Classic Rotary Phones Forum

Post your "Finds of the Month" for December 2011 Here.

"Finds of the Month" are items that you acquired this month that you are particulatly excited about either because of its rarity, the difficulty you had in trying to find one for your collection or the exceptional "deal" you got on its price etc.

Terry

How about LarryinMichigan's 102-B1 with E1 Handset and 2HB dial for $38 incl shipping?

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=5929.msg70851#msg70851

Terry

I woulda had 2 votes but I voted for Stockdale.
D/P

I would like to submit one of my newest acquisitions for the December find of the Month. (I have two - lucky me!)

It is a Northern Electric Call Director - model NE-630QA3 12-70, all dates match. It came with 3 paper faceplates,  two saying Northern Electric and one with the bell logo.  One cool thing about the 18 button call director, instead of the third row of buttons it has a speakerphone built-in.

I picked it up at a local antiques store for $24 minus 20% (booth sale)= $19.80. Woo Hoo! I grabbed it right away!

It is in great shape and I think it is NOS.  It has a a couple minor scratches, probably from poor storage,  but nothing I cannot polish out.

This is my second submission for a great find this month.

It is a Bell Telephone Manufacturing Company two box wall crank phone. 

I don't know much about it and cannot find much data.

I was for sale at a local second store - they got it in a storage auction sale. They wanted !$150 for it - ouch!

It was missing the switchhook pile-up, cover for the receiver and a bolt for the transmitter arm. The receiver and transmitter were newer. It has a tag inside dated 11-1-55,  so I thought it was refurbished in 1955.  The magneto looked old,  a single bar and very small.  I suspected it was a frankenphone,  but had to research more. It really intrigued me.  I went home and found and identical one on eBay,  so I had a better feeling it was not a frankenphone.  Maybe it is a real BTMC  from 1955?

After much ducission with the seller I noted to them the flaws and settled on $60. I thought if i got ripped off it was not much to lose.  Oh well,  I now have another project phone.

So,  what do you think?  Did I do well?  I welcome all comments - good and bad.

For $60.00 you should go to jail for stealing.
D/P

Quote from: Russ Kirk on December 16, 2011, 12:59:01 PM
It is a Northern Electric Call Director - model NE-630QA3 12-70, all dates match. It came with 3 paper faceplates,  two saying Northern Electric and one with the bell logo.  One cool thing about the 18 button call director, instead of the third row of buttons it has a speakerphone built-in.

We probably all have stories of phones that in hind site we wish we had made more effort to acquire. The Call Director / Speakerphone you just snagged is one of my missed opportunities. We were changing out a whole office full of NE Call Directors with the new (at the time) NE Logic 10 or 20 phones. The Call Directors were all run of the mill except that one was a speakerphone like yours. We wound of recovering the take-outs (sent them back to our stores for rehab, disposal or whatever). Ever since then I have wondered what I was thinking when I let that one go as I NEVER saw another one. In my defense I was new on the "Key Crew" and didn't realise that it was a rare phone.

Oh, it was a white one by the way and I don't recall it being discolored at all. Either it was quite new or it may have been painted white by our shops I guess. Still wish I had it.....

Terry

Quote from: Russ Kirk on December 16, 2011, 12:59:01 PM
I would like to submit one of my newest acquisitions for the December find of the Month. (I have two - lucky me!)

It is a Northern Electric Call Director - model NE-630QA3 12-70, all dates match. It came with 3 paper faceplates,  two saying Northern Electric and one with the bell logo.  One cool thing about the 18 button call director, instead of the third row of buttons it has a speakerphone built-in.

I picked it up at a local antiques store for $24 minus 20% (booth sale)= $19.80. Woo Hoo! I grabbed it right away!

It is in great shape and I think it is NOS.  It has a a couple minor scratches, probably from poor storage,  but nothing I cannot polish out.

Congrats on this one.  It's very rare, and definitely a winner!

Dave

I don't know if "found" under the Christmas tree counts but I would like to nominate the 202 (E1 handset), AE50 and last but not least my 1959 dated black mushroom (500 P/U) given to me by my wonderful girlfriend.

Okay, we are pretty "easy going" around here. I guess "Found under the Christmas Tree" is legitimate! Usually we want price and details but it's Christmas so we will include it and see what happens.

Terry

The BTM wall set is a frankinphone.All wood is origional.The arm and hook and rec did not come with this telephone.Had a bakelite cradle and handset on top.Still not a bad find for the price. Phoneco assembled these.
Robby

OK, I have had this a couple of weeks but have not gotten around to posting it. A WE payphone picked up off Craigslist for only $40.00! Advertised for $75.00, I offered $20.00, he countered with $50.00 and we settled at $40.00. I think it was a good deal. This is my first payphone. Appears to be on the original mounting board and has a ringer box attached, I have not tried to open it as I am trying to find a key. I am in need of a coin vault & door also.

Paul Vaverchak at PT Supply should be able to help you with parts
Robby

Can you remove the phone from the backboard?  If so you can unscrew the bolt from the back.  There is a guy in CA who specializes in these locks and I think he can re-key them for you. 

At long last the Dec 2011 Find of the Month is ready for your vote. Sorry for the delay, I must have got caught up in the holidays and sort of forgot about it!

Happy 2012 everyone and good luck with those Telephone Finds this year.

Terry

Well that's a wrap for the December 2011 "Find of the Month". LarryinMichigan's 102/B1 for $38 delivered pulled ahead of Russ Kirk's Northern Electric 630 Call Director c/w Speakerphone. Congratulations Larry! And since Russ came in second (IE: lost  ;)) he has to send me his Call Director, Sorry Russ....

When we started the Find of the Month we toyed with the idea of having a "Find of the Year" at the end of the year. I gave it some thought but really think that very few of us will want to go back through the last 12 winners and and make a decision as to whom had the absolute best Find of the Year. There were some memorable ones though....

Thanks for everyones attention and thanks for taking the time to vote. I hope there are some FANTASTIC "Finds" coming your way this year.

Can you send me the tracking number once you get it Russ?

Terry

I won!  Where do I pick up my prize? :D

Larry

Quote from: LarryInMichigan on January 21, 2012, 11:17:39 PM
I won!  Where do I pick up my prize? :D

Larry

It is already in the mail. Or at least it may as well be....

Fortunately the winner of the Find of the Month has "his find" cause that's as good as it gets around here!

Congrats,

Terry

Quote from: AE_collector on January 21, 2012, 08:32:10 PM
And since Russ came in second (IE: lost  ;)) he has to send me his Call Director, Sorry Russ....

Can you send me the tracking number once you get it Russ?

Terry

Gee,  I didn't know it was a contest for pink slips

Congrats Larry!

I think that the losers should have to send their finds to the winner ;D

Larry

We have enough trouble getting contestants and votes so we should limit the loss of phones to just the last contest of the year having to give up the runner up to the moderator.

IE: This months runner up (Russ) send his "Loss of the Month" (the NE Speakerphone Call Director) to the Moderator (Me)!

Terry