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What is the Largest Amount Of Telephones You Found at One Location

Started by Doug Rose, September 14, 2010, 08:49:32 PM

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DavePEI

I had two massive finds, one here on PEI, and one which I picked up in New Brunswick.

The first was found in New Brunswick from a fellow collector - a truckload containing a Uniphone #6, Dawn phone, Doodle phone, 500 set with G6 amplified headset. Two KSU's shown in back row, an NE QUJ9B shown back right, and a QUJ10A shown (partly hidden) back, and many key sets. All phones are Northern Electric/Telecom.

The second batch were at a motel near Wood Island during the 70 Mile Coastal Yard Sale. There were 19 Northern Electric/Telecom phones in this batch, and after culling and cleaning, there were 16 added to the collection plus 3 phones to be used for parts, due to case cracks, bad or missing handsets, etc. These were bought for $2 apiece. Some took some work to get them going, but all but the 3 parts phones work now. The next year, I returned to the same place during the sale, and bought up 5 more he had dug up in the meantime, plus a 50 cent KS-8455L2 Bell System Line Loop Tester.

Included here:
2 Dark Brown, 2 Yellow (one an interesting yellow/black hybrid), 1 Pink or darker Beige, 3 White, 2 Beige, 2 Moss Green, and 4 Black

Slightly off topic (as it isn't a dial phone) but perhaps my best find was at a yard sale (but more complicated than that, as I had to buy it from a fellow who spoke up for it a few seconds before I saw the phone). It was a pre-Northern Electric Bell Canada 3 boxer, with Blake transmitter. This phone was manufactured at the Bell Canada Montreal Mechanical Dept. in 1889 half a decade before the formation of Northern Electric. It ended up costing considerably more than the $5 asked for it in the sale, but a very low price compared to its real value. Had I only been there a few seconds earlier! Would have saved myself a couple of hundred $'s! But in the end, I wound up taking it home with ME!



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

AE_Collector

Quote from: DavePEI on February 21, 2011, 07:03:27 PM
Had I only been there a few seconds earlier! Would have saved myself a couple of hundred $'s! But in the end, I wound up taking it home with ME!

Dave

That 3 box phone is going to be a tough "find" for you to top. To make you feel better about missing out on it at $5 just remember that if you had been 10 minutes later in arriving you wouldn't even know of its existance on the Island!

Terry

DavePEI

Quote from: ae_collector on February 21, 2011, 09:30:03 PM

That 3 box phone is going to be a tough "find" for you to top. To make you feel better about missing out on it at $5 just remember that if you had been 10 minutes later in arriving you wouldn't even know of its existence on the Island!

Terry

So right! Now, the rest of the story. I was driving towards Montague looking for yard sales. I missed the driveway of the sale, and turned around in the next. As I turned around a fellow drove into the sale. He went to the seller, and pointed at this item and that. The guy was an antique dealer. He bought the phone seconds before I arrived. I told the seller I wanted it, and he informed me it had just sold.

I spoke to the new owner and said I would love to buy it, and offered him considerable incentive. He finally agreed to sell it, and I ended up taking it home. Thank goodness he didn't really know what it was worth!

Good thing I didn't get there earlier. I would have felt so guilty buying it for $5 :D
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

Dennis Markham

That's a great story Dave.  So what IS it worth?  (For those of us that have no clue).

DavePEI

Quote from: Dennis Markham on February 21, 2011, 09:45:44 PM
That's a great story Dave.  So what IS it worth?  (For those of us that have no clue).

Hi Dennis: The first offer I had for it was from a well known telephone dealer - $2000. Since, a museum visitor offered $5000 as it pre-dates NE. I think that was a little much, but he was a fellow who should know the value. Despite this, I kept the phone. It is my prize possession- selling it would be like selling my first-born!

This just made me feel better about buying it for $305! The other guy did ok, but so did I...
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

Dennis Markham

Dave, that's amazing!  I'd say you did OK.  And you're right, the other fellow did well too.  He didn't even have to carry it home.  Did he know what it was or just wanted an nice old wooden phone?

