Prototype Article from TCIs Jon Finder

[Doug Rose]

Check this out, it was on the TCI List Serv form Jon

Folks

You all know that we love publishing articles on prototypes in Singing Wires.
The October issue has a neat article on the field trial F1 handset, which looks like an F1 assembled but is more like an E1 when taken apart.
Anyway, we featured the "pushbutton 302" prototype (which sold on eBay for $18,000 in 2008) in our December 2008 issue.

I found this great feature in a recent "Wired" magazine:

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/08/ff_prototypes/2/

Looks like we scooped Wired by a couple of years...

Jon

[Russ Kirk]

I remember a set like this sold on eBay a few years back.  I recall it may have sold for over $11,000  - I don't remeber the exact amount. 

I cannot imange there are more than a couple of these around, maybe this is the same set.

[Russ Kirk]

After looking at the original auction photos from 2008,  the wear on the buttons look a little different. Someone may have re-inked them, but there may be at lease two of the sets around.  I think TCI had article about this phone.  I cannot find my old issues - they are still packed from my home move.

[Wallphone]

Good eye Russ, there must be at least two of them. I can't imagine someone paying that much for a phone and then "touch it up" even a little bit. The one on eBay sold for $17,899.99 and the Singing Wires article about it is in the Dec. 2008 issue. This issue is still available in the TCI Member's Area.

[paul-f]

I have been lucky enough to have personally handled several of these and know there are several in the possession of AT&T and Lucent. 

I also interviewed both the seller and the buyer of the set that sold on ebay -- both during and after the auction ended.  It was a very interesting story.  If you don't have the article handy, you can see some of the info here:
  http://www.paul-f.com/weprotot.html#WE1500