Auction 234: WE 1930s Clear 302 Prototype - Ended 10-23-16

[TelePlay]

New forum members are very welcome and encouraged to take a guess. After all, there are no wrong guesses, just one lucky one. No one knows the winning bid on any auction until it ends. However, it is important to get your guess in before someone else grabs your guess.

This is starting as a special auction contest just for the fun of it because the item was listed with a reserve. Listed is what could be a one of a kind ever ( according to information provided in the discussion topic, there were only 25 produced in 1939 special run but by visual comparison, this phone may have been the prototype produced prior to that special production run ) early WE clear 302 apparently made for display at the 1939 World's Fair, according to the seller. It is vented, Bakelite plungers and short? ears. And the phone was preserved by the original owner quite well including what seems to be cut corners on the base to keep the housing from shrink cracking. It was listed about 3 hours ago ( with thanks to a heads up from poplar1 ) in a 7 day auction with a reserve starting at $100.00. Within an hour of being listed, it attracted 2 bids from 2 buyers upping the price to $127.50. It should go for a lot more but will it exceed a Model 1 Picture Phone price? Don't know so once again we will see who best guesses what this phone will sell for when the auction ends.

If the reserve is met at any point right up to the auction end, this special contest will be converted over to a real auction contest with a winner. If the reserve is not met, the normal special auction contest rules will apply. So, who thinks they know what this will sell for when the auction ends?

NOTE: Since this may become a "counts" auction contest, we will use a $10.00 gap rule between guesses to prevent crowding. As such, keep your guess at least $10.00 away from prior guesses for this contest. In a bit of a change to special contests, since it may be converted over, we will allow one guess and the ability to revise that guess once as long as all guesses and revisions are entered at least 24 hours before the auction ends. This should be a good test of how well one can guess the future.

The seller listed it as an "original Western Electric PROTOTYPE Clear 302 Telephone Rare 1939 World's Fair", the item condition as "Used" and "1930s prototype Western Electric telephone" and with the auction listing description saying "original Western Electric PROTOTYPE Clear 302 Extremely Rare 1939 World's Fair. -- Notice the SMALL bakelite plungers consistent with the very first 302's -- Notice the black metal find in the back of the phone similar to the earliest made 302. -- This phone was in the collection of a WE engineer from Detroit, for over 70 years.  -- It is incredible. Museum rarity.  I will add more information, so keep checking back. -- We do have a modest reserve set on this rare telephone."

http://www.ebay.com/itm/131973004190



Use this forum topic to discuss this phone:

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=16950.0



Since this is starting as a "special rules" no winner contest, the best guesser will not be included in the CRPF Auction Contest Hall of Fame or be counted in the CRPF Contest Standings as a win if the reserve is not met. For now, this one is just for fun and if the reserve is not met, the best guesser will take a place in the Special Auction Contest Standings.

If the The reserve is was met[/b], this contest will be was converted into a "counts" contest and the winner will either get on or move up a rung in the CRPF -> Contest Standings <- list,

     . . . for as twocvbloke said,   ---> "You gotta be in it to win it !!!" "


S C O R E B O A R D

$      855.00 - Autonut  ( 1 )
$   1,000.00 - tallguy58  ( 4 )
$   1,750.00 - Kenton K  ( 3 )
$   1,805.00 - Pourme  ( 6 )
$   2,500.00 - Fabius  ( 5 )
$   2,695.00 - Dennis Markham  ( 7 )
$   3,850.00 - zapper  ( 15 )
$   3,900.00 - tallguy58  ( 10) ^**
$   4,500.00 - compubit  ( 12 )  -> WINNER - Final Selling Price $ $4,500.00
$   4,951.00 - Fabius  ( 20 ) ^**
$   5,000.00 - andre_janew  ( 13 )
$   5,850.00 - JimH  ( 2 )
$   6,100.00 - Kenton K  ( 16 ) ^**
$   6,300.00 - JimHyak  ( 14 )
$   7,000.00 - poplar1  ( 19)
$.  7,250.00 - HonestAbe  ( 23 )
$   8,005.00 - Autonut  ( 11 ) ^**
$   9,250.00 - Pourme  ( 17 )  ^**
$   9,500.00 - Jim S.  ( 18 )
$ 11,983.13 - Jim S.  ( 21 )  ^••
$ 15,500.00 - WEBellSystemChristian  ( 8 )
$ 20,000.02 - TelePlay  ( 22 )
$ 25,000.00 - Doug Rose  ( 9 )


Early Morning Auction Status

10-16-16     Listed        $     100.00
10-17-16      5  bids      $     182.50   (  3 bidders )   ( 35 watchers )
10-18-16    16  bids      $  1,324.00   (  7 bidders )   ( 61 watchers )
10-19-16    21  bids      $  1,625.00   (  8 bidders )   ( 73 watchers )
10-20-16    24  bids      $  1,825.00   ( 77 watchers )
10-21-16    35  bids      $  2,475.00   (  9 bidders )   ( 77 watchers )
10-22-16    40  bids      $  3,950.00   (  10 bidders )  ( reserve met )
10-23-16.   43  bids      $  4,400.00
10-23-16    11 bidders, 45 bids $4,500.00  Ended at 18:43:28 PDT

[.....]

I'll start the bid at $855.00

[JimH]

$5850

[.....]

$5850

Hmmm......We have a High Roller here.

[Kenton K]

$1750 if it's real

[tallguy58]

$1000

[Fabius]

$2500

[Pourme]

$1805.00

[Dennis Markham]

$2,695

[WEBellSystemChristian]

Hmmm......We have a High Roller here.

Wanna bet?

$15,500

[Doug Rose]

25K......Doug

[WEBellSystemChristian]

I have never seen a 'who can guess a higher number' contest in an AC before...

[Pourme]

15.5K...25K?

Wow...

[TelePlay]

I have never seen a 'who can guess a higher number' in an AC before...

Was this before you joined?

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=8649.0

$40k (can't include the owner's wishful thinking at $52k)

[tallguy58]

$3900 second guess.

My first guess was blown out of the water the same day I posted it. LOL