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Merlins in Color

Started by ESalter, December 06, 2015, 10:26:57 PM

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ESalter

I was looking for a photo of something else and found this family picture I took of my colored Merlin sets a few years back.  The only color I know of that I don't have yet is white.  The blue was definitely the hardest to find.  Anyone else like these phones or is it just me?

---Eric

G-Man

Yep, have the full-range of colors including white that I believe it was Jeremy Walters that helped me acquire. I used to give away n.o.s. Merlin K handsets at phone shows. Back them it was no big thing since Merlins were still too new to collect.

paul-f

Nice, Eric.

It looks like you can also look for Charcoal Gray (-139).

I have a working 410 display with several models of phones.  Most of the phones are currently black.
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ESalter

Thanks for that chart Paul!  Someone had once told me there were yellow ones, but I had never seen any or found any evidence of them other than his word.  The top center phone in my photo is gray, it might look like glare/black from the lighting though.

The BIS-10 type phones are my favorite, I wish I could find colored versions of those.

--Eric

paul-f

Quote from: ESalter on December 07, 2015, 03:48:39 PM
The top center phone in my photo is gray, it might look like glare/black from the lighting though.

Ah.  So your black set missed the photo.

The chart, of course, is standard colors.

The Bell system reportedly made phones in other colors on special order, so there may be others out there.

Some late production common sets, including 2500s and Princess sets came from the factory in standard colors with painted housings, so just about anything is possible.

OTOH, we have seen catalog listings for some relatively uncommon sets (like Call Director variants and Autovon sets) in many "standard" colors, but haven't found or seen photos of the sets in all the listed colors.  It helps make collecting entertaining.
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ESalter

That's very true.  I was rushing out the door as I typed my last message.  I mentioned BIS type phones.  I've seen a white one of those before, but no other colors.  It was a photo, so no idea if it was painted or actually molded in that color. 

I remember the first colored Merlin I got was burgandy.  I was probably around 13 years old, I found it at the Dayton hamfest.  I seem to recall getting the guy down to $7 for it.  He had a bunch of them, before I walked away, I talked him into trading me the one I bought for a different one because the button membrane was peeling apart a little bit.  He had no problem with that, but I've regretted it ever since.  The one I gave back to him had an amplified handset.  I remember the volume control wheel was molded in burgandy also.

---Eric

Babybearjs

what kind of key system did these use? I used these in the hardware store back in the 80's during the bell breakup... so far... I have the 1A1, 1A2, but these used a computerized system. What was it called?
John

paul-f

Quote from: Babybearjs on December 13, 2015, 06:22:14 PM
what kind of key system did these use? I used these in the hardware store back in the 80's during the bell breakup... so far... I have the 1A1, 1A2, but these used a computerized system. What was it called?

There were quite a few models.  A good starter system for collector demos is the 410. They turn up on ebay occasionally at bargain prices.

   http://www.businesstelephone.com/p/42/att-merlin-410-phone-system

An internet search for "merlin telephone system image" will get you some other variations and some phone photos.
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Jim Stettler

I have seen a Merlin cordless phone, it was black. It was still in use at a lead-slug typesetting  company. that was about 10 years ago.This phone was ran thru the ksu but was like a typical cordless phone.
Jim S.
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.