...I've been watching these for some time now, will prob get one in due course but it has to be the right one. For me, this isn't, it's missing all of its cabling, cut off at the phone.
Usually these don't sell for even a quarter of the price this has reached so far. 32 bids and £205 at the time of typing. So I wonder what is so special about this one. It says 'Oxford' and then 'Station' in a smaller font underneath the number on the dial disc (I'm assuming it's genuine), but I'm told the seller has no history of its former home/s, so a railway enthusiast might be a bit disappointed if it came from the local bus station (etc)...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/142739767026
(Could a moderator please put the listing page onto this thread please, I don't know how to do it. Thank you).
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Seller description: "Offered here is one of three vintage bakelite telephones I currently have listed on ebay. -- (Please note, I am not an expert in this field at all, so the photos will have to provide a good deal of the description). -- This rotary phone appears to be a dark chocolate brown colour and has an array of 'intercom' buttons, as shown. -- To the underside, the phone is marked with the following: 'Telephone Intercom. No. 1/2A'. The metal base is also -- stamped 'E/3A'. -- The receiver is marked '164 57'. -- The dial works but is a little slow and laboured to return. -- I think this phone would clean up very well indeed and would probably make an excellent restoration / refurbishment project. -- Cosmetic condition of the main unit appears to be very good with no apparent damage (some minor surface marks excepted - including one slightly deeper scuff), however please note that the mouthpiece to the handset has a crack. The damage is limited to the mouthpiece cowl only and does not extend into the handle. -- Working condition is obviously not known. -- Started with a rock-bottom start price and no reserve. It will sell to the highest bidder. "
"station" means "intercom station" and is the correct designation for a House Exchange System / Keymaster phone.
At some point that number (0865 55211) was used by the Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit, Research Laboratory for Archaeology, 6 Keble Road. I can't make out the date on the dial card to verify if that corresponds to the age of the phone.
~
Supply and demand would be my guess. I'm not well versed on phones from across the pond, I've never seen on of those.
Benny
A very cool phone, I love the lines of it, it's very different....Doug
Quote from: Owain on April 09, 2018, 07:57:27 AM
At some point that number (0865 55211) was used by the Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit, Research Laboratory for Archaeology, 6 Keble Road. I can't make out the date on the dial card to verify if that corresponds to the age of the phone.
Oh well done. That certainly might add a bit of interest to the phone.
Pourme, they come up quite often, have seen maybe three or four this year and I'm not looking too actively. Last year I saw one of these with two other Bakelite office phones in a joblot, I think all 3 struggled to reach £30 ish.
Am on the lookout for one but I need all the cabling etc too, as we intend to re-install as close to original as possible and use.
The phones come up not too infrequently, but the Unit, Transfer, Intercom are pretty rare, as are the jacks and junction boxes.
For some reason these phones from "across the pond" have crazy prices when listed from over there. They don't seem very popular over here, just my observation. Western Electric is KING.
I'm wondering of people are wanting to just "snap up" the crocodiles... ;D
When there is no rational reason for a high price, there is always the cool factor.
Sold for £230 plus postage.
The bidders certainly got their teeth into that one.
:o
I treated myself to one at about £100 some time ago. It was definately one of my bigger purchases of the year. Minus cord and plug/jack/buzzer assembly but rewired to PSTN.
Also have one in less great condition with cord and jack/buzzer but that is on the 'to be tidied up' pile.
Quote from: Owain on April 10, 2018, 06:58:32 AM
I treated myself to one at about £100 some time ago. It was definately one of my bigger purchases of the year. Minus cord and plug/jack/buzzer assembly but rewired to PSTN.
Also have one in less great condition with cord and jack/buzzer but that is on the 'to be tidied up' pile.
Two, crikey, they aren't small either. What are your plans for them both? Do keep us up to date with any installation.
One with cords etc sold a couple of weeks back, can't remember how much - not a lot - but the phone was cracked on a corner and the box that was with it was badly broken.
Another sold a few days later for just over £50 with cords etc and that one was in quite good nick. I lost out on that auction, but they do come up. I'll just have to be patient.
The bakelites mostly get cleaned up and put in the display cabinet, I think they're a bit fragile for playing with. At some point I'll get a couple wired up to the similar era PMBX. I certainly won't be attempting to recreate a HES2 installation! although I've had a working Plan 107.
They are quite surprisingly clever little things for their age.
I have one of these, no drawer. I was told it was from Oz. I never heard it called a croc phone before. I get it, you look at it and it looks like a crocs head skimming the water.....never too old to learn something....Doug