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What am I missing here?

Started by TelePlay, October 08, 2013, 08:11:20 PM

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TelePlay

Came across this payphone with about 20 minutes left in the auction. Had 14 bids from 4 bidders and was sitting at $108.06, the price it eventually sold for on eBay plus $12.50 shipping with the terms being "No returns or exchanges."

http://www.ebay.com/itm/151135181939

Seller listed it as Vintage Retro Bell Pay Phone Classic Retro look Black Public Telephone 1956" and described it as "Take a look at this classic retro pay phone. Looks like the real thing, but made of plastic. Center rotary dial reads "Public Telephone 1956". Not a Bell phone, but made to look like one. Has a rotary look with the convenience of push button dialing.Even has a coin slot and return change drawer. Plugs in like any standard phone. Works great and ready for your home. But this phone in Pottery barn or other high-end stores and you'll pay big bucks...great deal here."

Nothing wrong with any of that and plenty of good, in focus pictures. This phone was listed at $24.95 in a 7 day auction. It's the phone on the left if the photo below.

The phone on the right was found in about 15 seconds doing a Google search for "Crosley Payphone." Seems to be the same, or a very similar phone. What am I missing? The phone on the right can be purchased for $69.95 with FREE shipping. ? ? ? ? ? (Granted, it is on sale at this moment marked down from $109.00 with FREE shipping, and when the sale timed out - ended, the sale price was extended for a few more days)

Good for the seller . . .  :-\ , right? The bidders list is interesting and may tell the story.


DavePEI

Yup, looks to be a Crosley, just like the phone we were discussing the other day. Just a typical sale where the buyers got caught by Auction Mania, and didn't investigate the cost of the phone new :)
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html
Free Admission - Call (902) 651-2762 to arrange a visit!
C*NET 1-651-0001

poplar1

Crosley is another once-reputable manufacturer name---for radios if not telephones--that has been snapped up by some Asian manufacturer to give some kind of credibility to the junk they're selling.

These repro pay phones are on Ebay every day, and I'm surprised anyone would pay over $10 for any of them. All plastic junk. The worst thing is that there are many sellers and buyers who seem to think they are originals.
"C'est pas une restauration, c'est une rénovation."--François Martin.

WEBellSystemChristian

I bet the seller is surprised, and happy, that so many people got caught up in this. How did none of them see the hundreds of Crosleys up on eBay right now?!?! ???
Christian Petterson

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

WesternElectricBen

My first phone was a repro 354 by crosley, I was scared to buy it because every other review said they broke after a month. Though, I then decided to sell it and buy a nice 1965 WE Aqua Blue 500. And then my collection when on and on.

Ben

DavePEI

#5
Years ago, when I was looking for my first payphone, I called a number of antique shops on the Island looking for one who might have a payphone. I spoke with one in the Miscouche area, who told me yes, we have one!

I dropped everything, and drove to the other end of the Island, only to find it was a Crosley. What did they want for it? $300. Needless to say, they didn't make a sale, and I have never returned to that shop. I am sure the Crosley junque is still there!

Dave
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html
Free Admission - Call (902) 651-2762 to arrange a visit!
C*NET 1-651-0001

LM Ericsson

I used to have a crosley desk phone. At the time I bought it, I thought is was the coolest phone, but now its nothing compared to the real thing. Why have an expensive and cheaply built repro while you can have the real thing for less!
Regards,
-Grayson

Greg G.

I think I'll order a truck load of Crosley phones and start selling them on ebay. 
The idea that a four-year degree is the only path to worthwhile knowledge is insane.
- Mike Row
e

twocvbloke

I've seen a few of these "payphones" on display in shops here in the UK, and they look cheap, you can tell from a quick look that they're plastic (aside from looking at the dial), and the weight of them is unconvincing too, so, whoever was bidding like crazy on that one will surely be disappointed thinking they bought a nice vintage payphone, only to find it's a cheap chinese replica... :o

Last time I saw one was in the Metro Centre in Gateshead, some junk shop (the sort that sells cheap chinese trinkets at premium prices) had them in the window and some on the shelves inside, they just didn't even have any novelty appeal to them for my liking, but then most of the clonephones out there don't hold any appeal anyway, kind of like those mobile phone handsets made to look like the G-type handset (mostly cos they swapped the transmitter and receiver caps round), they just "look vaguely like"... :-\

TelePlay

#9
Simply amazing! This phone just sold to a (0) feedback buyer for $170.27 plus $20 shipping.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/181232764885

It a plastic, touch tone replica auction that ended today. Seller listed it as a "Vintage 3 coin slot Pay Phone" and said "You are bidding on a Vintage  3 coin slot Telephone. This would look really nice in a man cave or as a collectors piece to show off. Made of plastic and measures 19 inches height and 5 inches wide. Has phone cord in back so should be fully functional. I got it at an estate sale so never tried it." Then added on 10-6 "I am not sure if this is a real 3 slot phone or just a decorative piece since it's made of plastic. Appears to be a reproduction but would look nice as a show piece." and added again on 10-9  "Another watcher told me that since it's plastic and the coin release is plastic that these used to be sold at Spencers gifts as a novelty item. Again, I do not want to mislead anyone but I do not know nothing about it, the phone is plastic, has a cord in the back so I do not know if it's a real phone or not. Bottom line is it would still look cool as a decorative item on anyone's wall :)"

So, the 7 bidders placing those 32 bids were informed. Go figure . . .  :-\

DavePEI

#10
Good thing for Sellers that Buyers don't always come with a Phd! Gonna buy a bunch of Crosley payphones for $70 and sell them on eBay! He-Haw!
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html
Free Admission - Call (902) 651-2762 to arrange a visit!
C*NET 1-651-0001

twocvbloke

I guess someone just really really wanted an overpriced used one... :o

Over here you can buy them for about £40-£50 minimum, of course there's also the option to pay even more, but, why would you pay more for the same thing, it doesn't make sense... ???

Haf

Or maybe some people thing they're smarter than all others and only ones to know about ebay and the way the cookie crumbles especially to be true of buyers with less than 10 feedbacks :)
Always hard meeting such people and tell them when they show you their "treasures" to tell them it's high prized junk they got. But they refuse to believe it anyway.

Haf
Telephone:
0049-030-55474418
1-415-449-4743
1-604-757-7474

AE_Collector

They were trying to keep the shipping down by buying the light weight plastic editions.

Keyed slots in the back to hang a payphone from your kitchen phone jack sort of screams "Reproduction" to me.

Terry

TelePlay

#14
Posting for posterity, the China label on the back has all the info identifying this phone.

It's not the same phone as above (the scratch marks on the back are different, the handset cord lengths differ and the seller states it does not work but would look great on the man-cave wall), but it is another 10 button Thomas America Corp PP-8 "Classic Edition" plastic 3 slot payphone, not a Crosley 12 button, up for restoration, I guess.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/181238283997

This one starts at $5.99 plus $13.25 shipping.