Classic Rotary Phones Forum

*** The "Find of the YEAR" for 2018 ***   VOTE FOR THREE

It is time once again to vote for the VERY BEST "Find" from all of the "Find of the Month" winners through 2018.

Take a few minutes to go through the list below. John "TelePlay" has created one post per entrant along with the brief details, a link to the original nomination and the separate topic on CRPF if there was one, and has included one picture of each contestant. The pictures are from the Find of the Month Winners List that John maintains of all of the winners.

There are twelve contestants to choose from so lets do THREE VOTES EACH and see who wins the coveted (limited edition) "Find of the YEAR - 2018" trophy!

Everyone should be able to come up with three favorites here so please try to use all THREE of your votes. If you inadvertently vote for less than three contestants, click the "Remove Vote" button at the bottom left of poll and then place your THREE VOTES again.

Thanks John for taking the time to put yet another "Find of Year" contest together. Much appreciated!

Jim . . .

January 2018's "Winner":

Roody's 1896 Stromberg-Carlson Roman Column Candlestick for $99.95 & $25 shipping

Here is the original Find of the Month nomination:
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=19501.msg201927#msg201927

TelePlay posted this about it:

I would like to nominate Roody's 1896 Stromberg-Carlson Roman Column Candlestick that he found listed for sale for a whopping $99.95 in an ad placed by an out of state Pawn Shop that upon calling them, agreed to ship it to him for an additional $25. Not a bad price for a phone worth a gazillion dollars.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=19699.0

February 2018's "Winner":

AE_Collector's Ericsson AC130 Skeletal from 1914 for about $40 US on FB Marketplace

Here is the original Find of the Month nomination:
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=19735.msg204233#msg204233

AE_Collector posted this about it:

Yes I guess I should. The few times I have nominated something of mine was usually if it was a slow Find of the Month which has the added benefit of Less Competition! Don't think I've ever won though! Paid $50 Canadian which is almost exactly $40 US and arranged free transportation for it to me through the "daughter & friends network"!

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=19762.0

March 2018's "Winner":

Gary Millam's WE 1712B 1A Interphone 10 button 2-line Princess Telephone for $24.99 from an Antique Store

Here is the original Find of the Month nomination:
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=19937.msg205210#msg205210

Gary Millam posted this about it:

I would like to nominate for March "Find of the Month" this WE 1712B 10 button 2-line Princess telephone. I found it in an antique shop in Middleboro,MA this past weekend. It cost $24.99 plus $1.56 tax. The light blue color is badly faded but there are no chips or cracks and all dates match to 10/66 through out the phone. To me this is an odd little phone as it has a transmitter in the base instead of a ringer. I checked Paul F. site for info and it is used in an interphone system.

April 2018's "Winner":

poplar1's Aqua Blue 5302G for $60.00 plus $18.00 shipping

Here is the original Find of the Month nomination:
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=20150.msg207883#msg207883

poplar1 posted this about it:

These are Ebay pictures. Phone looks much better, no fading, possibly unused.

May 2018's "Winner":

HarrySmith's "collection completing" Mediterranean Blue Miniature 500 for $20.00 from an ATCA member

Here is the original Find of the Month nomination:
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=20354.msg208556#msg208556

HarrySmith posted this about it:

I would like to nominate my Mediteranean Blue Mini 500. It is the last color I needed and is a hard to find color. Picked up from an ATCA member, who purchased it just for me, for only $20.00!

June 2018's "Winner":

Sargeguy's WE 240 two-box TYPE 32/67 beveled glass door top box purchased locally $60.

Here is the original Find of the Month nomination:
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=20594.msg211921#msg211921

Sargeguy posted this about it:

I will nominate my Western Electric oak 240 two-boxer with TYPE 32 or 67 beveled glass door top box that I purchased locally for $60. These bpxes are found on early tandems and other "fancy" WE phones.  How it ended up on a 240 is anyone's guess. The magneto is nickel plated but the magnets been painted black.

