AE80 advice.

[podor]

I live in WE country and rarely come across any AE phones. I found an AE80 in an antique shops for $20. I don't get a real good look at it, since my kids were with me and getting pretty bored. It appears to be like a rose beige with white numbers. I didn't see any obvious dates, but it had the 0-4 dial on the bottom,  which I understand to adjust for how far the phone was from the CO? The dial was slow, but otherwise in great shape. I'd like to go back and take a better look. What should I be looking for, and what is a good price? Thanks in advance!

[LarryInMichigan]

$20 for a dark beige AE80 in very good condition is s decent deal.  I would probably go for it.


Larry

[AE_Collector]

The manual loop compensator on the bottom makes it an early colored 80. It should have chrome plunger buttons and a clear fingerwheel with a chrome numbercard ring.

Color is likely Sand Beige, the ony Beige that AE made. Beige color code is 10 but some of these early 80's didn't have the color code on the base. Could easily have a frequency ringer in it but I never worry about that, frequency ringers are part of the history of AE Phones.

Terry

[WEBellSystemChristian]

It would probably be a good idea to see if it's a '50s set or not. Chances are, it's early '70s, but a nice early set would increase the value quite a bit.

Does it have round or weird triangular-shaped feet? An early set should have feet that curve to the body lines of the housing, and later 80s should have round feet that tuck under the phone.

Does it have a chrome dial card ring? Anything pre-'64 (similar to 500s) had a separate dial card retainer ring that attached to the fingerwheel. Anything later had a one-piece fingerwheel that allowed you to attach a stick-on card.

Where does the handset cord exit? Early 80s allowed the handset cord to exit the rear, alongside the line cord. Late 80s (maybe starting late '60s to early '70s) allowed the cord to exit out the left side, like a 500. There were conversion housings made that have cutouts for both the side and read exits.

[podor]

Thanks guys. It sounds like it is a later model. The cord came out the left side, it had round feet and I remember a one piece finger wheel. I just spent my budget on another phone anyway.....

[andre_janew]

I have a 1964 AE80 and it has the conversion housing that has the cutouts for side and rear exits of the handset cord.  Did some come out with such a housing?