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Collecting newer 'phones.

Started by Stephen Furley, March 15, 2009, 08:11:48 AM

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Stephen Furley

Does anybody else also collect newer, push-button 'phones?  Any particular favourites?  I have a few from the '80s, they seem to me to be the last generation of 'standard' 'phones.  I'm really not interested in the 'throw-away' stuff that came later.

My favourite would have to be the 'Statesman', very well built, came in a number of different models, LD or DTMF, I don't think they ever made a dual-signaling version, recall could be none or earth or timed break, or earth but convertible by moving an internal jumper.  Some models had last number redial, and there was even one with several (10?) number memory, though I've never seen one of those.  They usually had a tone caller, but there was also a version with bells.

http://www.britishtelephones.com/t90xx.htm

I think the maroon one is a really great looking telephone, and a worthy successor to the Bakelite and thermoplastic dial models.  There are plenty of them still working today.  It's difficult to believe that they are about 25 years old now.  It was designed an a basic low-cost business telephone.  Much better than the junk that's being made today, though somewhat lacking in features by modern standards.

Dan

I agree the maroon is sharp, with it's dark cords. A little like the grey cords on the early WE#500's. Interesting they have no * or # keys either (like the WE1500's)
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

McHeath

I'm fond of the late model touch tone phones like the Western Electric 2500s and 2554s, both of which are still being made.  I also like the early 10 button touch tone phones like the 1500.  Been thinking about buying a brand new Cortelco 2500 from this year to denote the 60th year of production of the basic style, which dates back to the WE 500 and 1949. 

Stephen Furley

Quote from: Dan on March 15, 2009, 10:08:54 AM
I agree the maroon is sharp, with it's dark cords. A little like the grey cords on the early WE#500's. Interesting they have no * or # keys either (like the WE1500's)

No star of hash keys because these are LD (pulse) models; all DTMF models did have these keys of course, and there were a few late LD ones which also had them, though they didn't do anything.  There were also LD models with last number redial, and these had a 'LR' in one of these positions, and a blank, non-functional key in the other, as in the cream example on this page:

http://www.telephonesuk.co.uk/phones_1980on.htm#Statesman.



Dan/Panther

Quote from: McHeath on March 15, 2009, 12:51:13 PM
I'm fond of the late model touch tone phones like the Western Electric 2500s and 2554s, both of which are still being made.  I also like the early 10 button touch tone phones like the 1500.  Been thinking about buying a brand new Cortelco 2500 from this year to denote the 60th year of production of the basic style, which dates back to the WE 500 and 1949.  

McHeath;

Which no one seems to be able to prove....I think it should be changed to 1950..I was born in 1949, and the ultimate collectable for me would be the 49/WE500....

D/P


The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

rp2813

I'm with Dan re: the so-called '49 model 500's.  I think they were trial phones only and were not allowed to remain deployed after the trial period was over.  Ma Bell and WE got feedback or did their own monitoring and as a result tweaked things a bit, then formally launched the 500 into service which by that time would take us into the 1950 dating period.  Just speculating, but Dan, myself and many others are still waiting to see an actual 1949 dated 500.

Meanwhile, that "Statesman" phone looks a lot like my WE alligator phone.  Mine's rotary but I have seen the same phone with a touchpad instead.  I think it was a very nice looking console design for a business application or home office scene.

Ralph
Ralph