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Clear Trimline

Started by HarrySmith, October 05, 2014, 09:50:52 PM

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HarrySmith

For those who are interested in clear phones, this one just sold on eBay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/321535956075
Started at $49.99, the first bidder won it for $213.50 after 9 bids from 7 bidders.
Was it one of you guys?
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"

JimHyak

OK, I admit it. Way too much $, but I just really wanted a clear trimline, I missed the last few that came up on ePay. I would like to find a clear Princess and Trimline desk phone as well. I have the 500. The 300 is still a ways from what I can bear to spend, I'm afraid, and they will keep going up. If anyone wants to part with their Princess or Trimline Desk, let me know before I run out of $ ;)
Jim
It's not hoarding if you have cool stuff!

JimH

Very nice!  I think that is a reasonable price.  It seems to me, a few years ago, a clear Princess went for a couple of thousand.
Jim H.

JimHyak

Wow! 2K. Probably need to cross that off as well. I got the phone, it's had some "work" the handset is LED, the base plate is 1-67. The cord is old style modular but is beige. Not sure what color they would have originally used, my transparent 500 has a light grey cord which fits it well. I saw a photo of a clear trimline that had a clear jacket cord, but I think it was new modular and had AE colored wires inside (red, black, white, green). I've seen those for sale somewhere, but can't remember where. Anyone know the "proper" color, or was there such a thing? I don't think I've seen a light grey trimline with the original style connectors.
Jim
It's not hoarding if you have cool stuff!

jsowers

Quote from: JimHyak on October 09, 2014, 08:17:13 PM
Anyone know the "proper" color, or was there such a thing? I don't think I've seen a light grey trimline with the original style connectors.

Light gray Trimlines were manufactured, but finding the cords wouldn't be easy at all. Clear might be just as hard to find as light gray. See the third picture down in a post I made on light gray phones to see a light gray Trimline.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=3312.msg43921#msg43921

To me light gray looks better on clear than light beige. Most of the clear Trimlines seem to have clear cords. Here's one Doug Rose found, but it looks to be modular, from 1975...

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=6006.msg71654#msg71654

Here's one with the old-style clear cords.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=5536.msg67226#msg67226
Jonathan

Jim Stettler

 I think that you got a good deal. I would of liked to see the dates on the housings and on the trimline handset.
I think the base plastic may be from the 70's. Early trimline wall base plastic is shallow, that base plastic looks to be the taller 70's style.

From a cord standpoint it has appeared to me that the "F # " trimlines had the clear "Fat-mod" cords.
I have seen a clear trimline ad with a white cord.
My preference  is  a light grey cord on  fat mod trimlines.
Mini mod WE trimlines have  a transparent cord.

JMO,
Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

JimHyak

I opened it up today, Here are the dates:
AC1 Base plate: 1-67, additionally has vermillion mark of 671
Cant find ringer date
Base shell and back half of handset are 3-76, vermillion mark inside back half of handset is 220AL  8-78
Front half of handset shell, flex board, 10AL dial, receiver are all 7-78
I didn't check for a date on the tx capsule
No cracks anywhere, a few skuffs, missing the number covers. Overall good shape, needs a good cleaning.
Jim
It's not hoarding if you have cool stuff!

Jim Stettler

Quote from: JimHyak on October 10, 2014, 06:40:40 PM
I opened it up today, Here are the dates:
AC1 Base plate: 1-67, additionally has vermillion mark of 671
Cant find ringer date
Base shell and back half of handset are 3-76, vermillion mark inside back half of handset is 220AL  8-78
Front half of handset shell, flex board, 10AL dial, receiver are all 7-78
I didn't check for a date on the tx capsule
No cracks anywhere, a few skuffs, missing the number covers. Overall good shape, needs a good cleaning.

It was factory assembled 8/78. It most likely was a phone store demo phone. The employees could take the demo sets home to use.  After the break-up they got to keep any WE sets they had and could pay $10.00 for design line phones.

The most common WE clear phone seems to be the square button trimline handset. followed by the LED dial handset.

I have found more wall bases than desk bases but it may be because desk bases are more prone to damage.
Plastic phones get a lot of internal stress cracks, on colored phones you don't see them, but on the clear phones you can.

The handset # holder should say TRIMLINE in raised letters, it should have a piece of metal with a lamp under it. Standard # card plastics will fill both spots.


It was a nice find and a good price.
JMO,
Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.