My first 202 w/E1 handset

[russco23513]

Hi folks,
I'm brand new here so a big hello to y'all. I just found a decent 202 with a E1 handset on Craigslist for $20.00 (no subset though ) It seems to be in good condition. Cloth is in great shape, no cracks or dings, dial sounds ok, (love the 'clack') and the price was right. When I was a kid in NY a science teacher had one in her office and I fell in love with the way it looked. Sure beat the way our "Princess" phone looked at home!
Have a blessed day everybody & happy hunting!

[Mr. Bones]

Hi folks,
I'm brand new here so a big hello to y'all.

Well, then..."Howdy", right back at you, russco! Welcome to the forum!

     I hope that you are over, and done with collecting vintage movie cameras, because this new hobby of yours can readily consume all the money you used to use for that! 

I just found a decent 202 with a E1 handset on Craigslist for $20.00 (no subset though )

It seems to be in good condition. Cloth is in great shape, no cracks or dings, dial sounds ok, (love the 'clack') and the price was right.

Nice score! I'm still looking for a D-mount that I can afford; it'd have to be in roughly the price range you found. Ah, well...patience, and time...

When I was a kid in NY a science teacher had one in her office and I fell in love with the way it looked. Sure beat the way our "Princess" phone looked at home!

I think we all remember our first 'phone love'; it seems to be something genetically inherent in most of us here, that later develops into 'phonitis'...

My fascination started as a child, with the wooden crank phones, and candlesticks still in use in my area. Still fascinated, more than a half-century later...

Have a blessed day everybody & happy hunting!

Blessed Be! Happy hunting to you, too!

[russco23513]

Thanks for your reply, it's good to hear from you. 

     "I hope that you are over, and done with collecting vintage movie cameras, because this new hobby of yours can readily consume all the money you used to use for that!"

After about four 35mm hand crankers and various other 16 & 8mm cameras I would say I'm just about done although I would still like to get a hand crank Mitchell from the '20s   I tend to be a bit obsessive/compulsive about collecting and now would love to get a nice 50AL with a 2A dial but it seems the collecting thing can and will go on ad infinitum if not contained. What phones do you have in your collection? -Which are your favorites?
Again, have a blessed day Mr. B!

[ItalianAce]

Hehe. You can also look/try and fine a 50AL with a transitional 4H that was once a #2. Some will have the pat dates on the front of the exterior of the dial from the second run #2s. Simply converted to a #4...yet still has some #2AB parts. They will usually have a complete black back and say "R" or "C" and "4H" and sometimes a stamped date. Here is a former #2 turned #4H that still look like #2 exterior wise sold on ebay a few weeks back.

www.ebay.com/itm/200887893838

Reason I say this is simply because...the phone might come cheaper. However if you see a 50AL and it has a #5 or #6 dial than that dial (unless the phone was reconditioned) originally didnt come with that phone (the #5 went with the 151). So a 50AL would have a #2 or transitional #4 dial. If you're looking for 51AL becareful of fakes as the 51AL has was carefully korean wise reproduced in the 1970s.

[Sargeguy]

I do not think the #2/#4 dial was transitional.  I think it was a way to fill the demand for #4s by re-using old #2 dials that were taken out of service after the #4 was introduced.  This would have been during the Great Depression and WWII when rationing and recycling was at it's height.  I have found that barn fresh 102s and 202s most often have a #4, and that #2/#4s are found on 302s or later 202s from the 1940s with re-furbisher marks. 

[ItalianAce]

True True. I like this article which gives good details about the #2 into #4.
http://atcaonline.com/phone/dials.htm

Stopping and thinking about the "#2 dial converted into the #4 with the #2 housing" 302s Ive seen are usually wartime phones. I (personally) havent seen say a WE 302 from 1949 or 1951 using a #4 dial. The ones Ive seen using those dials are from 1939 to 1943ish. I could be wrong, but I thought I read way back that WE was focusing on using newer parts for phones/telecommunication needs by the military and other war equipment during WWII so they rationed production of "at home" products on stuff. I cant remember where I read that, but I recall reading that.