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1962 554 With box, is it worth it.

Started by WesternElectricBen, January 06, 2013, 11:28:09 AM

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WesternElectricBen

I was scrawling ebay and saw this, it seems to come with its original box as the box and phone dates match. It needs a lot of work which I can do. Though, what I want to know is does the original box increase the value.

http://tinyurl.com/b9d8yds

Ben

TelePlay

As an FYI for future posts, those long eBay links can be shortened to this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/150972624411

VINTAGE-BLACK-BELL-WESTERN-ELECTRIC-554-WALL-TELEPHONE-w-RARE-ORIGINAL-BOX-/ was removed before the item number and

?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2326ab6e1b was removed after the item number.

Long links have been known to cause problems on this site.

As for the phone, it's up to you. The back plate is real clean but that plastic cover needs a lot of work. The box seems to match the phone but I have no idea on what value that would add to the auction.

Dennis Markham

Ben, I sent you a personal message regarding the long links.  The answer to your question about the box increasing the value......

My opinion (opinion only) is that the box does not increase the value of the phone on a that that was used.  On a never before put into service phone, it may increase the value somewhat to have the original box.

~Dennis

WesternElectricBen

Quote from: Dennis Markham on January 06, 2013, 01:53:30 PM
Ben, I sent you a personal message regarding the long links.  The answer to your question about the box increasing the value......

My opinion (opinion only) is that the box does not increase the value of the phone on a that that was used.  On a never before put into service phone, it may increase the value somewhat to have the original box.

~Dennis
Ah, ok thank you Dennis. Your probably right, as it will probably disintegrate down the road. I was wondering how other people got shortened links now I know. Thanks
Ben

AE_Collector

What is the 25' reference on the box? Logically the set cord length but it is a wall phone. They didn't have 25 foot handset cords did they? I never knew phones to come with longer length cords when new but I don't know Western Electric or Bell System.

As for ebay links if it has this:   http://www.ebay.com/itm/   You can then cut everything else out except the 12 digit ebay number leaving this:   http://www.ebay.com/itm/150972624411

Terry

WesternElectricBen

Quote from: AE_Collector on January 06, 2013, 03:05:17 PM
What is the 25' reference on the box? Logically the set cord length but it is a wall phone. They didn't have 25 foot handset cords did they? I never knew phones to come with longer length cords when new but I don't know Western Electric or Bell System.

As for ebay links if it has this:   http://www.ebay.com/itm/   You can then cut everything else out except the 12 digit ebay number leaving this:   http://www.ebay.com/itm/150972624411

Terry


Thanks Terry. I think the cord was aftermarket or just they wanted the phone somewhere elece and they just threw that on so they didn't have to move the jack. I don't know...
Ben

TelePlay

Quote from: Dennis Markham on January 06, 2013, 01:53:30 PM
Ben, I sent you a personal message regarding the long links.

Ah, Dennis, yes. I forgot about TinyURL in my above post because when putting eBay posts on the forum, I find it so much easier and faster to just delete the "extra" stuff from the eBay item URL. I always use Tiny URL on FB and other sites and even this site when posting a non-eBay link. TinyURL does a great job at reducing the URL down to just a handful of characters. Both work fine for eBay links, Tiny URL for everything else.

As for the box, I agree with you on it adding no real value unless it is a NOS listing.

AE_Collector

#7
Quote from: WesternElectricMcCabe on January 06, 2013, 03:18:44 PM
I think the cord was aftermarket or just they wanted the phone somewhere elece and they just threw that on so they didn't have to move the jack. I don't know...

Yes but the box has 25 foot written right on it from Western Electric....
If it were a desk set I would assume that the phone came from WECo with a 25 foot set cord, but this is a wall phone.

<EDIT> Oh I see, that isn't a label on the box, it is thelabel on top of a plastic bag wit ha 25' cord in it and it is sitting against the box. I thought the box had 25 foot written on it.

Terry

WesternElectricBen

Quote from: AE_Collector on January 06, 2013, 04:29:24 PM
Quote from: WesternElectricMcCabe on January 06, 2013, 03:18:44 PM
I think the cord was aftermarket or just they wanted the phone somewhere elece and they just threw that on so they didn't have to move the jack. I don't know...

Yes but the box has 25 foot written right on it from Western Electric....
If it were a desk set I would assume that the phone came from WECo with a 25 foot set cord, but this is a wall phone.

<EDIT> Oh I see, that isn't a label on the box, it is thelabel on top of a plastic bag wit ha 25' cord in it and it is sitting against the box. I thought the box had 25 foot written on it.

Terry
I'm now thinking its not worth it? Am I right?
Ben

poplar1

#9
Notice that the 25 ft. D3BP  cord has a strain relief that can be used for 302s/5302s as well as 500s.

According to B. B. Wingo, the idea for this strain relief that combined the S-hook used on 302s with the later style used on 500s came from a Southern Bell installer/repairman, who may have received a cash bonus for his suggestion. B. B. said these rewards ususally went to someone who suggested a way to reduce paperwork, not to techs who thought of ways to improve something.

B. B. also said that the phones refurbished by WE were better than new ones, because they went through more tests before being reissued. If he got a really bad multi-line set, he would cut the mounting cord to make sure that set would probably not be rebuilt and reissued. [EDIT: you could tell the refurbished sets because they would paint the top of the clear plungers when painting the housing.]

Whenever he installed service observing equipment where a supervisor could monitor the agents, he always made sure the agents would hear a click whenever they were being observed. He even trained the agents to make sure they recognized the click.

When AT&T was broken up in 1984, the Southern Bell PBX techs like B.B. were transferred to AT&T. After that, he was no longer allowed to do favors like providing long cords not on the order. So he would leave extra inside wire behind the jack and tell the customer that after he left, they could remove the faceplate on the jack and pull on the station wire  to extend the jack themselves.

He told me that in downtown Atlanta they would get trouble tickets saying the lines had crosstalk. It turned out that an engineer at a nearby radio station would drink too much on the job then crank up the power on the transmitter. Then  the radio signal bled over into the phone cable pairs. After this engineer left the job, the problem went away. But at least one customer complained that now they no longer had the  music on hold feature. [EDIT: He said that the music was heard when the line was on hold because the holding unbalances the line.]
"C'est pas une restauration, c'est une rénovation."--François Martin.