I just won this: ebay link (http://www.ebay.com/itm/221103346162). The suede feet indicate that the base is pre-1959. Even if it is not soft plastic, the price is not bad considering the prices that aqua blue phones have been getting.
Larry
Fingers crossed its soft plastic, Larry, it will be if its all original 1955. I note that the seller says the ear cap has 6 holes so I think you got yourself a winner. You got it for a song at $26 plus shipping. Good catch.
I believe 1955 is too early for aqua blue (coded -62).
That color along with white (-58), pink (-59), lt. beige (-60), gray (-61?) and turquoise (-64) was not introduced before 1957. These colors were in anticipation of the Call Director (1958?) and Princess (1959) which would use these colors, but at least some of them began to appear in 1957 on 500s.
Glad someone on here won this so you can let me know what you find out. I had the bid right under yours and had asked about the holes in the earpiece etc. I was trying to figure out what the heck color it could be from that year. Either way congrats and please let me know
great find there larry....... maybe the date was mis-read by the seller. it could be a '58.
I realize that the year seems wrong for that color, but I thought I would take a chance. Or perhaps David is right. I sold the only two aqua blue WE phones that I had, so I was looking for one anyway. Even if it is ABS, it should be worth more than what it cost me. We shall have to wait and see.
I did buy a phone last night which is most likely soft plastic: link (http://www.ebay.com/itm/130747510785). Soft plastic AEs go for less than WEs for whatever reason.
Larry
I bet it is soft plastic, just that the year on the plastic is not 1955.
It looks more like 11-57 to me. By 11-58 they had Neoprene feet. It could also be an early refurb. I've seen and purchased refurbs done early on and some of them are painted, but I'm hoping this one isn't from what the seller says, and because it seems to match well.
The handset cord is definitely from the soft plastic era. I think you got a good one, Larry, and cheaply too. The pink AE80 is also nice and looks to be mostly unfaded, which is a plus. It was also a good deal and looks to have the original cords too.
Thank you for the replies. I plan to let everyone know the verdict once the phone arrives. Some members probably noticed the soft plastic light gray 500 which sold a couple of days ago for $77 (link (http://www.ebay.com/itm/170895200551). That one did not pass entirely under the radar. I tried to get that one for cheap also but didn't.
If this blue one is soft plastic, it will be able to join the white, yellow, ivory, pink, green, rose beige, and red WE (and turquiose Kellog/ITT) soft plastic colors here.
Larry
Look closely at that light gray. The handset has center holes and the logo says "Bell System Property Not for Sale" on it. So at least the handset is hard plastic. No telling about the housing. It looks thick and may be the real thing. The fingerwheel has a solid center, so it's a replacement too. The number card is generic and not original to the phone. I think you were wise not to bid too much on this one.
I did notice the handset, dial bezel, and finger wheel, but the last picture in the listing shows the date on the inside of the shell: "10 14 58", so the shell is almost certainly soft plastic. My bid on that phone was about the same as on the blue one.
Larry
Odd too that the gray handset would say Bell System property yet the housing lacks the Bell System marking (as in sets sold to independents or military).
The phone arrived this afternoon (packed on its side in a box only slightly larger than the phone), and it is all soft plastic :) 8) :). The base, dial, and ringer are dated 11-55. The 425B network has a paper sticker on the side with the contact labels but has no date. The color code on the back of the dial is 51, which probably means that the base originally had green plastics.
The shell, handset, caps, transmitter, and receiver are all dated 8-57. The handset cord is also from 57. The plastics and handset cord are all really dirty but in otherwise very condition. There is no line cord, so I guess that puts me in the market for an aqua line cord.
Once the phone is presentable, I hope to post some pictures. Overall, this one was a WIN!
Larry
Congrats on a winner ;)
Great. Congratulations!
NICE!!! ;D
Congrats!!!!!
Congrats!
Thank everyone for all of the congrats. The phone is mostly cleaned now, so it mostly needs polishing and reassembly (and a line cord). If anyone has a spare aqua cord, please contact me. I really wish that I had bought the one I saw several weeks ago on ebay for $4. I had a feeling that it would have eventually come in handy, but I didn't buy it.
The plastic has very little, if any, discoloration, except for a light brown spot from the outgassing of the rubber ringer mount as hes been discussed here before.
Larry
Pictures?
Have patience ;)
I (mostly) finished the reassembly and took the phone out to the front porch for some quick pictures. A white modular line cord is filling the place for an aqua cord until I get one. The base which came with the phone was somewhat rusty, and the suede on the feet was torn, so I replaced it with a spare base dated 3/55 which is in excellent condition. The finger wheel has a number of cracks and chips, so I will have to find a replacement for it also.
Larry
Quote from: LarryInMichigan on August 29, 2012, 06:46:11 PM
I (mostly) finished the reassembly and took the phone out to the front porch for some quick pictures.
Nice work, Larry. It looks beautiful!
Dave
The phone looks great Larry. Nice job! You might consider sending the base to Dennis Halworth to have the feet recovered. He does a great job with those.
Simply beautiful!!!
Larry is developing a good taste for non black phones. ;D ;D ;D
The suede on the feet on the replacement base is in excellent shape. I figured that replacing the 11/55 base with a 3/55 base wouldn't diminish the value of the phone any since the date on the first base didn't match the plastic anyway.
I was a bit worried about the cord when I bought the phone because parts of it had been twisted pretty severely, but it appears than no permanent damage was done.
This is certainly one of my favorite colors together with yellow and turquoise.
Larry
Outstanding job! I know who I'm sending my cleanups to! ;)
And for only 26 bucks! I'm impressed, nice work all around.
Looks great...Makes up for the loss on the brown phone!
Beautiful job Larry ! Great find too!
I'm in awe of your work! Well done!