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Can You Tell What This Phone Is?

Started by Nick in Manitou, January 03, 2015, 10:35:37 PM

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Nick in Manitou

I don't know anything about candlesticks...(yet).

I made the mistake of looking at Craigslist and this came up, listed under furniture for sale!

The chair comes with the phone it seems.

I have not called on it yet because it is 1 1/2 hours away.  But from what little I know, it seems that the dial might be of interest...and as a result of thinking that, I am wondering if I should investigate further.

Any insight?

rdelius

Cannot tell with photos if it is a real WE telephone but the good signs are a WE dial and the "bulldog" transmitters were uasually not put on fake WE sticks.Rec is not old though.This appears to be a good deal to me. The stick might be worth $100+ if real by itself

wds

The receiver looks like it could be the 706A western electric receiver, which would match the transmitter.  Depending on the dial, I would go at least $125 on the phone.  Is the subset included?
Dave

Doug Rose

Nick...The chair is certainly the prize here. I have never seen anything like it. Best thing about CL is you can negotiate. I would not let this go.....Doug
Kidphone

Nick in Manitou

We have sent a message to the seller...now waiting to see if it is still available or if they just forgot to take the ad down...

Greg G.

#5
I agree with Doug, grab the chair, even if the phone isn't included.  I often find "telephone chairs", aka "gossip bench" when looking for vintage phones on CL.  At first I thought they were an annoying by-product of my phone search until I started looking at some of them.  I had one for a while but gave it to my nephew's wife because she liked it and I no longer had any room for it when I moved in with Anita.  Your chair looks like it was made in the era of sticks because the small extension appears to be made specifically for the small foot-print of a stick.  90 minute drive, eh, budget one of your days off, just make an adventure out of it.  Maybe stop for more phones on the way.
The idea that a four-year degree is the only path to worthwhile knowledge is insane.
- Mike Row
e

Nick in Manitou

Well, shucks.

We went and took a look...debated...and decided not to go for it.

I was hoping that the phone would have a #2 dial, but it didn't.  The receiver was a pretty tacky looking repro.  There was no subset and a modular plug had been installed.  The stick itself looked original to my untrained eye....But I was feeling as though I needed to be conservative in my decision to purchase it or not due to current income constraints...

My wife was pretty interested in the chair, but couldn't get off the fence either.  So we decided to pass.

She is still waffling on whether we should have purchased the pair or not.  She liked the way the phone looked on the chair.

Now that I read the comments on the looks of the chair, I realize that the chair IS different than the others I have seen because it really does look as though it is from the candlestick era.  Briny is correct, the area where the phone sits is really just set up for the base of a stick.


LarryInMichigan

Craigslist automatically shrinks all images to a barely useful size.  I often ask craigslist posters to send me the orignal full-size images before driving out to see an item.  Some have gladly complied while others have told me that they don't know how to send images.

Larry

Sargeguy

Looks like a 151-AL brassed-out, although it could be a fake.  Here are a few pics from my local CL of telephone chairs,  They seem to be pretty common.  The asking prices range from $40-$94
Greg Sargeant
Providence, RI
TCI /ATCA #4409

poplar1

Nick, did you happen to note the model number on the "perch"? If it's marked 51-AL, it could be WE or repro, because most repros are marked 51-AL.  But if it's marked 50-AL or 151-AL, it's less likely to be fake, though it still could have lots of repro parts. If it's marked 20- (followed by one or more letters), and this hasn't been struck out with a new number stamped on the front or sides, then it may be a non-dial model "upgraded" with a repro dial base.
"C'est pas une restauration, c'est une rénovation."--François Martin.

Doug Rose

Nick....did you make an offer? CL is not eBay and I sell on both. CL people are trying to move something that cannot be sold on eBay. Too Big, can't ship...etc. Get it out of my house type deals.  Offer $100 and you will probably get both for $125 and sell the stick for that much or invest a little and make the stick a winner. That table is a great piece! Just my humble opinion....Doug
Kidphone

Sargeguy

If the stick is real it is worth $125-150 or so.
Greg Sargeant
Providence, RI
TCI /ATCA #4409

Nick in Manitou

The current status is that they are pretty stuck on selling them together and they were resistant to drop the price even a little. After we drove up there and were turning to head out their door, the lady said that she would accept $175.

I thought only afterward that I should have read over the various threads here and other resources about how to recognize fake candlesticks.  At least I should have taken photos with a good camera of both the chair and the stick!

I certainly appreciate everyone's comments!  Still thinking about going back and making the purchase.  If we don't end up loving the chair we could probably find a buyer at a telephone show someday...or maybe to a forum member who comes to Colorado to ski!

Nick 

Bill

#13
Greg -

Most of the tables you picture seem to be left-handed. Being a lefty myself, I think that's great - but how about the great unwashed masses? How does that work out? It seems it would be difficult to take notes or jot down a number for those of the right-hand persuasion.

Bill

Greg G.

Quote from: Bill on January 06, 2015, 11:01:11 PM
Greg -

Most of the tables you picture seem to be left-handed. Being a lefty myself, I think that's great - but how about the great unwashed masses? How does that work out? It seems it would be difficult to take notes or jot down a number for those of the right-hand persuasion.

Bill

I know you were typing at the other Greg, but I've noticed that too about the phone tables, most are left-handed, but that's why my nephew's wife liked it so much, she and my nephew are both left-handed.
The idea that a four-year degree is the only path to worthwhile knowledge is insane.
- Mike Row
e