Trimlines - the least common color?

[baldopeacock]

Some of the Trimlines are kind of interesting, particularly the early round-button version and the occasional ten-button.   

My question -- how uncommon is black in the Trimlines?

Seems like most of those phones went out in decorator colors, which makes sense because as I recall, customers paid more in rent for the Trimline so they'd likely also pay more for color.

I'm guessing that the Trimlines may rank lower on the collector desirability scale but they're bulletproof like the other WE phones, and for everyday use it's nice to have the */# functions.   

I've got an Ivory trimline in daily use but kind of thinking about finding a black one for the right price just because it isn't so common.   Or so I think.

Comments?

[Craig T]

I am under the impression that they are not as common as the other colors. I cannot say I see many of them in the round button TT version either. I just did some checking around and found one of each on ebay, but not a lot of them.

I know they did not make a lot of princess phones in black, so this may be a carry over of that production choice.

[baldopeacock]

Thanks, Craig.   That's what I kind of like about the idea.   I don't think they're likely to be high dollar items, just kind of off the beaten path.   It's sort of the reverse of 500s and 302s, where black was most common.   Besides, black looks great with a high polish on it.

The round button version would have a little more exclusivity but would also require the transformer to light the buttons, which the later versions don't need.

[Jim Stettler]

The trimline was a "premium" telephone. You paid extra for it (so was the princess). As part of you premium price you got your choice of color. Since color was a fee option on 500 sets. Most people who upgraded to the princess or trimline choose a color other than black.

I like the look of the early rd button sets. These had a plastic dial overlay and a color paper mask. Later rd button sets had an aluminum faceplate.

The round button sets never went away. they were still making them along with the sq. button sets. They added an M to the # and used the mini-mod adaptors for the cords.  Later, they started making the adaptor on the board but still had the large cut-out  (in the housing). I realized this recently when I found a rotary Fat-mod style w/ an LED dial.

As far as color rarity. (WE Trimlines)
Violet is the rarest that comes to mind. I know of 1
Black is scarce.
Pink is scarcer
Clear (fat mod) scarce.( sq button isn't as HTF, probably the most common WE clear set)

Around  1975-76  WE made trimlines in the old 302 colors. These are dial or Rd button, metal mask.
The colors include Mediterranean Blue and old rose. These colors were reintroduced around 1983. the early ones are HTF .

The story goes that the last shift of 1983 made blue and white swirled trimlines for the employees.

About a year ago I started documenting BSP referances and speculations regarding trimlines.

As I started researching these phones I discovered that there was a lot of variations in internal designs/ networks.

If there is interest I can dig out my trimline notes and post some more info.
Jim

BTW the violet trimline traded hands for $500. It did not have a cord

[GusHerb]

I have 4 TT Trimlines and not one of them is the same inside. I do wonder alot why they changed it around so much.
2 of them came from my grandma's house and one was made in 1973 (a light blue one) and the other (a white one) was made in 1975. the insides are so different and the protocol for taking apart the handsets are alot different. the older design came out in one piece from 4 screws while the newer one was a huge PITA to get apart just to access the keypad and keypad plate. also the newer white one had the option of it's silver metal plate (which it was that way it's whole life) or a clear plate with a kinda grey background. it was easily reconfigurable either way.
and then in her house was also a red wall mount hardwire trimline that was made somewhere between 72-73 that was the same internal design as the white 1975 Trimline, so that's when it got confusing seeing what appears some of the different designs being used at the same time.

[Jim Stettler]

I have 2 that are both 861A flex boards. The traces are layed out totally differently.
There are also lots of changes in the bases. They used different thicknessess of plastics on the desk base , and there were lots of variations on the wall base.
I started compililng BSP info once I realized all the variations. I also have a  hundred+ spare trimlines that I want to open and photograph (and sell).

The way I use to classify old trimlines was:
Early Rotary, Fat
Late Rotary, LED mini
10 Button, fat, Rd
12 Button  early, Fat, Plastic, Rd
12 button late,Fat metal Rd
Square button, LED

Fat and mini are cords
Metal /Plastic is faceplate
LED are line powered light.

I never tried classifing the bases (yet) however I did find lots of variations.
Jim

[Wallphone]

There is a newer black ATT 210 Trimline that was just listed on eBay.
> http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-WALL-MOUNT-DESK-PUSH-BUTTON-PHONE_W0QQitemZ350327814404 <
You could use it until you find the one you really want.
Dougpav

[AET]

My folks have always been rather fond of trimlines for their personal rooms.  As a kid, they had a round button, lighted one next to their bed, and another in the bathroom and even now, since we built our new house, they have one in their bathroom, more modern with a caller ID. 

[McHeath]

I too have noticed that the layout inside my Trimlines varies a lot, with the tracing on the printed circuit board being different in particular. Wonder what was going on? 

The fit and finish quality also changes, with my early 66' one being pretty poor and the later ones being a lot better.  The machine work on the base in particular is very badly done on the oldest one, almost crude even.

Never seen a black one in person, come to think of it, and violet would certainly be interesting.  We have a really nice yellow rotary wall version from 1967 that looks like it was hardly used, and of course the traces on the circuit board differ from the 66' one. 

[jsowers]

I haven't seen light gray mentioned as a rare Trimline color yet, so I thought I would post a couple pictures of mine, a 1220, taken before I did anything to it. It was a lucky find as a Buy it Now in 2003. I also have a black rotary Trimline I also found in 2003 and it was maybe a little more expensive than the average. I think they've gone up since then. I agree that black shines up really nicely and I have a picture of mine doing just that.

As far as fit and finish go, I haven't noticed a lot of difference, but I always marvel at the wires twisted together on the base above the bell, like some kind of lesson in wire management. I have a picture of that too, from the black 220.

[McHeath]

Great phones!  Those wires twisted up were how mine were on my 66' moss green when I got it.  But the ringer would not ring properly and I had to remove it in the end to do some adjustments, so the wires are no longer neat like this.  I really should put them back like yours, your picture is a great reference.  I did get the ringer working properly and now it works fine.

Really like that light gray, never seen one, and it's in 10 button which is a fav of mine.

[baldopeacock]

Those are both great Trimlines, thanks for sharing.   The gray 10-button must be a rare bird.

I also like that the early ones like your gray have the color-matched faceplates.   The later versions all had brushed aluminum as far as I know.

[Dennis Markham]

Nice phones, Jonathan.  I don't remember seeing another one like that Light Gray...and a 10-button too!

[gpo706]

I've a slightly faded ivory, dial version, and I like it a lot, it has a GPO 420 jack on it - so then I had to track down a socket for it, its nice but trips my ADSL...

[McHeath]

Hey GPOman, nice to hear from you again!

On the older Britcom show "Keeping up Appearances" the main character Hyacinth has a "White slimline phone" that's clearly a copy of an American Trimline.  Was a Trimline copy made by the GPO?