My best antique market find yet...

[phoneguy06]

Hi all,

Now that this phone has been cleaned and given new handset and line cords, I figured that it was high time that I show it off, especially since it's my first, and possibly only, D1. I am lucky enough to be able to volunteer once a week at our local telephone historical centre, and work around phone men, most of whom are now in their 80s, and who started working for our local phone company in the late '40s. One of them cleaned and restored this set for me, which included replacing the 5H dial that was on it with another one, at no cost to me, and only charging me for the House of Telephones handset cord that he installed in place of the straight rubber one that was present when I bought the phone. He also cleaned and polished the dial plate that was on the damaged 5H dial, and transferred it to this one, as it has the "Z" over the "0" position, and I liked that. According to the Ten Project website, the number card that's underneath the number card holder indicates that this phone made it here to western Canada from Lake Oswego, Oregon. This was a Christmas gift phone from my mom, (yes, my parent understands my addiction)! $195 was the asking price, which isn't terrible considering there wasn't any shipping involved, and the phone worked even with its original cords and before the dial was replaced, as well as the fact that it came still attached with a good mounting cord to its 634A subset. What do you think? Did I make a smart choice? Yes, it doesn't have an E1, but it's still my phone that I love!

[McHeath]

Extremely cool phone!  These little 202 sets are sweet rigs, they have a simple charm about them.  And even if it does not have the E handset the F looks good on this set as well, perhaps better actually as it has cleaner lines like the base.

Sounds like you got a really good deal with the cleanup work, for someone to do it for only the price of a cord is very kind, and typical of the types of folks that I've met in this hobby.

As for the price it seems reasonable to me.  In my local stores these go for over 200 pretty typically, I even have seen them for near 400 a time or two, which seems too high.  At the San Jose phone show last Nov there was an orange one that had some sort of odd head rest gizmo on the handset, made out of polished steel, that was certainly tempting.  (my wife told me to buy it but I held back!) 

A great present and a gift I'm sure you will enjoy for a long time. 

[bingster]

I don't think the price was all that bad either, considering A) it came with a subset, B) it's in beautiful condition, C) you got instant gratification, rather than waiting (and paying) for shipping, and D) you like it!  Great phone.

[Phonesrfun]

Phoneguy:

Out of curiosity, what is the original Lake Oswego, OR number?

-Bill Geurts

[phoneguy06]

Phoneguy:

Out of curiosity, what is the original Lake Oswego, OR number?

-Bill Geurts

Bill:

The number card reads BLackstone
                                  1 3555
I believe the Ten Project website also mentioned that BLackstone 1 was replaced by NEptune 6.

[Phonesrfun]

Now that makes sense.  I remember the NEptune exchange.  There was a lot of exchange name changes in around 1956 or 1957 in the Portland area.

-Bill

[Dennis Markham]

A very nice Christmas gift, phoneguy06.  Santa was good to you this year!