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Moss Green 500 with Grey Cords from Texas

Started by Dan, April 13, 2009, 10:28:44 PM

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Dan

http://tinyurl.com/dyo5ag

Was lucky to get this one for under $50 . The phone dates to 12-57. What is the latest dated  grey cord soft original WE500 you have ever seen? I thought the grey cords were gone by this date, but the metal crimps and all dates are true and original
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

Dennis Markham

Dan, that is a great phone at a great price.  Did you get that on eBay?? 

Dan

Yes, she had a terrible picture that made the phone look almost emerald green and it had a label pasted on the top of the soft center wheel. I cleaned it and found the old label underneath. I'm going to first peroxide one endcap of the handset and go from there because it has some yellowing. Love the cords most of all..

"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

Dennis Markham

Just to give you an idea of who much more the phone is worth with the gray cords----I paid $65 a few weeks ago to a fellow collector for just a coiled gray handset cord marked '56 (I think it was '56 or '57)...it is like new but still, to get on on your phone and the line cord too for under $50 is a great buy.

Dan

Thanks, nice to know. I have never seen a red one like you have with STRAIGHT  grey cords. Are they less common than the coiled grey ones? Did the coiled ones come after the grey straight or @ the same time?
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

Dennis Markham

The straight cords came before coiled cords with Western Electric.  I believe the straight gray cord, or matching color cord will easily add $100 to the 500...except for a black straight cord on a black 500.  They don't seem to add much value to the model 500---generally speaking.

Dan

Are the metal cord reliefs on these "brass" from 1956 and older and steel from 1957 onward? My old black ones have brass relief , while the colored ones are steel colored.
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

Dan/Panther


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

AET

Awesome phone!  Love the dial card, the color, and the cords!  A real winner *thumbs up*
- Tom

Dan

Thanks guys! Rings strong too, once I moved the grey wire from G to L1(are they ALL this way?)
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

rp2813

Great deal you got on that one Dan!  And I know, what is it with so many of the 500's having the dark ringer wire on G when it needs to be on L1?

Ralph
Ralph

bingster

Quote from: rp2813 on April 16, 2009, 12:31:50 AM
Great deal you got on that one Dan!  And I know, what is it with so many of the 500's having the dark ringer wire on G when it needs to be on L1?
The black wire is usually found in that position because it left the factory that way.   I'm guessing that it no longer works with the wire in the correct position (on "G") because the yellow ground wire (which is also on "G") is no longer used for ringing purposes.  If I've read some of the posts on this subject correctly, the reason for hooking the yellow and green together at the jack is to make the ringer ring when the black ringer wire is on "G."  When it's not, then you don't need to connect the two wires at the wall. 
= DARRIN =



Dan

I thought the black wire was moved to ground position to fool the "bell tap" MA Bell used to do to check for additional phones. If the phone didn't ring, they couldn't tell you had an extension and couldn't charge you for it.


I've also heard it is "party line" wiring, although I don'y know what that exactly means.
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright