooms, man!

[stopthemachine]

Hello, all!

I've been a stranger around here, but I did just win a phone on eBay the other day: an SC 1543 phone in CHERRY RED (as always, thank you, Paul, for your wonderful website that doesn't forget color charts even for SC phones) with the earlier bakelite (They are bakelite--aren't they?  I should really know this!) handset for $57 plus $15 for shipping/handling.  Not too shabby!  I have one like this in red, but it has the later (1957-66ish) handset.  (1957 is when some of the newer colors of this series were added, and I think this is when they began making the handsets strictly from the soft plastic because, for example, I have NEVER seen an earlier hard handset in pink--EVER). 

I have included pix of the phone from the auction (as it hasn't arrived yet).  I don't see these SC 1543 phones come up too much in red...and certainly not with the earlier handset. 

Enjoy!
Dan

P.S.-Kudos to the WE 500 series set with the mushroom lamp--What an incredible find for an equally incredible price! 

[rdelius]

I have the SC in pink with a hard bakelite type handset so they are out there.
Robby

[stopthemachine]

Hi Robby,

Wow!  That must be a sweet find!  If you ever get a chance to post a pic, that would be awesome--I'd love to see it.  I have two with the soft plastic handsets in pink, and I can say that I've never come across a pink one on eBay with the bakelite handset, but I surely believe you.   

I was trying to figure out when SC ceased making the bakelite handsets--and since pink was first introduced by SC in 1957.  Hmmm.  Anyone have any idea when they introduced the soft plastic handset on SC phones?  (They switched to the WE G-handset around 1966--for the most part with exceptions on the Petite phone and using up older supplies in general.)  WE was so much better with dates--and clear-cut ones.  Paul--I'm looking your way. lol. 

For years, I've been collecting the SC 1500 series, and I have been trying to collect the desk set in each color, both with bakelite handset and soft plastic.  It looks like I still have a bit more to go!  "Chestnut brown" seems to be the most difficult color to find. 

I just went to my collection and noticed that I have two "light blue" SC 1543 phones, one with the soft plastic and one bakelite type handset so that definitely blows my ideas of '57 as the transition year out of the water. 

Dan

P.S.-On my last post, it meant to write "Chinese red," not "cherry red." 

[paul-f]

(as always, thank you, Paul, for your wonderful website that doesn't forget color charts even for SC phones)

You're welcome, Dan.

That's a great phone at a very good price.  Is the dial plate porcelain or plastic?

[stopthemachine]

Wow, Paul!  You must be psychic because I JUST sent you a private message about this post!  Haha.

I don't know if the dial plate is porcelain or plastic yet--I have noticed that many of the SC 1543 dial plates that have the horizontal numbers-digits, tend to be porcelain.  Many of the WE-style round-curved seem to be plastic.  I don't think it's a rule, but that's what I've noticed.  (I'll have to check out my phones again.)

Dan

[paul-f]

I wish I was psychic!  If so, I wouldn't have had to ask.   

[stopthemachine]

I wish I was psychic!  If so, I wouldn't have had to ask.   

So Mr. Soothsayer, what are your ideas as to when SC began using the soft plastic handsets in lieu of the bakelite (are they?) ones?  Also, when did they begin making the color sets of the 1543 series in general? 

[paul-f]

My crystal ball is cloudy on this one.   

As you mentioned, dates are hard to come by for SC equipment or documents.  Documents are also harder to find than for WE.  Therefore, I haven't studied this area closely.

My guess is that SC followed WE by a year or so.  8 colors are mentioned in the T-1001 Field Handbook, on a page apparently dated 3/56.

  http://www.telephonecollectors.info/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_details&gid=3481&Itemid=2

Similarly, bakelite handsets were probably phased out in the early 1960s.

Anyone have sets or documents with dates?

[Kenny C]

I nominate Erics 1954 Rose beige 500 as seen here.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=5411.msg66101;boardseen#new

[Doug Rose]

I nominate Erics 1954 Rose beige 500 as seen here.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=5411.msg66101;boardseen#new

Kenny...I'll second that. I like the story as much as the phone.

Eric you'll have to show us the finished phone. You saved it from a certain death. You will always remember where you got it!...Doug

[stopthemachine]

My crystal ball is cloudy on this one.   

As you mentioned, dates are hard to come by for SC equipment or documents.  Documents are also harder to find than for WE.  Therefore, I haven't studied this area closely.

My guess is that SC followed WE by a year or so.  8 colors are mentioned in the T-1001 Field Handbook, on a page apparently dated 3/56.

  http://www.telephonecollectors.info/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_details&gid=3481&Itemid=2

Similarly, bakelite handsets were probably phased out in the early 1960s.

Anyone have sets or documents with dates?

It seems like SC went the longest using these earlier plastics.  It's funny to think that any phone company was using bakelite in the US in the 60's, followed by soft plastic until circa 1966 (and then still using the soft plastic handsets on Petite phones--Ideas as to what time frame they made the Petites?  Seems like they stopped making them fairly early).  I think I remember reading that they, too, continued producing candlestick phones the longest (definitely after WW2...around 1947 or so).