I finally won my most wanted phone.

[foots]

I'm sure everybody has at least one phone on their wish list that they'd consider to be their "holy grail" phone such as an AE 34 with gold trim, or a blue WE 302, or really rare phone. I feel lucky that I was able to get mine and would like to share it with y'all. I can't wait 'till it gets here.

[mienaichizu]

sure that's a really nice telephone, is it a desk set or a wall set?

congrats on your find

[foots]

mienaichizu, its a wall phone but have heard it can also be used as a desk phone. I read somewhere these types of phones were used as wall phones in military bases and hospitals during the Korean war.

[McHeath]

Nice phone, very interesting shape and style.  I think it's from Connecticut Telephone, and they seem to be rather rare.  I saw one with chrome on the housing once, don't recall where but maybe on this forum, though I tend to like basic black.  It'll be pretty fun to get in the mail I'm betting. 

[foots]

I saw a chrome one on http://www.oldphoneworks.com/connecticut/ .  I'm not fond of chrome phones.  This version (TA-166U) does seem to be a bit hard to come by. The original Connecticut made handsets aren't bakelite, they're some type of soft plastic so they get scratched up alot especially with military use and often are replaced with handsets from other companies. I was lucky to get this one with the correct handset. You can see the family resemblance between this phone and the desk phone (Connecticut TP-6A) in the vertical lines above and below the dial, and of corse the metal housing.

[Dennis Markham]

That's nice that you were able to get a phone from your wish list.  We look forward to seeing some of your photos when it arrives.  Congratulations!

[HobieSport]

Foots, that phone was the only phone on my Ebay watch list last week, but I didn't bid, because I figured that you would want it. I was going to PM you about it, but forgot. Glad you got it! It's a very cool and unique looking phone and looks like it weighs a ton.  And being a Signal Corp phone, is probably built like a tank. What a great addition to your collection.

My two Signal Corps phones are a WE 500 (early 1960s) and a NE Gallion, both good phones.

[foots]

Hobie, I wish you would have PM'd me. I usually won't bid against another member if I know he or she is bidding and really wants a particular item. You shouldn't have to worry about me bidding for a while now as I won't be buying any phones unless I find something locally for $5 or so. I'm going to be working on the phones I already have. Speaking of which, I have a mostly '60 WE 500 Signal Corps and a Galion one too, though mine doesn't have that cool fingerwheel like yours. 
Dennis, I am looking forward to getting some pictures up very soon of this phone and the other new additions to my collection.

[HobieSport]

No problem, Foots. I wasn't intending to bid on your phone anyway. I was just watching it for fun. Like you, I've stopped buying phones for awhile to concentrate on refurbishing what I've got.

You have a neat Signal Corps collection going there!

[foots]

Thanks Hobie, I hope to add more to my Signal Corps collection in the future. I too have been watching phones here and there just to see what prices they're bringing.