Auction 156: WE Pekin Red 302 project phone - Ended 12-30-14

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New forum members are very welcome and encouraged to take a guess. After all, there are no wrong guesses, just one lucky one. No one knows the winning bid on any auction until it ends. However, it is important to get your guess in before someone else grabs your guess.

Just listed in a 7 day auction with no reserve is a Pekin Red 302 project phone with no apparent corner cracks, a bad handset cord, a beat up handset and the seller says it doesn't ring, but did not say how it was tested. It was listed at a somewhat high but reasonable starting price point of $99.99 plus $12.67 for shipping. It must be worth more than that but how much more. So, once again, the question is who best knows what this phone will sell for when the auction ends?

The seller listed it as an "RED/ORANGE? VINTAGE WESTERN ELECTRIC MODEL 300-302 WORKING RARE TELEPHONE " with the item condition as "Used" and "Works, Does not ring" with the auction listing description being a cut and paste historical first paragraph plus a second paragraph from the seller:

"The Western Electric Model 300 series, was a collaboration between famous early 20th Century Industrial Designer Henry Dreyfuss, the Bell System, and manufacturer Western Electric to design an attractive workhorse telephone combining all the internal components into one handsome, functional instrument, thus eliminating a separate ringer box subset on the wall as was always previously necessary.  (Side note: Henry Dreyfuss subsequently designed Bell Telephone's next model, the infamous Western Electric Model "500" and in 1958 the "Princess" phone, released to the public in 1959. Mr. Dreyfuss also previously designed for other product manufacturers, several "Art Deco" Hoover Vacuum cleaners, The New York Central "Mercury" train, John Deere tractors, Royal typewriters, and the Polaroid Land Camera.) Returning soldiers after World War II and their new brides increased the need for new telephones and additional lines. Orders for new black 300 models were tremendous, but newly affluent buyers started demanding more decorating fashion and color in their new homes. Bell System and manufacturer Western Electric, introduced the 300 series telephone in the late 1940's....  in COLOR!!  These much harder-to-find, more rare sets were made up until 1954, making these a favorite collectible among Baby Boomers!

This beautiful RED?ORANGE? phone is made of Thermoplastic and is approximately 60 years old!  The phone does not have cracks corners of the base, seen in most of the 300 sets around flea markets and Antique stores.  The patina is worn, especially on the hand set. No attempt has been made to clean/polish.  It's not a museum piece.  There is a stress crack in the receiver cap, some scratches and what appears to be crud build up. There are 6 breaks in the handset cord but it still works. DOES NOT RING. Wall cord is in good shape aside from corner crack on plug."

http://www.ebay.com/itm/261710789500

NOTE: we will use a 3% gap rule between guesses to prevent crowding. As such, guess gaps of 6+% can be split. I'll help with these as the auction goes forward and guesses are entered.

It's another chance to move up a rung or to get onto the CRPF -> Contest Standings <- list,

     . . . for as twocvbloke said,   ---> "You gotta be in it to win it !!!" "

If you want to see the phones of past Auction Contests, click -> HERE <-


S C O R E B O A R D

$   175.00 - kleinkaliber  ( 8 )
$   200.00 - poplar1  ( 5 )
$   212.50 - Mr. Bones  ( 9 )
$   225.00 - Sargeguy  ( 3 )
$   237.50 - TelePlay  ( 10 )
$   250.00 - wds  ( 4 )
$   275.00 - tallguy58  ( 2 )
$   300.00 - HarrySmith  ( 7 )
$   325.00 - Kenton K  ( 1 )
$   350.00 - Fabius  ( 6 )  -> WINNER - Final Selling Price $455.00


Early Morning Auction Status

12-23-14      Listed      $      99.99
12-24-14      0 Bids      $      99.99
12-25-14      1 Bids      $      99.99
12-26-14      1 Bids      $      99.99
12-27-14      5 bids      $    113.00
12-28-14      6 bids      $    113.50
12-29-14    13 bids      $    187.50
12-30-14    26 bids      $    455.00
12-30-14      6 bidders, 29 bids $455.00 Ended at 07:36 PST

[Kenton K]

I think 325.

[tallguy58]

$275

[Sargeguy]

No corner cracks but a trashed handset?  $225

[wds]

$250

[poplar1]

$200

[Fabius]

$350

[HarrySmith]

$300.00

[kleinkaliber]

$175

[Mr. Bones]

$212.50, please.

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Here's the 3% "no crowding" gap spreadsheet for this contest with 9 guesses.

Available guesses or guess ranges are shown in GREEN within the small upper right black bordered box.

( click on the table to enlarge the image )

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$237.50

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Well, we have a winner, Fabius. Only thing we don't know is the final selling price. Will be interesting to see how much the last second snipes, if there are any, will increase the selling price.

[Sargeguy]

NOTE TO SELF: Dig crappified Pekin Red 302 out of storage!!!

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And, the winner of Auction Contest is Fabius, who with the 6th entry into the contest offered the winning guess of $350.00.  That guess gave him his 4th win in our auction contests. Once again, our congratulations go out to Fabius for winning this Auction Contest and moving up a rung in the Contest Standings.

This Pekin Red 302 project phone moved up slowly from its listing price of $9.99 to $187 over 6 days, jumped to $450 about 4 hours before the auction ended. One last bid about 25 minutes before the end work for i***8 ( 1539 ) who took the phone home for $455.00. That seems to have surprised everyone who offered a guess in the contest. The phone attracted 6 bidders offering 29 bids.

Check out the updated Contest Standings to see who's who through 156 contests and the latest additions to the CRPF Hall of Fame

Thanks again to all who played. As always, there is only one way to get on the winner's board or move up a rung - you have to play to win.