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Ok you 500 series nuts, looky what I got

Started by BDM, January 23, 2009, 12:14:13 AM

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BDM

So, while cruising the forums at work today. A few of my co-workers saw this website. One of them who lives close by, told me he has a few old rotary phones. So I took a look at them tonight. Two 500 series.

One white from 4/61 numbers matching except the handset was changed at some point. It's a modular handset with a hard wired cord. Looks like it belongs until you notice the modular hole. Color is an exact match. Has a 7C dial, very clean with very little yellowing.

Second, a black metal wheel from 10/53. Numbers matching except the receiver and transmitter capsules are from 55. G1 bakelite handset. It's a little rougher and needs a clean up.

I plugged the white one in and she works fine. Dial works fine also. The set appears to have little use.

Cost? Free! I offered him $50 and received a resounding NO! I was going to toss them anyhow. Just take them. So, looking at the website paid off in more ways than one. darn 500 series sets are going to start following me home :P







--Brian--

St Clair Shores, MI

Dan

Great deal! Is the white "soft" tenite plastic? I would love to have either of those beauties.
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright


McHeath

Score!  That white phone is really nice and clean, quite the deal for free.  The black is gravy as well. 

Dennis Markham

Nice job on the two phones.  A bonus is the 313 dial card.  As you know Brian this was once all of south east Michigan--now just Detroit. 

BDM

Dan, I believe that's a hard plastic. The pic is kind of poor. I just couldn't get the right light :-X  With the flash, it looks like a bright white. Like I said, just a little yellowing, very little.

Dennis, yeah I was happy to see that dial card in there still ;) I didn't try the black phone, but the white one works well. Good volume, good clean transmitted audio. Talked with a friend for about 1/2 hour on it. Ringer works well, and loud ;D
--Brian--

St Clair Shores, MI

benhutcherson

Looks like a good find, and you can't beat the price!

It definitely never hurts to let people know that you collect telephones. I've gotten four 500 sets, as well as a really nice black soft plastic 554 just given to me by people in a similar situation-i.e. they were going to toss them if I didn't take them.

I think you'll quickly discover how addicting the darn things can be. They're so cheap, too, especially when you start comparing them to candlesticks and the like.

Dan

"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

McHeath

QuoteMy other creepy nightmare is Heath is following me in a dark alleyway in Paris trying to sell me a telephone.  It's way creepy and he smells like rancid cheese

Hey, you just insulted my new cologne, "Eau de Soft Plasstik".  It's on sale at finer establishments on the better sides of town.  Or I'll sale you a bottle as wherever I'm located at any given moment IS the finer side of town.   ;)

I do like hats.  Hmm, have to get me a Frenchy Chef one.





BDM

Bought two more off craigslist, though I haven't actually seen them. Friend picked them up for me since he is close. I'll probably see them Monday. One is a pink 500 with a 58 date code on the bottom, the other is a yellow 500 hard wired handset with 72 date code. I didn't really want the yellow 500, but it was a package deal.
--Brian--

St Clair Shores, MI

Steve

Quote from: BDM on January 23, 2009, 07:03:24 PM
Bought two more off craigslist, though I haven't actually seen them. Friend picked them up for me since he is close. I'll probably see them Monday. One is a pink 500 with a 58 date code on the bottom, the other is a yellow 500 hard wired handset with 72 date code. I didn't really want the yellow 500, but it was a package deal.

Hummm..

Thats 4?

there's no turning back now.

look into my eyes.. your getting very sleepy ..
If you're a long way from home,
Can't sleep at night.
Grab your telephone,
Something just ain't right.

BDM

Quote from: Steve on January 24, 2009, 12:17:25 AM
Quote from: BDM on January 23, 2009, 07:03:24 PM
Bought two more off craigslist, though I haven't actually seen them. Friend picked them up for me since he is close. I'll probably see them Monday. One is a pink 500 with a 58 date code on the bottom, the other is a yellow 500 hard wired handset with 72 date code. I didn't really want the yellow 500, but it was a package deal.

Hummm..

Thats 4?

there's no turning back now.

look into my eyes.. your getting very sleepy ..

You're right. I did. In fact I got so sleepy, I fell right out around 10:30 last night. Just got up and my head is now clear.......................YIKES! I've got a pink phone................. :o ;D :-X
--Brian--

St Clair Shores, MI

Dan

Well, I put the pink phone away I had on display.... Got the black one out again. I rotate them around. My boys said thank God dad put away the "gay" phone.

I really liked the pink phone. Where else are you going to see one. I'm after a turquoise one now.
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

Dennis Markham

#13
Since Rose Pink is the one of the colors made by Western Electric in this model (and other model phones) they must be included in the collection too.  I have bought more pink 500's than I can remember, searching for that perfect example.  I have had my hands on a few (rated in quality from 1-10)  #9's.  I thought I would show-off one of my 9.8 pink phones----since the topic is 500 Series, Looky What I Got.......

This Rose Pink 554 wall phone was on eBay a couple of years ago.  There was a flurry of hits at the end of the auction and when the dust settled I was on top of the pile.  Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose.  It was advertised as having never been installed.  We've seen that before so one has to take that with a grain of salt.  So I was anxious to get "The Box" on the front porch.  I believe this phone was NEVER installed, let alone used.

The phone is dated 6 4 59 1---the first shift of June 4th.  So in about five months this phone will be fifty years old!  This telephone was NEVER used.  There are two reasons why I don't call this a 10 but I'm pretty picky.  One is that the ear cap color is just a bit darker.  I don't think this phone saw the light of day, I just think the color changed by itself over the years.  Also on the inside of the cover, right smack dab where the 59 appears on the date it is a bit yellowed, but only on the inside.  I have found other phones with this stain.  What happens is the rubber mounting gasket on the ringer assembly is still out-gassing.  Because of the proximity of the ringer bells mounting screws to the plastic cover (both the 554 and 500's have this) the plastic gets stained.  I have a Light Gray 554 that is in excellent condition but on both sides the stain has gone entirely through the cover.  I have not tried sanding it out but think it would be a fruitless effort since it is on both sides of the plastic.

So this pink 554 came in the original box.  After I man-handled it a few times the box split on the side and I put some clear tape on it.  I'd rather do that than have the phone fall to the floor sometime.  It came complete with a paper backed foam covering over a matching backboard, the original mounting screws, the original celluloid and retainer to hold the dial card in place.  I'm pretty sure I won't ever get lucky enough to find another like this.  (I have it in a vault with guard dogs around it 24-7).  But who knows, in some warehouse somewhere there are probably piles of them stacked up.  Note the wide chrome hook.  This is soft plastic.  It is just before the change-over to hard. 

In addition to this Rose Pink I also have the 500, also in great condition.  It's never been touched as far as any repair work.  It like to call it Pepto-Bismal pink.   Also I have the Princess and Starlite in pink.

Added Note:  Any yellowing in the photos is strictly from lighting.  This phone is Pepto-Bismal Pink all the way.

BDM

--Brian--

St Clair Shores, MI