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Show us your first 2019 purchase

Started by FABphones, January 09, 2019, 04:03:05 AM

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SunriseEarth

I was excited about my first purchase of 2019, as I found a Telstar Design Line phone in what looked to be good condition!  I got it on ShopGoodwill for $28.

Sadly, it suffered in transit.   :'(
Tony Stokes

TCI Member; ATCA Member #4893

SunriseEarth

Quote from: SunriseEarth on January 11, 2019, 02:28:02 AM
I found a Telstar Design Line phone ... Sadly, it suffered in transit.   :'(

Here's a pic of what it looked like before FedEx and Goodwill collectively destroyed it
Tony Stokes

TCI Member; ATCA Member #4893

Doug Rose

#17
QuoteI found this WE key set telephone this past weekend at an indoor flea market in Bourne, MA.
It is marked E4 on the back and has a 4H dial. Somewhere along the way it was gutted
and converted to a single line telephone with 302 components stuffed inside. I do not
know if this conversion was bell system approved or not. Here are a few photos of my find.

Gary Millam

Gary...this was a 205 or a 208 that was upgraded by WE during the War to a single line set. I have seen pictures of them, but never actually seen one in person.  Really nice find my friend.

If you ever get tired of it, you know I would trade handsomely for it. Tis a beauty....Doug
Kidphone

AT2796

My first phone of 2019, thanks to forum member Robert_m.
This WE 653. It talks and dials but doesn't ring yet, we'll see if I can come up with the time for cleaning and troubleshooting this weekend.
Transmitter was shot, but I had a replacement. Receiver was gone but I had a shattered G1 handset and I'll be darned ir that G1 receiver didn't fit like a glove!
Pics are not very good, I'll post more after cleaning.
Andy

Russ Kirk

I found a salesman sample case of 5 princess phones. Not the best condition, but an interesting display for only $50. 
- Russ Kirk
ATCA & TCI

Stormcrash

Quote from: SunriseEarth on January 11, 2019, 02:28:02 AM
I was excited about my first purchase of 2019, as I found a Telstar Design Line phone in what looked to be good condition!  I got it on ShopGoodwill for $28.

Sadly, it suffered in transit.   :'(

Aww, poor Telstar  :'(

Did they just shove it in an empty box with no packaging?  At least the cord retractor end looks to be in good shape

Jim Stettler

Quote from: Russ Kirk on January 12, 2019, 09:43:50 PM
I found a salesman sample case of 5 princess phones. Not the best condition, but an interesting display for only $50. 
Russ, I think that is a good find of the month contender.
Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

SunriseEarth

Quote from: Stormcrash on January 12, 2019, 09:57:02 PM
Aww, poor Telstar  :'(  Did they just shove it in an empty box with no packaging?  At least the cord retractor end looks to be in good shape

It was upright and it was surrounded by this odd packing material, kinda like a corrugated box.   IMHO, it was too rigid.  I wish it was in packing peanuts or even just shredded paper.   The cord is in good shape, but I think the touchtone keypad is dead.  When I dial, the line get a little quiet, but I don't hear the number dialed. 
Tony Stokes

TCI Member; ATCA Member #4893

compubit

Quote from: SunriseEarth on January 13, 2019, 03:36:28 AM
It was upright and it was surrounded by this odd packing material, kinda like a corrugated box.   IMHO, it was too rigid.  I wish it was in packing peanuts or even just shredded paper.   The cord is in good shape, but I think the touchtone keypad is dead.  When I dial, the line get a little quiet, but I don't hear the number dialed.
Telstars are harder to work with, IMHO - between broken feet (can easily break), the retractable cord, the brien plexiglass covers, and the unusualness of the design, I've gotten 2 (almost) working out of 4 sets.  Of the 4, I believe I have 3 different handset variations (including 1 non-modular, hard-wired retractable cable)

Jim
A phone phanatic since I was less than 2 (thanks to Fisher Price); collector since a teenager; now able to afford to play!
Favorite Phone: Western Electric Trimline - it just feels right holding it up to my face!

HarrySmith

Quote from: Russ Kirk on January 12, 2019, 09:43:50 PM
I found a salesman sample case of 5 princess phones. Not the best condition, but an interesting display for only $50. 
Very Cool set! Nice find at a good price. Congrats!
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

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

andy1702

First arrival of 2019 is this Western Electric 500DM, originally dated 1955 but rebuilt in 1977. It came to me with one of those white stickers on the dial for visually impared users. Luckily it came off quite easy and a bit of Brasso soon polished up the original markings.

One problem I have is that it's been converted to modular and the grey socket inserts are broken. Does anyone know where I can get them? Bear in mind I'm in the UK. I found one source online that looked correct. A packet of the parts was $8 but the postage was $30!!!! So I'll pass on those. The phone itself only cost £5.99 plus £4 postage.

Call me on C*net 0246 81 290 from the UK
or (+44) 246 81 290 from the rest of the world.

For telephone videos search Andys Shed on Youtube.

dsk

#26
My first phone 2016 was this Hagenuk W49, I should not have bought it , but the curiosity about the convertible phone made me do it. $23.5 picked up on my way to the shopping center.  I did put on a new handset cord, printed out a dial center, and did put in a better carbon transmitter capsule.  The bakelite has a damage due to to hard tightning of a screw, but it is not visible here.  (before and after)


dsk

HarrySmith

Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

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

compubit

That is a beautiful phone! Great job, dsk!

J
A phone phanatic since I was less than 2 (thanks to Fisher Price); collector since a teenager; now able to afford to play!
Favorite Phone: Western Electric Trimline - it just feels right holding it up to my face!

Stormcrash

My first purchase of 2019 turned out to be a bit of a dud.

I took a shot at a listing for an older new Cortelco phone.  I'd asked the seller if it was rotary as the only part visible was the handset and they said they'd thought it was.  So I took a shot and made an offer that they accepted, the box looked right for the time of the final run. 

Whelp, got it today and sure enough its a 2500 and not a 500.  Still probably going to keep it, at $35 the difference from Amazon listings is the cost of shipping.  It's definately NOS, only oddities are the cords are kinked a bit from being boxed so long, and the ringer adjustment isn't very precise.  Most of the range makes only a ticking sound, with a quick transition to a weak ring, to full volume.

On the plus I dated the box correctly as the sticker indicates it was made in Jan of 2003, so it's from when they still made rotary 500's just got the wrong dial ;)