Classic Rotary Phones Forum

Telephone Talk => Collector's Corner => Large Hoards of Phones => Topic started by: Desert Phone Guy on April 22, 2017, 08:20:05 PM

Title: My Largest Find July 2016
Post by: Desert Phone Guy on April 22, 2017, 08:20:05 PM
I found this lot of phones (again) this past summer in North Carolina.  I had purchased a few items from the owner almost 20 years ago.  I was told that the owner's grandfather operated a small independent company and these were left after the small independent was purchased.  I had originally tried to purchase them back in the day to no avail.

On being back east last summer I thought I would give the person a call.  In the conversation I asked him if he still had the phones.  He said he did, and was tired of them.  He was building a new house and did not want to transport them to the new location.  He was leaving on a vacation in 2 days, and told me if I wanted to come over to his place the next day, I could.  BUT he said no cherry picking, I had to take all or nothing.

I arrived at his house at 4:30 in the afternoon after a 2 hour drive in a rented Mazda 3..( not that large of a car)... I did have the foresight to take a tarp in case I got lucky.

We visited a few minutes as I reviewed what was available.  There were 20 WE 534 Subsets complete, 15 Incomplete subsets, 17 Dial 202 sets with E-1 Handsets, 7 354 wall sets with dials, 8 Metal 302 desk sets with dials,i B1 round base desk set with E1 No Dial, 3 WE brass Manual candlesticks,  20 AE Bakelite desk sets (half with 5H dials) 2 boxes of tools, dials, cords, extra E-1 Handsets etc.

After seeing all this I was concerned as to how I would get it all loaded, transported, shipped.  I figured the time to buy it is when I see it....worry about the consequences later... We negotiated and agreed upon a price, and took 45  minutes  with both of ur loading all the stuff in my car....back was full, floorboards were full, front seat was full, back seats laid down with tarp were full to the top of the car.

In my 40 years of collecting, this was my best volume find...

Title: Re: My Largest Find July 2016
Post by: ..... on April 22, 2017, 08:46:34 PM
That's a good haul.  :)
Title: Re: My Largest Find July 2016
Post by: oldguy on April 22, 2017, 11:17:39 PM
Great find Steve, That's the kind of find we all dream of. Congratulation, have them all restored yet ;)
Title: Re: My Largest Find July 2016
Post by: Doug Rose on April 23, 2017, 05:53:29 AM
Great find....but to know how great of a find, there are two variables. Condition of the phones and the price paid for the lot. Welcome to the Forum....Doug
Title: Re: My Largest Find July 2016
Post by: AL_as_needed on April 23, 2017, 09:14:15 AM
One can only image the look and facial expression of a police officer if you were pulled over with THAT many phones in the car!  ;D
Title: Re: My Largest Find July 2016
Post by: AE_Collector on November 24, 2017, 12:46:48 AM
And let's not forget what all Telephone Installers will remember from years ago when the Telco supplied the phones....the Jingling bells as you drive down the road.

Terry