1938 Black WE 302

[Craig T]

I found this at a local antique shop about a month back. It was filthy, had some scratches, a pencil holder on the side, but I wound up with it anyways. I actually passed on it the first time and bought it 3 weeks later.

It is dated 1938 throughout. I had the case off at the antique store, but I did not want to start taking the dial out on him and I could not see the date there, though it was not a #6 dial for certain. It does not have the vented lift, but it does have a solid metal lift. The cloth handset cord is dated 1940. I can't imagine a #5 dial gets much earlier than 1938? I thought I had found my first #4, but not disappointed at all.

I have finally experienced the Markham bonus card. The dial center had a larger center that fit snug over the top of it. There was a Negaunee Bank overlay card and a like new black perforated dial card under it. There were two other white ones in the original dial center, so 4 in total. This also has an older gasket, it is tan in color rather than the black ones. It is also made of rubber. The case is marked on the outside.

[Kenny C]

Great phone and a pretty good price. At my old antique store i was friends with one of the clerks and she would give me her employee discount. I got quite a few discounts 

[Craig T]

Thanks Kenny! I ended up paying $32 bucks out the door on this one.

This 302 has a straight cloth handset cord, the last 302 I found had a curly cloth handset cord and the only 202 I have found had a straight rubber cord. Go figure?!

[Sargeguy]

I have a matching date 38 that has a #4H, I believe it was from September. What month is yours?  It has the older condenser, reversed network and H1 on the outside.   It came with brown cloth cords

[Dennis Markham]

Nice phone Craig!  Nice find.  Those bonus cards are a lot of fun too.  That one that is showing with the 859 M 12 I think is an old party line or rural card.  When you get a minute show us a photo of the other cards too.  Nice find and a real good price.

[Sargeguy]

Doh!  I see in the pictures that it is 2nd quarter May or June 1938.  I guess they ran out of the new dials when they made mine.  Or maybe the demand created by the Hurricane of '38 caused them to put older dials into service (the phone is from Narragansett RI which was devestated by the storm).  Have you fired it  up yet???

[Craig T]

Sarge, I was just searching for the pictures for 10 minutes, so my eyes did not catch that either 

I have not fired it up yet though.

Dennis, I had to take a picture of the cards, I only had a pic of three of them for some reason. I did not know what those other cards were from, thanks!

[Dennis Markham]

Craig, thanks for posting those.  Very nice old cards.

Looking at your dial..is there any sign that this may have been converted from an older dial?  I know the #4's were converted from #2's (or some of them were).  Did they ever convert older dials to #5's??

[Craig T]

I am taking apart the phone and checking it against a newer #5 right now. Why did they use the black wax (?) seals over the screw holes? I don't have that on the newer ones.

[Dennis Markham]

I don't know the answer to that one.  Perhaps someone else does.  I opened up one today that has a lot of black tar-like material that dried hard as a rock.  They put it over the gasket and it dripped down the back side of the dial.  It was a mess to remove.

[Craig T]

Other than less and less brass, I did not notice much. The first dial is the 1938 #5, the 2nd is a 1949 #5 recall there was extra brass in this one too and the 3rd is a 1951 #5.

I thought I had pics of the interior of the 1938 dial. Let me know if anybody sees anything here.

[Doug Rose]

Craig...outstanding find!! It has the old metal case with the F1 embossed over the mousehole. You have a wonderful 302 at a very reasonable price. Congrats!!....Doug

[cchaven]

Craig,  nice find  I have a 5H dated IV 39 that has the black wax over the screw holes identical to yours.  It'll be interesting to hear from someone why that was done.  That '39 302 is now an extension phone...chipped paint and all.

Jeff

[LarryInMichigan]

Craig,

You got a good deal.  A metal 302, with its mass, really makes a statement, especially if it falls onto your foot   I bought a mostly 1938 302 several weeks ago at a local antiques mall for $40.  Mine actually had a #4 dial, which was why I bought it.  You will now need to collect the whole series of early 302s.  There were several design changes made in the first few years.

Larry

[Craig T]

Thanks guys! Larry, this is my 4th 302 now, I had better establish a firm quota while there is still time