Level of color rarity in 500 sets

[intagas]

Hi,

New member, first post.  Can somebody help me out with color rarity in 500 sets? 

Thanks,

[poplar1]

For Western Electric, the following are hardest to find:

Transparent (color code -29)
Brown (-54)
Oxford Gray (-52)
Rose Beige (-55)
Mediterranean Blue (-57)

[poplar1]

This WE brown 500 recently sold for $525:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Nice-Vintage-Mahogany-Brown-Western-Electric-1956-500-C-D-phone-telephone-/161331795423

[poplar1]

Rose beige and Mediterranean Blue

[JorgeAmely]

This color is missing: Oxford Gray.

[jsowers]

I guess it's up to me to put the other colors down in order of rarity, and it depends on what era they were made. Some colors are more common in the 1960s and later than in the early years. I'll concentrate on the 1950s and plentiful is not to say you see these listed for auction every day. And your opinion may vary depending on what you're looking for, I'm sure.

1950s (soft plastic) more plentiful:
Rose Pink (-59)     
Cherry Red (-53)     
Ivory (-50)     

1950s A little less plentiful:
Moss Green (-51)       
Aqua Blue (-62)     

1950s Even less plentiful:
Light Beige (-60)     
Yellow (-56)     
Light gray (-61)     
White (-58)

1960s Not too plentiful:
Turquoise (-63) (not soft plastic)     

When you get into the 1960s and later, light beige, moss green and white 500s are very common. I know there's that questionable ad with the handsets, but I'm talking about what's survived and on the market the past few years. Somehow people were more sentimental about their pink or red phones and they were saved in greater numbers or those stayed installed for a longer time and survived.

All the above being said, it's getting harder and harder to find decent 1950s color 500s nowadays. So they're all hard to find, and especially at cheap prices. They're getting rarer every day.

[mentalstampede]

Just from my own experience, in late model 500s Lime Green is tremendously hard to find!

[Dan/Panther]

Lime Green are a piece of cake, Just bought one.
D/P

[mentalstampede]

Lime Green are a piece of cake, Just bought one.
D/P

Go ahead and rub it in. Hahahaha!

[WEBellSystemChristian]

To me, the rarest common 500 colors (sorta like an oxymoron) were the following:

1) Oxford Grey

2) Medditeranian Blue

3)Mahogany Brown

4)Rose Beige

What's funny about this is, the two colors that are less hard to find are the ones that I don't have yet!

[WesternElectricBen]

I dunno Christian, unless we have the absolute numbers, I wouldn't make that assumption.


B/C, I see many more med. blue phones than oxford gray phones on eBay.


Ben

[HarrySmith]

I guess it's up to me to put the other colors down in order of rarity, and it depends on what era they were made. Some colors are more common in the 1960s and later than in the early years. I'll concentrate on the 1950s and plentiful is not to say you see these listed for auction every day. And your opinion may vary depending on what you're looking for, I'm sure.

1950s (soft plastic) more plentiful:
Rose Pink (-59)     
Cherry Red (-53)     
Ivory (-50)     

If anyone needs an Ivory (-50) to complete the color collection I have a 1955 Soft Plastic one for sale!!

[WEBellSystemChristian]

I dunno Christian, unless we have the absolute numbers, I wouldn't make that assumption.


B/C, I see many more med. blue phones than oxford gray phones on eBay.

I put Oxford Grey at the top of the list, because it's far harder to find than any of the colors.