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Compubit / Jim's (Growing) Phone Collection

Started by compubit, March 18, 2015, 12:20:12 AM

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compubit

#15
Thanks!  There's more to come... (I'm working on the rainbow of Trimline wall phones...).  I have a second red that I picked up at a flea market for $20 that just needs a quick buffing and it looks as good as the day it was made (I'd swear it's been stored in a low-humidity box in a dark closet since the 50s...)

Maybe a trade could be worked out for something available in Europe not readily available here...  Interestingly enough, with the variety of phones I have, I don't have a 554 in my collection - several 354s, but no 554s... (Focusing on the Trimlines for now...)

Jim
A phone phanatic since I was less than 2 (thanks to Fisher Price); collector since a teenager; now able to afford to play!
Favorite Phone: Western Electric Trimline - it just feels right holding it up to my face!

WEBellSystemChristian

Quote from: compubit on March 19, 2015, 11:36:06 AM
Interestingly enough, with the variety of phones I have, I don't have a 554 in my collection - several 354s, but no 554s... (Focusing on the Trimlines for now...)

Jim
The soft 554s can be a good gap-filler for a color 500 that you haven't found yet. For example, I have four color 554s; three of them are soft plastic. Two of those are Gray and White, which are two colors I don't have in SP for 500s.
Christian Petterson

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

patcorr

I have a 554 lined up for the equivalent of $16. Going to pay a visit to my local car boot sale this sunday.  What do you use to buff up yours?

compubit

#18
I haven't polished too much.  Where I have, I started with wet sanding: 800 then 1000 then 1500 then 2000, followed by Novus #2 Polish.  Not sure if Novus is available on the other side of the Atlantic, but if not, I'm sure there's some equivalent available.

For my white and ivory phones, I'm using the Hydrogen Peroxide hair treatment "Salon Care 40" from a US chain called "Sally Beauty Supply".  If you go to the restoration techniques and the sub forum for "Discolored Plastics - Improving it Chemically"  I have a topic in there on the white phones I've been working on of late...

I have the pink 500 which is more of a salmon in real life - debating whether to go the chemical route or just sand...  (Also have a "new" Medium Blue trimline with some yellowing, so it appears greenish, to work on also...).

Between all of my phones, I have all of the basic colors, plus a couple of the early 90s "new" colors (Mocha Brown 2554 Base - no handset, Medium Blue Trimline & Princess, a Slate Blue Princess on the way).  The gaping "holes" are the 4 early retired colors:  Mediterranean Blue, Oxford Gray, Mahogany, and (Dark) Rose Beige.  The other "toughie" will be Turquoise - too many faded Aqua Blues out there that you can't tell by the picture.  Heck, the pictures I have of my Turquoise look more Aqua Blue than Turquoise...

I put together a matrix in Excel of the colors known to me (not including any custom colors) - I guess I'll post it to get some feedback from everyone...

Jim
A phone phanatic since I was less than 2 (thanks to Fisher Price); collector since a teenager; now able to afford to play!
Favorite Phone: Western Electric Trimline - it just feels right holding it up to my face!

patcorr

A similar method to cleaning "yellowed" headlight lenses then, fine sanding paper and some cutting compound. 3M do the best compound there is, or I have used G3 compound paste made by Farecla.
I must check my local salon supplies wholesaler the next time I am there, (I'm a Sports Massage/Physical Therapist in my civvie life!). Thanks for the tips.
I generally build up my collection then purge it with a sell off and start again, trying to find the more unusual models.

compubit

Let's add to our Princesses with a new "old" color - teal blue (similar to the Mediterranean Blue, but for modern equipment).  It has the "new" Princess innards (no light, opaque dialing buttons). (eBay purchase)

I remember seeing the "new" Princesses in the 86-87 time frame, and that's when I decided to get the Red phone (Phone 1) - I leased it for 2 months then purchased it, since at the time, you couldn't purchase them anymore, but could lease, then buy.  In my mind, the opaque buttons are just wrong - It's lovely, It's little AND IT LIGHTS!!!!!!
A phone phanatic since I was less than 2 (thanks to Fisher Price); collector since a teenager; now able to afford to play!
Favorite Phone: Western Electric Trimline - it just feels right holding it up to my face!

compubit

Here we have a older AE 80 in red.  The is a manual compensating phone with the metal plungers.  Made by Automatic Electric (not Leitch). Nice and clean. (eBay purchase)

The classic AE 80s (definitely not the AE 80E plastic phones) had a place in my heart - my grandparents in Michigan had 2 - one beige (similar to WE rose beige) with white numbers on the dial bezel, and 1 ivory - when they moved houses in 79, they were able to keep their phones - by that time GTE was issuing the AE 80e phones (I know because we had them near Dallas - and we were both in GTE territory at the time). They also had a touch calling beige Styleline wall in the kitchen - when you dialed that phone (DTMF), you could hear the central switch converting to pulse while waiting for the call to complete.
A phone phanatic since I was less than 2 (thanks to Fisher Price); collector since a teenager; now able to afford to play!
Favorite Phone: Western Electric Trimline - it just feels right holding it up to my face!

