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$3,200 Clear 500 Auction

Started by jsowers, March 07, 2018, 03:19:32 PM

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jsowers

I haven't seen anyone report this auction, so I thought others would like to see this phone that appeared and then sold on Monday morning. It's quite a phone and it brought quite a price too.

It's a clear 500 set from 6-58, with F-53115 stamped on the bottom, with a clear G6 volume control handset and dark gray cord thrown in, and together they brought $3,200 as a Buy-it-now auction on Monday. Am I the only one who saw it? It appeared and maybe two hours later it was gone. Here's the auction link for posterity and two screen captures from the auction and some pictures.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/112851547003

The seller says something about this phone being made in Shreveport for Bell Labs. Does anyone else know about that? I thought all the 500 sets were made in Indianapolis during the 1950s, but I suppose not.

Wouldn't this have been a wonderful auction contest phone if it had been a straight auction? But then again, would it have brought that amount? I guess we'll never know.
Jonathan

HarrySmith

#1
WOW :o
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"

WEBellSystemChristian

That was a very pristine phone...probably the nicest I've seen for a transparent one. $3200 isn't that unrealistic, considering the many gaps it could fill for the deep-pocket collectors out there!
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

Payphone installer

This phone came from a gentleman  that did work at W/E. I beleive there is a connection to this phone and the pictures i am posting. This is from my collection.

Payphone installer

But the story gets a bit better it was not the only phone I bought.

Payphone installer


Payphone installer

Trimline

Payphone installer

These came from a retired W/E collector that passed quite a few years ago.

Payphone installer

All these were purchased at one time at a ATCA telephone show.

Payphone installer

I highly suggest attend ing telephone shows.

Payphone installer

You should have seen what I passed on. There were more.

Dan/Panther

Both the OP posted auction phone, and Payphone installer have the same F number 53115 ?
D/P

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

Partyline4

How much did you fork over for those, Payphoneinstaller?

Payphone installer

I think 1500.00 for all 3 been a while. There were probably 6 pr 7 for sale including a 302 all from the same place. Couple years ago. I passed years ago probably around 1989 on a clear 5302 it was the only one I have ever seen. Price was to high back then at 300.00 dollars. LOL

Jim Stettler

#14
Quote from: Dan/Panther on March 07, 2018, 07:45:05 PM
Both the OP posted auction phone, and Payphone installer have the same F number 53115 ?
D/P

The clear 500's  marked F53115 are phone store display phones. These were the first of the production run of clear 500's for phone stores. They are soft plastic . The dial center is a Bell emblem and mine   has a red letter "G" stamped on it. I have seen other 1958 clear 500's with the same dial center and a red stamp.

These were used in a display for color 500 sets. The fingerwheel on mine has an earlier style number plate. 

Here is mine from the conference call
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=2534.msg34767#msg34767
Jim S.
I have some photos of some other cool clear sets on the same thread.
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.