A Blue 1957 500?

[Dennis Markham]

Is this a dark blue circa '57 500 ?  The shell and base plate date look possible. It does have updated connections and the feet are 1960's.

http://tinyurl.com/yggsqjy

Note:  This was originally posted by DREW.  I had to remove the original topic because the ebay URL ran outside the margins of the forum.  It has been re-posted exactly as DREW posted it, except for the URL)

As a reminder about these long URL's, and for the benefit of our newest member, please refer to this posting.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=1109.msg13869#msg13869

~Dennis

[jsowers]

Drew, thanks for asking before you bid. That was wise. This is a 1980s reissue of the dark blue color, called Country Blue. Often the Bell System recycled the bases and handset capsules in 500 sets and just put new plastics on them.

Look at the bottom. The feet are round and in 1957 they were much larger and suede-covered. The base has also been painted--look at the brush strokes. It has modular handset and mounting cords (with the handset cord plugged into the mounting cord jack). The dial is a much later dial with a plastic "spider." That's the piece that the fingerwheel attaches to. You can see it through the center of the dial.

It's not a bad-looking phone, but it's not an original soft plastic dark blue.

I once found a lady who tried to sell one of these as an old one, and she appropriated the picture from another auction, one that I won, of a real 1957 dark blue 500. I called her bluff and asked for more pictures. When she didn't produce them, I told her I was going to report her, because I owned the phone in the picture she was using (I had saved the auction picture). She took the auction off!

[Drew]

Thank you both - URL info and the details about these newer blue sets.  I asked because I've seen some heavily reworked older phones recently, including replaced leather feet.

[bingster]

Perplexingly, even the country blue modulars usually go for surprising prices.  $30-$50 isn't at all uncommon for them, despite the fact that they're A) very recent and B) modular.

[Dan]

I have the 554 version in country blue. I was lucky enough to get it @ the Oct Northern KY show for $5. They are not as deep in "blueness" as the mediterranean. I have never seen the newer  ones "yellow" like an old soft plastic blue. Also, old soft blues always (well- 99.8%) have grey cords. A couple of months I think they had straight blue cords.

[Jim Stettler]

Perplexingly, even the country blue modulars usually go for surprising prices.  $30-$50 isn't at all uncommon for them, despite the fact that they're A) very recent and B) modular.

These are usually 1983 or newer, princess and trimlines also came in this color around 1983 and newer.
Jim

[Jim Stettler]

Perplexingly, even the country blue modulars usually go for surprising prices.  $30-$50 isn't at all uncommon for them, despite the fact that they're A) very recent and B) modular.

These are usually 1983 or newer, princess and trimlines also came in this color around 1983 and newer.
Jim

I should add that you can also find 1975-76 trimlines in this shade of blue. I have been told that for the telephone centennial they made trimlines in the old 302 palette. The old rose ones are also from 75-76 and then also 1983 onward.
Jim

[McHeath]

Recently on e-Bay an old rose and med blue Trimline from the mid 70's were sold, the med blue one went for only 5 bucks, which was a good deal in my mind. 

[Jim Stettler]

Recently on e-Bay an old rose and med blue Trimline from the mid 70's were sold, the med blue one went for only 5 bucks, which was a good deal in my mind. 

I agree, any of the old trimlines are worth $5. The blue and rose are $20-30+ at shows. The only violet one I know of went for $500. It was a fat mod no cord. The handset  and base were owned by 2 different collectors. Another collector finally bought both pieces high, and eventually sold the compleate phone for $500. The sad part is, I was sorely tempted to buy it. Had it been $350.00 I would of.
Jim