Gosh, I had no idea

[Dan]

I have an original pink p/u 500. I was thinking it may be worth $150-200 .On this auction, it looks like the ear cap has been replaced. Seems way high on the asking price. Maybe an oxford grey or mediterranean blue could fetch this price, but pinks are too common.

http://tinyurl.com/y8v577b

[Dan/Panther]

That has the mushroom night light, ups the ante substantially.
D/P

[McHeath]

Yeah the mushroom night light changes the deal, and the pink color also helps.  I don't think it's worth 5 g's, but it could easily get into the 300 range, give or take.

[Jim Stettler]

I think the $300 range is more reasonable. I recall years ago a (notched) blue selling for close to $1,000. The collector that bought it needed it to compleate his mushroom collection.
Jim S.

[AET]

500 dollars and reserve not met?  I know it's a mushroom phone, but that's still pretty pricey and God only knows what his real reserve is.

[Dennis Markham]

We will see that phone again next week...after the auction ends with no bids.

[jsowers]

It also looks like the fingerwheel is the wrong type (solid instead of open center) and judging from how light pink the mushroom is and how much darker the rest of the phone is, and from the center hole in the earcap, I would venture to say all the plastics could be hard plastic except the mushroom, and not original to 1957. But that may not be the case. And the pictures are truly awful. Sorry if this is anyone's phone on the group, but for 500+ bucks, you need better pictures than that.

It's a $300 phone. I agree with Jim on that. But we could be proven wrong if it sells. It just takes one desperate person. And I agree with Dan that pink is the most common color from what I've seen. And I agree with Dennis--it will probably come back at a lower price.

Also, considering the date when the 500U came out, which is late in 1957, there would likely not be an Oxford Gray. The notched dark blue one was probably a 500P or 500H, without the keyswitch for the dimmer, or possibly a plastics conversion someone did to a 500U. Has anyone ever seen a dark blue phone original to late 1957? I thought that color was discontinued by then, along with dark gray and dark beige. I do remember that auction of the dark blue mushroom phone too, and no others after it in that color. Just some things to ponder.

[Greg G.]

I don't understand why they would put a high starting bid AND a reserve price.  That doesn't make sense.

[Dennis Markham]

Jonathan, I thought I remembered someone selling a Dark Gray mushroom phone a year or so ago (on eBay).  It went in the $800 price range.  But I don't know if it was a 500U, or 500 P/U (which would be much later) or if it were a figment of my imagination. 

[Dan/Panther]

Dennis;
I recall that same phone, but not the price. It also seemed to be an early date.
D/P

[Dan]

We will see that phone again next week...after the auction ends with no bids.

I agree, and I bet we will see a buy it now of $500, with no takers again!

[jsowers]

Heads up! The seller changed the auction. Now he says it's a "faked" phone and he took away that hefty reserve. It's up to $102.50. Someone replaced the housing and the handset and what's left is maybe an original pink mushroom and an original 57 500U base. I'm not sure about the mounting cord, but it could be original too. So maybe I should have said "Heads down?" It's not very original. But the price is a lot lower at the moment and it does display fairly well.

Here's the question on this phone posted today:

Q:  I'm curious as to the dates on the plastics. It appears to be the later harder plastic and the handset cord appears to be 1965 or later. Hard plastic discolors to almost a peach color, whereas soft plastic in pink fades to almost white. Most of these were made in soft plastic about 1955-60. If it's hard plastic it could be rarer. Jan-13-10
A:   You are correct. I took the phone apart and its dated 1968. It appears that this phone is a fake or forged. The area where the lamp is has been crudely drilled out on the back side, but very clean on the surface. I did not know. i Bought this on Ebay years ago. Hopefully i can find the buyer and report him/her. I'm very disappointed,

[jsowers]

Jonathan, I thought I remembered someone selling a Dark Gray mushroom phone a year or so ago (on eBay).  It went in the $800 price range.  But I don't know if it was a 500U, or 500 P/U (which would be much later) or if it were a figment of my imagination.  

I'm sure there were dark gray ones made, but not 500Us. The 500P and 500H were earlier models of night light phones that were made without the dimmer feature and the keyswitch that controlled it. The 500U came along in 1957 after the dark colors were discontinued. While looking through my pictures of my two 500P phones, I came across the cache pictures from the auction of the dark blue mushroom phone with the notched back. I save everything! So below are those two, followed by my moss green 500P. Note there is no dimmer switch on either phone.

[Dan]

To quote the girl on seinfeld- 'They are real, and they are spectacular."

I don't even have a regular medit. blue. A 'shroom is only a dream for me...

[Doug Rose]

that girl was Teri Hatcher and this a doctored phone with the reserve removed and its going for $102.50....Doug