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Author Topic: I bought my first phone!  (Read 1598 times)

Offline MagicMo

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I bought my first phone!
« on: January 12, 2013, 09:09:52 PM »
I was "antiquing" with the hubby and was on the hunt for a phone. While there were only a few I ended up getting this one for $12. I figured if it was worthless I'm only out a few bucks. After I bought it I realized it was made in Japan, oops! So, was it worth it? PS Great condition and freaking heavy!!

Thanks!
Maureen
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Offline AE_Collector

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Re: I bought my first phone!
« Reply #1 on: January 12, 2013, 09:15:29 PM »
This sort of thing was considered "junk" for a long time but they are now beginning to become at least a little collectible. From the 1960's and 70's and imported as decorator phones by phone companies and Radio Shack etc.

Now I want to know what your husband said about your purchase! Hundreds of phones from your dad but you are out buying more!!

erry
« Last Edit: January 12, 2013, 09:29:18 PM by AE_Collector »
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Offline MagicMo

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Re: I bought my first phone!
« Reply #2 on: January 12, 2013, 09:25:53 PM »
Quote from: AE_Collector on January 12, 2013, 09:15:29 PM
This sort of thing was considered "junk" for a long time but they are now beginning to become at least a little collectible. Fro mthe 1960's and 70's and imported as decorator phones by phone companies and Radio Shack etc.

Now I want to know what your husband said about your purchase! Hundreds of phones from your dad but you are out buying more!!

erry

Hi Terry,
He loves old phones more than I do! I remember a few years ago when he was going to buy an old rotary phone at a garage sale and I talked him out of it. "What are you going to do with that junk?" were my exact words. He reminded me of that phone from the garage sale today when we were driving home and my only response was. "touché." 
Maureen
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Offline poplar1

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Re: I bought my first phone!
« Reply #3 on: January 12, 2013, 10:03:41 PM »
The outside parts are from Japan, but the rest of the parts are all Western Electric. The WE Kit is F-56660.

After buying the "enclosure," you sent the phone to Western Electric or an installer came to your house to add the dial, network, ringer, transmitter, receiver, etc. This cost about $25.00.

The parts remained property of the phone company. So they charged you rent on the parts--$1.50 a month or thereabouts.

If you didn't want to continue paying rent on the parts, you could have the phone company remove the W.E. parts. There was also a program in the 1980s to buy phones you had been leasing; I would think this would apply to the inside parts of this phone as well.
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Offline LarryInMichigan

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Re: I bought my first phone!
« Reply #4 on: January 12, 2013, 11:05:22 PM »
Maureen,

For $12, you did well.  As was already stated here, the internal parts were made by Western Electric, so the quality is as good as any other WE phone from the 1960s.  The parts are worth more than $12, but since the phone looks good, I would keep it as it is.  I bought one of those a few years ago for $10 from someone who was trying to get rid of it on craigslist just because I wanted the dial (and the seller begged me to take it off his hands).  Mine didn't look very good, so I dismantled it for parts.  Many people think that these are valuable antiques and ask insane prices for them, but $10-$20 is fair.

Larry



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Offline LarryInMichigan

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Re: I bought my first phone!
« Reply #5 on: January 12, 2013, 11:06:36 PM »
BTW,

The style of this phone is a copy of a Danish model.

Larry
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Offline DavePEI

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Re: I bought my first phone!
« Reply #6 on: January 13, 2013, 07:36:28 AM »
Quote from: MagicMo on January 12, 2013, 09:25:53 PM
He loves old phones more than I do! I remember a few years ago when he was going to buy an old rotary phone at a garage sale and I talked him out of it. "What are you going to do with that junk?" were my exact words. He reminded me of that phone from the garage sale today when we were driving home and my only response was. "touché." 
Maureen
Maureen's caught the bug! And her husband has it, too! Yay! Good for you, Maureen!

Dave
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Offline George Knighton

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Re: I bought my first phone!
« Reply #7 on: January 13, 2013, 09:02:24 AM »
Quote from: MagicMo on January 12, 2013, 09:09:52 PM
I figured if it was worthless I'm only out a few bucks.

Be careful.  That's how I started, and now I'm pretty well done for.  :-)
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Offline MagicMo

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Re: I bought my first phone!
« Reply #8 on: January 13, 2013, 12:13:53 PM »
I opened it up and snapped a few more. I was delighted to see the words "Bell System."
Maureen
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Offline McHeath

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Re: I bought my first phone!
« Reply #9 on: January 16, 2013, 12:10:04 AM »
I see these in antique and thrift stores every so often.  Maybe I ought to pick one up, they seem more interesting than I'd figured.
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Offline HowardPgh

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Re: I bought my first phone!
« Reply #10 on: January 16, 2013, 10:10:58 AM »
Sometimes you find these with the Japanese components in them. I have a black one like that.-Howard
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Howard

Offline MagicMo

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Re: I bought my first phone!
« Reply #11 on: January 22, 2013, 10:06:40 PM »
Quote from: McHeath on January 16, 2013, 12:10:04 AM
I see these in antique and thrift stores every so often.  Maybe I ought to pick one up, they seem more interesting than I'd figured.

I'll sell you mine for 50!
LOL!
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Offline WesternElectricBen

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Re: I bought my first phone!
« Reply #12 on: January 22, 2013, 10:40:47 PM »
Cool find, LMEricson has one. I can link you his video. http://preview.tinyurl.com/a5dd7gb
 Ben
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