Just won this thing for $6USD + shipping (let's just say I was hit hard by shipping).
I've been looking for a princess telephone for a while, but haven't been able to find one. I know NE made them, but I haven't seen in years... And back then I had no idea what I was looking at.
It's missing chunks of the main housing unfortunately, perhaps I'll be able to find a replacement, but I doubt it. But hey, it's has a hardwired handset and line cord.
Excited to have a teeny phone with a G handset!
I believe that the color is not really turquoise, but discolored aqua blue. Soaking the plastic in a chlorine bleach/water solution is summer sunlight should do much to bring back the original color.
Larry
Huh, perhaps you're right. I didn't realize there was a difference.
Looking at this WECo colour chart, turquoise looks like factory-yellowed aqua blue.
Quote from: finkmac on December 13, 2016, 10:45:03 AM
Huh, perhaps you're right. I didn't realize there was a difference.
Looking at this WECo colour chart, turquoise looks like factory-yellowed aqua blue.
It really does not look yellowed, when you have a clean one. But the turquoise plastic can discolor into yellow-greenish tones too, which are hard to distinguish from the discolored aqua blue.
That chart, as well as most other printed charts I have seen, have poor renditions of the true hues.
If you know the color of Tiffany & Co. boxes, you'll have the exact color.
Photographing that color isn't trivial either.
Here are two attempts of WECo —64 turquoise.
A December 1960-made 701B-64 in rather good condition, usually close to my desk, and on a Tiffany backdrop.
PS: looking at these pics now on-line, I am not exactly happy about the way either of them came out.
In the beginning of this thread, I posted a couple photos showing the difference between Aqua and Turquoise. There is a Princess as an example:
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=530.75
~Dennis
Hmm, the difference there is quite obvious.
Turquoise looks nice, but I think I prefer the aqua blue tone.
Well, it finally arrived today.
Here (https://www.flickr.com/photos/101429802@N02/albums/72157678157107995) are some pictures I took quickly, I'll try to get some better ones later.
Very unfortunate, now I really do need a replacement housing... Anyone have a spare one?
Examining the shards of cracked plastic, it really does look like aqua blue.
Apart from cosmetics, it dials out just fine. Doesn't seem to be ringing correctly, but that's likely just a wiring fault.
Let me guess. The seller shipping the phone with the handset in the cradle. One should NEVER, EVER ship any phone that way. I always ask sellers to keep the handset away from the phone to avoid such tragedies. Most comply, and some ignore my request. About half an hour ago, I received a 1930s Telechron wall clock which the seller shipped in a padded envelope, so the glass is now cracked. Why do people do these things?
Good luck on finding a replacement shell or phone.
Larry
Maybe after the seller pays off a couple of those malpacked shipments. they may develop some care.
Yup, it was shipped like that. Very unfortunate.
I managed to clean the cords and handset up... Really looks more like turquoise than aqua blue, unless cords and the inside of the handset yellows too.
Comparing images online, the line and handset cords are actually turquoise, rather than aqua blue.
I also noticed some differences in shells... there's a non-modular type that has a hole for the handset and line cords, and another one (like the sort I have) that doesn't have those holes.
Why the difference there?
Quote from: finkmac on December 26, 2016, 02:11:10 PM
I also noticed some differences in shells... there's a non-modular type that has a hole for the handset and line cords, and another one (like the sort I have) that doesn't have those holes.
Why the difference there?
Earlier model 701B (no ringer) has the holes for the cords.
Housing is higher on 702B so no holes are needed.
unbeldi,
Is that your trimline you posted here?
Was the colored disc where the number card goes factory?
My Litton trimline had one (there were actually two in there) and I had never seen one like that.
Quote from: markosjal on December 26, 2016, 11:13:24 PM
unbeldi,
Is that your trimline you posted here?
Was the colored disc where the number card goes factory?
My Litton trimline had one (there were actually two in there) and I had never seen one like that.
Oh, you mean the Princess with the turquoise number card blank? Yes, the phone is on my desk.
IIRC, I punched the number card insert out of some Tiffany cardboard, I don't remember anymore exactly what it was. I still have a stack of those somewhere. I don't think Princesses came from the factory with any special number card matching the phone color, they probably just had a strip of the standard type of plain gray card that was appropriate for the time.
PS: probably E-4203-G as shown in BSP Section C18.055.1 Issue 2 April 1960.
Quote from: unbeldi on December 27, 2016, 08:42:11 AM
Oh, you mean the Princess with the turquoise number card blank? Yes, the phone is on my desk.
IIRC, I punched the number card insert out of some Tiffany cardboard, I don't remember anymore exactly what it was. I still have a stack of those somewhere. I don't think Princesses came from the factory with any special number card matching the phone color, they probably just had a strip of the standard type of plain gray card that was appropriate for the time.
PS: probably E-4203-G as shown in BSP Section C18.055.1 Issue 2 April 1960.
Here is a typical card of early 1960, found on an April 1960 Princess. Notice that these card do not have the notch on the right side, at least it is not torn out, because the Princess fingerwheel did not have the alignment guide inside. Instead, I think they had an arrow on the back for alignment to the small sharp point in ca. the 10-o'clock position.
Ya, me too. If there's ever a demand for handsets we'll have it made :)
Hahaha, well. It seems we've located the weak points of the princess telephone.