DavePEI

Quote from: Dennis Markham on February 21, 2011, 10:23:18 PM
Dave, that's amazing!  I'd say you did OK.  And you're right, the other fellow did well too.  He didn't even have to carry it home.  Did he know what it was or just wanted an nice old wooden phone?

He knew it would bring a pretty penny when he sold it, but not how much! As I mentioned, he was an antique dealer, and probably expected it to bring the usual $150 to $200 asked around here for a woodie in antique shops. It would have wound up in his shop. But I guess making $300 profit on it immediately was enough to persuade him!

Photo: Face of Blake transmitter box. The side of the top box gives the information it was made in Montreal 1889.

At the time, I couldn't really afford the $305, but felt I would regret it forever had I not offered enough to entice him to sell.
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

Doug Rose

Dave...this is an outstanding phone. Worth every extra dollar.

How could anyone, even with ZERO phone knowledge sell this for $5. Usually old wood at a yard sale or a flea market is a minimum $100 for junk.

A Blake and a Long pole what anexceptional find....Doug
Kidphone

Doug Rose

Kidphone

DavePEI

Quote from: Kidphone on February 22, 2011, 09:20:15 AM
Dave...this is an outstanding phone. Worth every extra dollar.

How could anyone, even with ZERO phone knowledge sell this for $5. Usually old wood at a yard sale or a flea market is a minimum $100 for junk.

A Blake and a Long pole what anexceptional find....Doug

Hi Doug:

I wish I would make finds like that all the time. Yes, I agree with you. I can't understand why the original seller didn't want more. But I am happy.

One can go years between finds like these - it has been about 5 years since I made these finds. One of the Forum members has helped me out a lot with great phones and advice over the years, which I will be eternally grateful for as well. Without his help, the museum would be fairly sparsely populated.

Lately the luck is declining, but just this morning I was contacted by someone over in N.S. who is giving me a Uniphone #2 and a Blue (very discolored) Contempora just for the cost of shipping. They were just sitting in a pile in his workshop, and wanted them to be restored and seen. Both need a lot of cleaning up, but will be nice to add them to the collection. I already have a burled Walnut Number 2, but this is a black example. Most people wind up with a black one first, then if they are lucky will later add a burled walnut one - I would have to do it differently, at least with #2s.

Interesting little ad below:
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

Kenny C

QuoteWhat Happened? or didn't happen....Doug

The cows got out two sundays and this week He didn't show up. I had never asked around about him, I did last week. It  tuns out.... well to put it gently I'm not the first person he  has lied to.

I'm sorry about this whole mess.  I should have kept quiet until he pulled through. I hope nobody thinks I am lying.  :-[
Thanks,
Kenny C.
In memory of
  Marie B.
1926-2010

Doug Rose

Quote from: Kennyc1955 on February 22, 2011, 02:28:44 PM
QuoteWhat Happened? or didn't happen....Doug

The cows got out two sundays and this week He didn't show up. I had never asked around about him, I did last week. It  tuns out.... well to put it gently I'm not the first person he  has lied to.

I'm sorry about this whole mess.  I should have kept quiet until he pulled through. I hope nobody thinks I am lying.  :-[
Thanks,
Kenny C.
Bummer....I thought you found the Holy Grail of phones. Hopefully next time. I doubt anyone thinks you were lying, you're too cool for that....Doug
Kidphone

Russ Kirk

Quote from: Kennyc1955 on February 22, 2011, 02:28:44 PMI hope nobody thinks I am lying.  :-[
Thanks,
Kenny C.

No, nobody thinks that Kenny. We are all friends here...

Russ
- Russ Kirk
ATCA & TCI

Kenny C

In memory of
  Marie B.
1926-2010

Dennis Markham

It's not nice to fool a phone collector with promises of LOTS of old phones!