compubit

#22
Turquoise Princess. (eBay purchase)

This is the phone where I discovered the true difference between Turquoise and Aqua Blue. Though the picture isn't a good representation of it's true color, next to an Aqua Blue, it looks even more Turquoise and it's obvious.  (I'm including a reference picture with the 1500.
A phone phanatic since I was less than 2 (thanks to Fisher Price); collector since a teenager; now able to afford to play!
Favorite Phone: Western Electric Trimline - it just feels right holding it up to my face!

compubit

Here's a picture of my Yellow Accent display/demonstrator model phone. It includes the (311) 555-2368 phone number on it, and has no innards (except for those needed to display the phone - Touch Tone pad, modular jacks, plunger mechanism). (eBay acquisition-sold as a working phone, but wasn't)
A phone phanatic since I was less than 2 (thanks to Fisher Price); collector since a teenager; now able to afford to play!
Favorite Phone: Western Electric Trimline - it just feels right holding it up to my face!

compubit

Back to a rotary phone: 5302 Phone refurbished by "Fold-a-Phone, New York, 1972". (Antique Mall find).

Ringer gongs replaces with a metal button that made a "rat-a-tat-tat" sound.  The button has been removed and is on its way (one of these days, I promise) to a Kellogg's employee. Base plastic says "Western Electric", but handset says "Northern Electric" (and the ringer had a "Kellogg" part).
A phone phanatic since I was less than 2 (thanks to Fisher Price); collector since a teenager; now able to afford to play!
Favorite Phone: Western Electric Trimline - it just feels right holding it up to my face!

compubit

It's time for a weekend update...

I've been working on my white phones (that aren't currently white) using the hair care peroxide treatment with our beautiful (if chilly) sunny weekend. (TTrimline, 500 and 1554 to go with my 2702, 1500, 2500 and Sculptura) More to come on this as work progresses.

Now for some Blue Princesses: (counter-clockwise from top left)
702 Turquoise
2702 Aqua Blue
2702 Teal Blue
2702 Slate Blue

I'm liking the Slate Blue - but I'd call it more of an Indigo rather than Slate...
A phone phanatic since I was less than 2 (thanks to Fisher Price); collector since a teenager; now able to afford to play!
Favorite Phone: Western Electric Trimline - it just feels right holding it up to my face!

WEBellSystemChristian

I like the slate too... ;)

Even though it's not considered collectible now, rarer early-'80s to mid-'90s AT&T and late Bell System sets like that will become more desired as time moves on, kind of like the WE500 market right now as opposed to ten or so years ago.
Christian Petterson

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

compubit

Now for the Oranges: (from left to right)

GTE/AE Styleline Rotary Desk Terra Cotta
WE Trimline Touch Tone Wall Rust
ITT Trendline Touch Tone Desk Orange
GTE/AE Styleline Touch Tone Desk Tangerine

Jim
A phone phanatic since I was less than 2 (thanks to Fisher Price); collector since a teenager; now able to afford to play!
Favorite Phone: Western Electric Trimline - it just feels right holding it up to my face!

.....

Quote from: compubit on March 23, 2015, 10:38:57 PM
Back to a rotary phone: 5302 Phone refurbished by "Fold-a-Phone, New York, 1972". (Antique Mall find).

Ringer gongs replaces with a metal button that made a "rat-a-tat-tat" sound.  The button has been removed and is on its way (one of these days, I promise) to a Kellogg's employee. Base plastic says "Western Electric", but handset says "Northern Electric" (and the ringer had a "Kellogg" part).

I was just reading this thread and come across this. I'm the Kellogg's employee. I thought you forgot about me or decided to keep it. I'm still interested, if you are.

Thanks
Doug

GTE Rick

Quote from: compubit on March 19, 2015, 09:45:29 PM
Let's add to our Princesses with a new "old" color - teal blue (similar to the Mediterranean Blue, but for modern equipment).  It has the "new" Princess innards (no light, opaque dialing buttons). (eBay purchase)

I remember seeing the "new" Princesses in the 86-87 time frame, and that's when I decided to get the Red phone (Phone 1) - I leased it for 2 months then purchased it, since at the time, you couldn't purchase them anymore, but could lease, then buy.  In my mind, the opaque buttons are just wrong - It's lovely, It's little AND IT LIGHTS!!!!!!
Quote from: compubit on March 19, 2015, 09:45:29 PM
Let's add to our Princesses with a new "old" color - teal blue (similar to the Mediterranean Blue, but for modern equipment).  It has the "new" Princess innards (no light, opaque dialing buttons). (eBay purchase)

I remember seeing the "new" Princesses in the 86-87 time frame, and that's when I decided to get the Red phone (Phone 1) - I leased it for 2 months then purchased it, since at the time, you couldn't purchase them anymore, but could lease, then buy.  In my mind, the opaque buttons are just wrong - It's lovely, It's little AND IT LIGHTS!!!!!!

i think they changed their advertising to "It's Dainty, It's Demur ,It's Dim"
Small in size ... Smart in Style ... and it has a lighted dial.