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Celebrity designline Info

Started by Jim Stettler, March 19, 2010, 12:59:45 AM

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Jim Stettler

There were a couple of threads recently that had Celebrity sets in them.

These are model #940
Paul F's site has some photos of the styles They are under designline

The housings were owned by the customer the Guts were the phone companies. These were made by Western Electric.

I found some info in :
BSP 503-200-104 issue 2 February 1975.

They are usually Ivory w/ gold trim or blue with silver trim.

However either color was avaliable with either trim package
.
Paul also shows a later black set with a TT dial. This would be a 2940 set.
The housing and handset of the black set is different that the other 2 sets.
This body style is body style C and was avaliable in 1975 in Ivory and blue as well. I have seen some later TT ivory sets as well.

A and B are Trim colors But C is a different housing. So in 1975 you could get
2 body styles in 2 colors and each had 2 trim color options. That is 8 variations in 1975 (iss2 of the bsp).

I just checked iss 3 Feb. 1978.
At this time you had the 2 standard choices of Ivory/Gold or Blue/silver.

The last referance I have is bsp 503-200-104 Issue 4 July 1979.
At this time you had the 2 standard choices of Ivory/Gold or Blue/silver.

My 1982 bsp dosen't show the set anymore. At that time they may of swiched production overseas (just a guess).


The Black 2940 model C was shown in sales lit. from 1982. I suspect the Ivory TT was from the same time frame, Hase anyone seen a blue TT 2940?

The moral of this Thread. There are some early variations of some designline sets that may be worthwhile to hold on to.
I need to have a closer look at mine.

Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

Jim Stettler

I found one of the threads It ref. Auction 140389314392 for a blue 940 set.

This ad was worth posting. The ad is for the CS# sets. CS# sets were sold directly to the consumer thru the phone stores.

If a designline is a CS# set then it may not of been made by WE. 

Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

Jim Stettler

I just read the fine print on the ad it was made in Indy.
Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

HELLO CENTRAL

Thank you Jim!  Now I will have to find one in blue ;)

Best, Walt
HELLO CENTRAL.

Jim Stettler

I found an early Ivory C model yesterday. It was goldtrim and badly faded for $10. I passed it up, It had stamped paint markings on it as well as the typical serial 3 ECT. I didn't have my readers so I don't know the markings.,

I was also tempted by an early 500, 55, and 66 dates ( IV 66, I never saw 1/4 marking on 500's before)but I beleive a pretty  early 50's base $12.50.

In all I saw about 15 phones, some novelty and a  nondial AE 40 ($40).
There was a beige 554 w/ a HW converted to mod handset and mod plate, Dean candlestick @ $175.00, Brassed Repro stick, a couple of poor condition woodies, Leich magneto convertable a couple of 500's
8 novelty
There was a 4' double gong ringer,
and a hardhat bottle opener.

Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

Dan/Panther

I thought the thread was about phones owned by celebrities. I kept reading for a name I knew...DUH!

Someone posted about a candlestick owned by Al Capone....., But he's not really a celebrity. ::)

D/P

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

Jim Stettler

Quote from: Dan/Panther on March 24, 2010, 01:41:10 PM
I thought the thread was about phones owned by celebrities. I kept reading for a name I knew...DUH!

Someone posted about a candlestick owned by Al Capone....., But he's not really a celebrity. ::)

D/P
I changed the topic of the first post to help keep confusion low  ;D

Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

Dan/Panther


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

jsowers

Thanks, Jim, for changing the subject line. I thought maybe it was something about Drew's father, Sterling Hayden, and phones he used. That would be interesting to see too.

Speaking of Design Lines and the early models having variations, here are some pictures of two early Design Lines I own, from 1973, which may be the first year they were out. Both of these phones came from someone I call "Barn Claude" who had this barn somewhere in New York State full of odd stuff he got from Murray Hill. His first name was Claude, but I forget his last name and his eBay handle.

First is a Stowaway and the name of the phone is imprinted on the brushed aluminum trim on the outside (not hot stamped inside as it says in Paul's Design Line section).

http://www.paul-f.com/weDesignLine.html

Second is a Wicker Accent with the tall case in ivory. According to Paul's site, the early ones had the Bell Logo and name hot stamped into the plastic, and that's the case with this one. He also says the reason for the tall case was the retractor for the cord and they got shorter when that was no longer offered.
Jonathan

Jim Stettler

I really like that stoway. I would of bought it as an interesting example I think early designlines are like trimlines, Sleepers for now, and a real collectable phone for the future.

I do have some early designline info to publish later. I have a lot of trimline info for later publication on the trimline thread as well.

My advice is to skip lunch and buy designline sets instead. They are cheap and still turn up.

Some novelty phones will eventually be collectable as well.
Currently the superman sets, wonderwoman, Pink panther and original doughboy can sell at over $500. Jim David Davis published  a Schiffer book on collectable novelty phones.

JMO,
Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.