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How many of you actually use your antique phones?

Started by BDM, September 21, 2008, 04:19:03 PM

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So, how many are actually using their phones?

I have no modern phones
several at any given moment
Maybe one hooked up, when I'm in the mood
Hardly ever. Besides, they scare the kids
Heck no! Are you kidding? Display only!!

Greg G.

Quote from: deedubya3800 on November 14, 2010, 04:52:30 PM
Quote from: Brinybay on November 14, 2010, 04:27:18 PM
...and by the head of my bed I have the 5302 I just got done messing with.

Just got done? So did you get the problems solved on it? Or is this a different 5302?

I'm referring to this one:  http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=3039.0
The idea that a four-year degree is the only path to worthwhile knowledge is insane.
- Mike Row
e

elmwood

A story from a few years ago:

My then-girlfriend woke up, and asked to use the phone on the bedside table next to her.  I said "sure!"  It was a beige Trimline.  She picks it up, probably expecting to see a "normal" Touchtone phone.  Instead, she encounters a dial, shakes her head, looks at me holding out the handset, and half-jokingly says "What the f**k is this?"  I responded "A phone, duh!", trying to hold back my laughter.

We're both Generation Xers, so we grew up with rotaries; it wasn't as if she had never seen one before.

Jim Stettler

Quote from: elmwood on November 16, 2010, 01:12:29 AM
A story from a few years ago:

My then-girlfriend woke up, and asked to use the phone on the bedside table next to her.  I said "sure!"  It was a beige Trimline.  She picks it up, probably expecting to see a "normal" Touchtone phone.  Instead, she encounters a dial, shakes her head, looks at me holding out the handset, and half-jokingly says "What the f**k is this?"  I responded "A phone, duh!", trying to hold back my laughter.

We're both Generation Xers, so we grew up with rotaries; it wasn't as if she had never seen one before.


That is the cool thing abot rotary trimlines. They are stealth-at-rest, (a discerning eye can tell that the rotary handset is slightly wider than the TT).

Rotary trimlines are a good prank to pull on you kids friends.

JMO,
Jim

BTW  WE trimlines are a sleeper and well worth collecting. I still come across 1-2 a month at the thrift stores. I will only buy them if they are nice and rotary or round button at the $6.00 leval.  I buy them all at the $4.00 leval. I limit myself because I already have lots of trimlines.

Another sleeper is early designline stuff. The early stuff was well made and some models had several variations.  There were 8 variations on the early celebraty. 2 housing styles, 2 colors and 2 trim packages.
JMO,
Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

Tom B

Here's some pics of my daily driver 56 500 phone, which is in my downstairs hall. I have an avocado 61 in our bedroom at the moment as I like to rotate my modest collection.
Tom

AE_Collector

#124
An early CORDLESS model 500, that IS rare.

Just teasing, I think I see a cord slinking in behind the (is that a) radiator cover in the first picture?

Terry

Tom B

It should have more than the handset cord? No wonder it's never rung!!

But seriously yes - the wall cord is tucked behind the radiator cover  :D
Tom

AE_Collector

My first trip from Canada to England was when I was 14 in 1971. I recall seeing several North American cars on the roads over there and they were North American cars like Mustang Boss 302's, Shelby KR500's & Corvette's. I still think how cool that would have been (except when stopped at the Petrol station) to have one of them amoungst all the other cars on the roads such as Ford Fiesta's etc. Little did I know that there were North American phones hidding over there as well!

Terry

Tom B

#127
Terry
There are online stores in the UK where 500's can be bought that were used in the US air bases during the Cold War, and which are now largely closed down and empty.
For my part I've bought mine off ebay from US sellers, and imported them. I've always liked the 500 series, ever since I was a kid watching US TV shows like The Invaders and others.
Tom

Tom B

I just took this phone offline to check out whether its guts needed a dusting and general tickling. I decided to look at the code on the rear of the dial, and was gobsmacked (somewhat surprised) to read 7C 54 and then 6 56. Dates for network and ringer are also 6 56. Shell date is 69 - this then appears that the phone was once a Mahogany Brown - D'oooh!!!
Tom

Dennis Markham

Tom, are all of the footpads still suede covered?


Dennis Markham

I'll bet you're right on that phone.  It began it's life as a Mahogany set.  If only it could talk.......


Dave Zemens

I have several old rotary phones, but this is the only one that's in service at the moment.  I believe this is a Dennis Markham Vintage Rotary Phone.  But my memory fails me sometimes.  I bet Dennis remembers.
Dave Zemens
1955 Design | Rochester, Michigan
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Dennis Markham

First of all, Welcome to the Forum Dave.  I don't think you got a welcome aboard with your initial post.

Of course I remember this red phone.  I gave the phone to Dave for his birthday four years ago.  He had asked me to keep my eyes open for a red phone that was near to his birthday of 11-12-55.  I went into my dungeon to look around as I knew I had a few red phones lurking in the shadows there.  The first one I picked up read 11/55 on the bottom.  Wow!  I opened it up.  The housing is dated 11 11 55 3.  The -53 dial is dated from one month earlier, 10/55.  The handset is marked 11/55 but both elements are dated 11 14 55.  So the dates were the day before and the day after his date of birth.  Pretty close.  I was able to get it "refurbished" in time for his birthday.  It was a real "find" and ended up in the hands of the right person.