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NOS Red 500 on Ebay

Started by Victor Laszlo, April 02, 2016, 12:34:31 PM

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Victor Laszlo

Ebay auction number 152038017886

This an interesting auction. The telephone is brand new, old stock (not C stock) and is not marked Bell System. The box has the W in the model number that means it was destined to be used by the government. It comes with a brand new 42A block in wrapping paper that also does not say Bell System.  The price is too high for me, but probably just about right as a collector's item.

The same seller has a beige one for sale at the same price.

Dan/Panther

Everything looked good until I saw the photo of the feet. It appears to have been stored in a very moist environment. I would question the internal condition.
Taking another look, it appears that the bottom has been cleaned. I would request the shell be removed and a photo of the insides.
The anodized bottom being a next generation model of the 500, is not quite as desired as the black base models, so the price of $119.00 may be a high starting bid.
One clue is this. In his description he says, "Examine pictures CAREFULLY, and ask all questions BEFORE bidding"  ???? With what I've observed, that is a huge red flag.
JMHO
But that's just me.

D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

Doug Rose

#2
Kidphone

podor


unbeldi

#4
These type of feet had the tendency to deteriorate in the manner visible just by themselves.

They are made from a polychloroprene, such as Duprene or Neoprene, which are synthetic rubber-like elastomers.

The problem with Neoprene is that it decomposes, especially when in contact with many common household cleaners.  But over time this happens just by itself. It probably wasn't any problem as long as these telephone sets were still within their design lifetime, which I believe was often 20 years for Western Electric.

As it is made from a chlorinated hydrocarbon held together by sulfur bridges, the decomposition products include hydrochloric and sulphuric acids. Even in minute amounts when creeping along surfaces, these acids corrode the steel plates in the areas where the feet are mounted. The rust patterns always are most severe right by the feet and diminish with distance from the feet.   Moist environments probably make it worse, and being confined in a box provides no ventilation.

It may be a good idea to see the internals of these sets in any case, but most likely they are just fine and perfect inside.

The pattern is present on both sets of the seller, albeit less severe on the beige set.

unbeldi

#5
Quote from: Victor Laszlo on April 02, 2016, 12:34:31 PM
Ebay auction number 152038017886

This an interesting auction. The telephone is brand new, old stock (not C stock) and is not marked Bell System. The box has the W in the model number that means it was destined to be used by the government.


BTW, the "W" in the set coding means the set were sold to all independents outside of the Bell System, through the catalogs and resellers, not government necessarily. Government/military sets, I think, were usually bought under direct contracts and were often stamped specially on the set.
Most likely these sets are destined for independent telephone companies.