Auction 158: Western Electric Pre-war? Ivory 302 - Ended 1-07-15

[TelePlay]

New forum members are very welcome and encouraged to take a guess. After all, there are no wrong guesses, just one lucky guess. No one knows the winning bid on any auction until it ends. However, it is important to get your entry in before someone else grabs your guess.

Just listed in a 7 day auction with no reserve is this ivory 302 in seemingly good condition (but with a cracked receiver cap) as seen from the listing photos. Yes, it's another color 302 so that means everyone should know the winning bid and the first few guesses into the contest should be offering the winning guess, right?. It was listed a bit high at $95.00 plus $24.20 for shipping. Based on past recent contests, we know it's worth more than that but how much more. Once again, the question is, who best knows what this phone will sell for when the auction ends?

The seller listed it as a "Vintage 1930's Western Electric Yellow Bakelite Telephone V.G. Cond. Rare Color!" with the item condition as "Used" and "Minor scuffs appropriate to age..." with the auction listing description as "This auction is for a vintage 1930's Western Electric telephone in the rare yellow version. The item is in very good original condition. There is a faint, almost invisible hairline in the earpiece cap, otherwise the condition is excellent. There is some dust on the phone and a few minor scuffs. I have not attempted to polish it or clean it up. The wire has two small clips on the end. I have not tested it. This is a beauty and I have never found a vintage phone from this period in better condition..."

http://www.ebay.com/itm/201253972422

NOTE: we will use a 3% gap rule between guesses to prevent crowding. As such, guess gaps of 6+% can be split. I'll help with these as the auction goes forward and guesses are entered.

It's another chance to move up a rung or to get onto the CRPF -> Contest Standings <- list,

     . . . for as twocvbloke said,   ---> "You gotta be in it to win it !!!" "

If you want to see the phones of past Auction Contests, click -> HERE <-


S C O R E B O A R D

$  115.00 - Fabius  ( 3 )
$  145.00 - Sargeguy  ( 1 )
$  175.00 - wds  ( 6 )  -> WINNER - Final Selling Price $183.50
$  200.00 - poplar1  ( 4 )
$  225.00 - Mr. Bones  ( 2 )
$  250.00 - kleinkaliber  ( 10 )
$  275.00 - Kenton K ( 3 )
$  300.00 - HarrySmith  ( 5 )
$  325.00 - paul-f  ( 8 )
$  350.00 - tallguy58  ( 7 )
$  375.00 - baldopeacock  ( 11 )
$  411.00 - Fabius  ( 9* )  ( * revised guess )
$  500.00 - TelePlay  ( 12 )

Early Morning Auction Status

12-31-14      Listed      $     95.00
01-01-15      0 bids      $     95.00
01-02-15      0 bids      $     95.00
01-03-15      0 bids      $     95.00
01-04-15      0 bids      $     95.00
01-05-15      0 bids      $     95.00
01-06-15      0 bids      $     95.00
01-07-15      0 bids      $     95.00
01-07-15      7 bidders, 10 bids $183.50 Ended at 14:40 pm PST

[Sargeguy]

Looks a bit crusty.  $145

[Mr. Bones]

$225.00 for me, please.

Thanks, and best regards!

[Fabius]

I see these all the time in better shape in the $125 - $150 range.

$115

[Kenton K]

$275

This is an old one. Prewar I think.

Notice the ivory plungers. The plastic dial is not the usual open center seen on 50's phones. There is a removable plastic cover that i have never personally seen myself. Also, the handset looks solid, there isn't a rectangular weld line on the underside.

Paul may have some better info.

Best-Ken

[poplar1]

It was probably made in 1941, but in any case between late 1940, when thermoplastic 302s housings were first manufactured; and August 1942, when all WE color phones were manufacture discontinued because of wartime restrictions.
$200.

[HarrySmith]

$300.00.
Looks like a normal open center fingerwheel.

[wds]

$175

[poplar1]

Looks like a normal open center fingerwheel.

This  P-298941 Finger wheel is much thicker and has an X-shaped finger wheel clamp. The number card is installed with the finger wheel already attached.

[unbeldi]

I do think this will go higher than usually, if the watchers are a bit knowledgeable.

[TelePlay]

poplar1,

What are the date ranges on the solid color plungers vs. clear plungers? I was a bit surprised to see the solid yellow plungers.
The last 5 302 contests had colored phones with clear plungers.

[unbeldi]

poplar1,

What are the date ranges on the solid color plungers vs. clear plungers? I was a bit surprised to see the solid yellow plungers.
The last 5 302 contests had colored phones with clear plungers.

The solid colored plungers (same color as housing) can only be found on the plastic 302s made before they stopped making colored phones at all when war restrictions set in (early 1942).  So that is a rather limited time between sometime, probably late, 1940 and 1941.   Clear plungers then appeared when color phone installation resumed in January 1949.

Along with the new, clear and hollow plungers, the handsets in 1949 were no longer solid Tenite, but had a hollow core, so that the hookswitch springs needed to be modified to account for the difference in weight for reliable operation.   So the handset on this phone is solid Tenite.

[Fabius]

I do think this will go higher than usually, if the watchers are a bit knowledgeable.

As usual the forum as taught me something new.

[tallguy58]

$350

[paul-f]

$325