News:

"The phone is a remarkably complex, simple device,
and very rarely ever needs repairs, once you fix them." - Dan/Panther

Main Menu

Value Help Please Western Electric 501

Started by Fabius, June 06, 2015, 10:54:46 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Fabius

Came across an excellent condition Western Electric 501 (party line) set in black and dated 1960. Not really my thing but I thought I'd ask for value help. The shop is asking $15. Thanks.
Tom Vaughn
La Porte, Indiana
ATCA Past President
ATCA #765
C*NET 1+ 821-9905

andre_janew

The price seems reasonable.  It should be worth the $15 they are asking or perhaps more.  Party line phones, I'm told, usually work on a private line unless they have frequency ringers.  Bell System phones don't rely on frequency ringers.  In other words, check to see if it is a Bell System phone.

WEBellSystemChristian

It probably depends on whether it still has the vaccum tube inside. If it does, you should see a nut on the base on the lefthand side. Definitely worth $15 if it still has that tube.
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

Fabius

Okay, thanks, I'll go there tomorrow and check.
Tom Vaughn
La Porte, Indiana
ATCA Past President
ATCA #765
C*NET 1+ 821-9905

paul-f

It's always worth looking inside to make sure the components match the marking.  I usually have a small screwdriver with me so I can easily check out the internal components.  If I forget, I ask the seller to open it.  It beats getting home and potentially being disappointed.

It's amazing what changes have been made to some of the sets over the last 50 or so years.
Visit: paul-f.com         WE  500  Design_Line

.

andre_janew

I didn't realize that the 501 sets had a vacuum tube inside.  I thought it was just wired a bit different than the standard 500 set.  Prior to the E911 system being established here in Lawrence, Kansas, all party lines had to be changed to private lines.  With me, that meant going to the box on the side of the house where I lived at the time and flipping a switch.  With my grandmother, it meant going into her house and rewiring her phone.  I honestly have no idea what changes they made to her phone.

WEBellSystemChristian

Quote from: andre_janew on June 07, 2015, 02:30:25 PM
I didn't realize that the 501 sets had a vacuum tube inside.  I thought it was just wired a bit different than the standard 500 set.  Prior to the E911 system being established here in Lawrence, Kansas, all party lines had to be changed to private lines.  With me, that meant going to the box on the side of the house where I lived at the time and flipping a switch.  With my grandmother, it meant going into her house and rewiring her phone.  I honestly have no idea what changes they made to her phone.
Most 501s were 'rewired' by removing the vaccum tube inside. That's why it's a good idea to check the inside or the base; the majority of these exist today without the tube.
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

andre_janew

So that must be what they did to her phone.  They must've removed the tube.  Without it, it would be basically a 500 set then.  Even so, the price of an as is 500 set still normally runs in the $10 to $20 range.

Fabius

I went to the antique shop today and opened up the 501. No tube and saw no evidence that it ever had one. Everything dated 1960 incuding the shell. If anybody wants it let me know. I'd be glad to get it for you.
Tom Vaughn
La Porte, Indiana
ATCA Past President
ATCA #765
C*NET 1+ 821-9905

paul-f

The place to look is on the bottom.  If the screw that held the tube is missing, there is usually a wear mark where the head was tightened to the base -- like on the left side of the photo below and the one in this previous topic:

   http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=8600.msg92418#msg92418
Visit: paul-f.com         WE  500  Design_Line

.