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Cream colored 500

Started by Greg G., August 30, 2009, 04:06:38 AM

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Greg G.

Second phone I've had shipped, but my first phone from ebay.  (First one was my Dutch PTT from CL).  So far, so good.  With shipping it was under $12, so I took a chance.  Arrived safe and sound despite being packed in newspaper, although I did instruct the seller to pack the handset separately and not place it on the cradle, which she did.  Not real sure what color it will turn out after I clean and buff it.




The idea that a four-year degree is the only path to worthwhile knowledge is insane.
- Mike Row
e

Greg G.

#1
Here's how it was packed.  Considering it came from Kentucky to Seattle, it did good.

The idea that a four-year degree is the only path to worthwhile knowledge is insane.
- Mike Row
e

McHeath

I think this phone is supposed to be white, the inside of the handset looks that color.  I pretty much have to get all my phones shipped in, there is very little in the local market, when I go to yard sales people will often comment, when I ask if they have any rotary phones, that "Oh yeah, I threw one away last year" or such.  Then they wonder why I'd want one, like the lady yesterday at a sale, "Why do you want one of those old phones anyway?"


Jester

How did you answer her, Heath?  I hope it was something like:
"Because some of them are worth close to $400.00 to certain people, and the one you threw away is probably one of them." ;)
I doubt it was, but we'll never know now.  I think it's been mentioned before, but this kind of garage sale banter reminds me that there is almost never any middle ground in what a seller thinks of a used item.  Either they regard all old things as junk, or it's all solid gold and the last example left on earth.
Stephen

Dan/Panther

I find that I'm accumulating several beige or creme colored phones, because every time I get another, it's slightly different shade then the rest.
I have White, Bone White, Creme White, Off White, Beige, Light beige, Medium Beige, Dark Beige, Light tan, Medium Tan, Dark Tan, Light Brown, Medium Brown, and Dark Brown.
Most will have the same dial plate number designations in the same color category, yet still different shades, and I hate to get rid of any oif them. Not just the outside, but the inside varies.
D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

Dan/Panther

Quote from: McHeath on August 30, 2009, 12:20:07 PM
  Then they wonder why I'd want one, like the lady yesterday at a sale, "Why do you want one of those old phones anyway?"

These kind of comments bug me to no end. It shows incredible narrow mindedness, and frankly ignorance.
I bet the lady had a shelf full of ceramic pixie elves that she would kill if someone even touched one.
D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

Dennis Markham

I always tell the people having the sale the object  of my search.  On several occasions they remember having a rotary dial phone that they didn't put out for the sale---because they thought no one was interested.  On one stop the guy had a box full of stuff buried in his garage.  I waited patiently while he dug for the box.  I can't remember all the stuff in the box but there was at least 3 complete 500's and a bunch of parts.  I paid $5 for the box and found the stuff useful.  Sometimes they bring out something I'm not interested in buying but the point is that it's good to ask.  I end up listening to a lot of stories about the phone Grandma had, or they USED to have, or the one that sold yesterday, but just because you don't see it displayed, doesn't mean that don't have old old phone or two.

Dan/Panther

Along those same linesw, I've long wanted the coveted RCAS CT1 color television, RCA's first commercial color T.V. circa 1954. 16" round screen.
I contacted a guy that had an add in our local Green sheet advertising old radios and parts for sale.
I contacted him, and we began to swap stories. Come to find out he recently had an ad for free pickup of some old televisons he had in a storage bin. One happened to be an RCA CT1. The real heart breaker, I live in a small town of 3000 people, he lived in my town, the T.V was less than 5 miles form me for 10 years. FREE!!!!! I missed it....
These T.V's in working condition can bring thousands...
The guy that got it, hoards RCA T.V's he has 3 of the RCA CT1's and won't sell any of them. He lives in San Diego.
D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

Greg G.

Quote from: Dan/Panther on August 30, 2009, 01:19:23 PMI bet the lady had a shelf full of ceramic pixie elves that she would kill if someone even touched one.
D/P

Or a room full of "retired" Beanie Babies.
The idea that a four-year degree is the only path to worthwhile knowledge is insane.
- Mike Row
e

Greg G.

Quote from: McHeath on August 30, 2009, 12:20:07 PM
I think this phone is supposed to be white, the inside of the handset looks that color. 

You're probably right.  Question remains is what it will take to return it to white.  I'll start with the easy, cleaning and some Novus, and go up from there.  That is, if I ever get my other projects done.
The idea that a four-year degree is the only path to worthwhile knowledge is insane.
- Mike Row
e

McHeath

I told the lady that I collect them, and that some of them "Are worth hundreds, and a few of them are worth thousands, of dollars".  That always gets their eyes wide, then they start in telling me what the phone was that landed in the trash.

"It was black and real old."

or

"It was yellow"

or something like that. 

And yeah, they probably have some ceramic elves or donkeys or cabbage patch kids on the mantle that they would not part with for the world.

The Operator

It's both good and bad that the collectibility of phones has not yet been realized by mainstream consciousness. It's good when we find them for $1 each on a yardsale table. Not so good when we hear they've already hit the dumpster.

It defies logic. Take any other item of 50 year old vintage that somebody digs up out of the attic and a persons first thought is always "This gotta be worth some money!" But take a 50 year old vintage phone that they dig up and their first thought seems to be "Can't believe I haven't thrown this away yet!"

Another area that's just like phones in this regard is old computer equipment.

We will take advantage of these times of public ignorance while we can. I predict the change in perception of old phones will come in about 10 years with the large scale disappearance of land lines. That change is gonna cause a great many to suddenly "look back" and wax poetic about "the way it was". We'll be very glad we'd been plucking up those $1 yardsale finds while we could.

I bet there's one e-Bay seller this week saying to themselves "I can't believe I got $150 for that crusty old blue phone!" And I really like those Craigslits ads that have the title "Vintage Phone" and you look and it's this piece from 1988. I just shake my head and think geez I must be old.  ~The Operator
Ever get the urge to call the number on the dial card and say "Hey, I have your phone."

Phonesrfun

Having now seen it in person, I would say white.  I have a princess the same dingy color.  You can make up a batch or two of the bleaching stuff if you are so inclined.

-Bill G

Greg G.

Quote from: Phonesrfun on August 30, 2009, 09:12:24 PM
Having now seen it in person, I would say white.  I have a princess the same dingy color.  You can make up a batch or two of the bleaching stuff if you are so inclined.

I'll try cleaning and buffing it before bleaching it.
The idea that a four-year degree is the only path to worthwhile knowledge is insane.
- Mike Row
e