July 2018's "Winner":

Duffy's Clear 1958 Western Electric 500 F-53115 for less than $300 purchased in a group of phones from another collector

Here is the original Find of the Month nomination:
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=20719.msg211967#msg211967

Duffy posted this about it:

Since I had a few good finds in June, I would like to carry this one over to July. I'll nominate my 1958 Western Electric Clear 500 F-53115. When cleaning the phone, I removed the dial to reveal an interesting dial disk. The phone is in good shape for being used as a daily phone. The price I paid was less than $300.00 USD for this phone.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=20615.0

August 2018's "Winner":

Sargeguy's 1890s/1920s Western Electric cherry vanity telephone for $2,280 at an auction

Here is the original Find of the Month nomination:
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=20850.msg213784#msg213784

Sargeguy posted this about it:

I guess I should probably nominate my 1890s/1920s Western electric cherry vanity telephone.  Gavel price was $1,900 plus 20% buyers premium. The phone has a American Bell Telephone Company marked long pole receiver with marked cap. The gooseneck transmitter arm typically sells for close to $1,000, and a nicely marked long Pohle will be close to $2,000. I am quite happy with it.

September 2018's "Winner":

Russ Kirk's Western Electric 1956 Mahogany 500 C/D for $43.99 from a local antique store

Here is the original Find of the Month nomination:
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=21021.msg216134#msg216134

Russ Kirk posted this about it:

I am nominating my Western Electric Mahogany 500 set; almost date matching from 10-56 and 11-17-56.  I picked this up 9-7-18 at a local antique shop for $43.99. It is in like-new condition. 

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=21078.0

October 2018's "Winner":

Gary Millam's Western Electric 1956 Mahogany Brown 500 desk set for $55.00 plus $22.00 shipping on Etsy

Here is the original Find of the Month nomination:
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=21186.msg217467#msg217467

Gary Millam posted this about it:

I would like to nominate this 1956 WE mahogany brown 500 desk set that I found on ETSY last week. All dates match throughout the phone to 8/56. The cost was $55.00 plus $22.00 for shipping. Here are a few photos of the phone. It is hard to photograph the deep brown color on this phone. In the pics, it looks almost black.

November 2018's "Winner":

Butch Harlow's NOS red WE 500 w/ black dial and gray straight cords dated 7/54 for $50.00 from an Antique store

Here is the original Find of the Month nomination:
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=21336.msg218554#msg218554

Butch Harlow posted this about it:

I was in Blacksburg VA this weekend taking my daughter back to school after Thanksgiving and also seeing the VT/UVA commonwealth bowl, which Tech squeaked out in OT. Great game. On Saturday, we went to a few antique shops in Christiansburg. In the second stop, my daughter found this box and handed it to me. She really has a great eye for phone stuff. Inside was a NOS red 500 with a black metal dial and gray straight cords, the instructions and the unpainted dial center set. The phone has never been used. What makes it so special to me is that it was a "find in the wild" not an Ebay or other auction site win. It was priced at 50.00, which I did not debate in the least.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=21433.0

December 2018's "Winner":

Vern P's White WE 500U for $27.00 from an Antique shop

Here is the original Find of the Month nomination:
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=21472.msg219901#msg219901

Vern P posted this about it:

This is my find for the month.  Took a weekend road trip.  Found in a antique shop. White 500U (not a P/U) all the parts show this is the way it was installed in 1959, with good line cord. The color is next to mint.  Oh the price, $27. As you may remember I can't post photos, maybe someone can post a stock photo for me.

It is time to vote for the 2018 Find of the Year contest.
There are lots of good contenders for 2018.
Jim

The voting for the 2018 Find of the Year contest  ends on Saturday.
There are some close contenders. Time to vote.
Jim

Four more voters and we will be at 40. Find of the Year is the one to vote for if you haven't voted already. It isn't too difficult to narrow down your favourite as you get THREE votes.

Terry

And the winner is :
Roody's 1896 Stromberg-Carlson Roman Column Candlestick for $99.95 & $25 shipping
Congratulations Roody.
That is a very nice find and worthy of a trophy:

Here is the "Find of the Month - Winners List" for all contests to date:
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=12971.0

Congrats to Roody on not only winning this years Find of the Year but also being the first, and possibly last, to win, to have a set of bookends like these. Winning one Find of the Year is hard enough but winning 2 out of 9, actually 2 out of the last 3 is quite remarkable, quite an achievement, indeed.

Congrats yet again Roody! How do you keep doing that? Congratulations.

This is as close as I will ever get to winning Find of the YEAR (tied for second place) considering that I think this was the only Find of the Month I have won! Thanks for the votes everyone!

Terry

Thanks everyone. What an honor and there was lots of great competition. They are getting harder to find. I owe it to lots of hunting, lots of luck and kissing a lot of frogs looking for that prince. I have piles of frogs in the garage!