OT More old Junk I picked up on eBay

[Sargeguy]

WE 354 dated 1952 picked up locally for $40:










Pretty decent shape over except for the mold

[Phonesrfun]

Nice find.

[bingster]

You guys kill me with your local finds.  All I can find around here is modular junk that antique stores want $100 for.  I need to move!

[Sargeguy]

I bought it off eBay.  I did a search using the "Distance:Nearest First" filter and found it.  Its a good way to save because you eliminate the $10-15 shipping.  Otherwise I would have bid $25-30. 

[Sargeguy]

I need green bases for my nickel phones.  This 20AL has an original green(ish) one so I picked it up.  I haven't decided if the subset cord is green or not.  Dirty but complete and in nice shape.  Better than my current frankenphone 20AL.

[Phonesrfun]

In the photo, the cords do look faded green to me.  Almost like they started out as an olive green, rather than bright green.

[Sargeguy]

I don't think its a WE cord.  it looks like that was the original color.  And the strain reliefs are thread wrapped around the cord.

[Sargeguy]

I picked up a nice B-1 with nice paint, minor chips on the cradle.  It has a suede base in really nice shape and all  original cords, also excellent.  The seamless handled handset is converted to an F-1 element and could use a buffing.  The dial card is blank:







As an added bonus, the B-1 came wired to a 315 magneto ringer box, likewise in excellent shape. 

[Sargeguy]

It has been a while but the TYPE 72 bell box is nearing completion.  I just need a handle for the magneto and a couple more binding posts (and a backboard, arm, transmitter, battery box and batteries).  ANd a set of lightning arrestor plates would be nice also.

   

Dennis H did the re-nickeling and it looks spectacular.  The box cost me $15.  Cost for the entire re-nickeling was a little more than $50.  The magneto and ringer was $45 (came with a type 2 box), and the 143 transmitter with original cord came on a 295 that I paid $40 for.  I figure I have about $120 invested in it so far.  If I were to sell it on eBay, I would get at least 1/2 that (it's a wooden phone).

[deedubya3800]

WE 354 dated 1952 picked up locally for $40:

Pretty decent shape over except for the mold

This looks pretty well identical to mine dated 1953. Mine also has a #6 dial and the same dial plate. It's a 164 painted to look like a 150B, which for some reason goes by the number P-340016. I love the 354. They should've had that ready by 1940!

[Sargeguy]

Interesting.  It's not a 252 is it?  Does it have a F-1W handset?

[deedubya3800]

Interesting.  It's not a 252 is it?  Does it have a F-1W handset?

It does have an F1W, as a matter of fact. The coil is 101B and based on marks inside the case, it appears to have had a ringer before, but didn't when I got it. The bracket for one was present, however.

[Sargeguy]

It sounds like a 252.  252s came without ringers, the Independent TELCO furnished its own ringer, usually a harmonic or frequency ringer,  although mine came with a standard WE ringer.  The way you can tell is the circuit board.  A 354 is identical to a 304, a 252 is identical to a 302.  Is it missing a few terminal screws at the top of the board?

[deedubya3800]

The connection board has all the screws, two each, for E, GND, K, L2, and L1. They all have the same look, too. There are handmade pencil marks on the baseplate telling which wire connects where, like "Red" by L1, "Gray Red" and "Wh" by E, and "Black" by K. The mount type is clearly stamped M3 in vermilion, both on the baseplate and the shell. A standard B1A ringer fit into the existing mount without a problem.

[Greg G.]

You guys kill me with your local finds.  All I can find around here is modular junk that antique stores want $100 for.  I need to move!

Craigslist is your friend.  99% of the 60-some phones I've found were listed on Craigslist.  I'm on it almost daily.  I've found a few in thrift stores and have only bought 3 or 4 from ebay.  Helpful forum members have been a big help too, but again with stuff they found on Craigslist, e.g. my avatar.