What is a 202 worth

[Jim Stettler]

I just looked at that. Maybe a $100 is to much

A lot of times I put low-ball snipes on interesting items, just in case.

Jim

[Bill]

Larry -

Please excuse my ignorance, but what makes that an A-1 as opposed to a B1? How do you recognize the difference? I have what appeasrs to be that exact same phone, which I thought was a dial-less 202. Bought it for $22 - sure would like to think it is worth over $1000!

There's a pic of mine in http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=1668.0

Thanks


Bill

Jim,

Speaking of A1s, did you notice item #150423698492.  It sold between the time I saw and when I pushed the buy button.  It is an A1 base with an E1 handset for $25!!!!

Larry

[LarryInMichigan]

Bill,

Yours is a B1.  The most obvious difference between the A1 and B1 is the neck below the cradle.  The A1 has a longer neck but a lower base.  A1s are apparently rather rare, therefore they are very valuable.   Yours is not worth $1000, but it is certainly worth much more than $22.  I barely know about these things, but I have seen E1 handsets like yours go for well over $50, and that's without a base.

Larry

[Greg G.]

I called all of the antique stores in the yellow pages (like every weekend) and they said a 202 with ringer box and all. She said it had been rewired to plug into a "regular outlet" but the cord went in side. I looked at it before and they wanted 125 but it is marked down to 100 it is in pretty rough shape. Do you guys think it is worth 100?

Most antique stores are way overpriced (on everything, not just phones) and generally clueless about phones.   Here's an example.  Spend time on Craigslist and avoid the antique stores.

[Kenny C]

they have those in our antique stores for like 15 or 20 158 is crazy.

[Craig T]

Nothing like trying to get $158.00 on a WE Celebrity.

Talk about trying to squeeze blood from a stone?!

[LarryInMichigan]

There have been a few stories posted here about members who found great deals at antiques shops, like someone here who found an AE50 for $16 or something like that.

Larry

[rp2813]

Another thing to check is the way the dial is mounted to the base.  If the phone in question is an earlier round-base type, I believe the dial would be raised and sitting on top of the base (like on a candlestick model) and you would be able to see the whole side of it and the entire fingerstop including its mounting screw.  If that's what it has, I think that's a guaranteed 2H dial.  Later oval-based or D1 models had the dial recessed into the base, similar to the way they are on 302's.  Experts, correct me if I'm wrong, or generalizing too much.

With earlier types of phones, modifications may have been made to some but not others (such as an F1 handset instead of an E1) so nothing is absolutely cut and dried about outward appearances or how things should be configured.

[Jim Stettler]

Someone on the forum started a thread about getting a celebraty like this for $5.99 w/ a 25% discount.

A celebraty in decent condition is worth around $20-35 in my opinion (collector value). Mall resell make it 35-75. Fair at $50.00 if you are greenish. If you want some we can talk, I have at least 2 boxes of them. trades work for me as well. help me clear the shed. I have lots of design line and novelty spares.
Jim

[Kenny C]

who are you talking to?

[Craig T]

Typical sign of the times, I got $8 for mine after I listed it three times. Here is one of those blue ones though, I would have kept this one...

http://tinyurl.com/yzn8wo9

Finished at $26 and $12 ship.

[Jim Stettler]

who are you talking to?

Anyone who will listen, I am a rambler by nature. My bad. 
Jim

[Kenny C]

Oh ok 

[stub]

Hi ya'll,
          Here are some pics of phone that Kenny has been asking about in this thread.  The base is a D-1 and I don't know which dial is in it. The handset is marked E-1 ( trans. date 2-39 and rec. date ?-37 ). They want $100. for this phone. Help him out guys , and gals. This one is over my head!!!!   stub

[bingster]

The phone's actually in very nice condition.  It's just dirty, but it would clean up very well.  The subset is the wrong one, but it will probably work as a 102 sidetone setup.  At least it's got all it's original parts in it.  If you don't want the subset, you can flog it on ebay and buy a proper one, but those are nice to have in the collection anyway.  The dial is incorrect, too--it's an Automatic Electric dial, rather than a Western Electric dial.  Still, I'd be tempted to buy it for $100.