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$918.89 Rose Beige 554 on Ebay

Started by JimH, March 24, 2014, 09:37:56 PM

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JimH

This one went a lot higher than I thought!  $918.89!

Ebay Auction 181354337634

http://tinyurl.com/n7pj3c3
Jim H.

WesternElectricBen

Amazing!

I looked at it earlier today, and the day before and it was sitting at 69.00 dollars, I was almost tempted to bid at that price.

Ben

TelePlay

Jumped from about $70 to over $900 in the last 5 seconds of the auction and the winner put his bid in one second before the final 3 snipes took place so the winner apparently put in a very high bid, and might have gotten bit with 2 others doing the same, bidding over $700, in the final seconds. 5 bidders, 5 bids. It was a phone desired by highly by 3 of the 5.

   Member Id: r***e ( 177)      US $918.89   Mar-24-14 18:25:31 PDT
   
   Member Id: h***m ( 686)   US $908.89   Mar-24-14 18:25:38 PDT
   
   Member Id: e***h ( 1397)  US $779.99   Mar-24-14 18:25:37 PDT
   
   Member Id: h***o ( 764)    US $352.52   Mar-24-14 18:25:32 PDT
   
   Member Id: c***u ( 650)    US $75.00   Mar-17-14 19:10:20 PDT
   
   Starting Price      US $69.00   Mar-17-14 18:25:42 PDT

Slal

OK, revealing my level of knowledge here.  Is this color & cord combination rare?  Someone needed it to complete a collection of them in diff. colors? 

Not being a smart-aleck or making fun of bidders.  Just curious. 

If certain colors worth that much be looking for them at Goodwill & flea markets.

thx

--Bruce

HarrySmith

This is what happens on eBay when 2 people with deep pockets want the same item. Any WE phones from the 50's on soft plastic are more desireable, especially early ones with grey cords. Rose Beige is one of the harder to find colors. I think this is the second 554 I have seen on that color on eBay. The last one went for a more realistic price. Around $500 if memory serves me right. Definetly pick up any you find with grey cords!!!
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"

poplar1

In Western Electric 500s and 554s: Rose Beige (like this wall phone), Oxford Gray, Brown, and Mediterranean Blue are all valuable. They were made for only 3 to 4 years.

The original 4 colors introduced for 500s in 1953 are
Ivory (color code -50), Green (-51), Oxford Gray (-52) and Red (-53).
The 4 colors introduced for 500s in 1954 are
Brown (-54), Rose Beige (-55), Yellow (-56) and Mediterranean Blue (-57).

In 1957, new colors were introduced including white (-58), pink (-59), light beige (-60), light gray (-61), and aqua blue (-62). At the same time, the darker shades--Oxford Gray, Brown, Rose Beige, and Mediterranean Blue were "manufacture discontinued."

Quote from: Slal on March 26, 2014, 06:40:12 PM
OK, revealing my level of knowledge here.  Is this color & cord combination rare?  Someone needed it to complete a collection of them in diff. colors? 

Not being a smart-aleck or making fun of bidders.  Just curious. 

If certain colors worth that much be looking for them at Goodwill & flea markets.

thx

--Bruce
"C'est pas une restauration, c'est une rénovation."--François Martin.

jsowers

To add to what David (poplar1) posted, 554s have a slightly different date range than 500s. The 554s were introduced in 1955 in black and then ivory. Then very, very late in 1955 or early in 1956 they introduced the rest of the colors in the line. This lasted until late 1957 when those colors were discontinued, so they were barely made in those darker colors for two years. Meaning dark blue, dark gray, dark beige and brown. About mid-1956 dark beige's cords began to match, so a dark beige with gray cord 554 would have been made for about 6 months. So maybe now you see how rare this item is.

In the later colors, aqua blue and pink were not made in 554s at first when the colors were introduced and then pink began in late 1958-early 59. Aqua blue wasn't made until the 1960s. We have seen painted aqua blue from the 50s but not aqua blue 50s plastics on a 554.

The dates I quoted above are from observation of a lot of 554s over the years and many that friends and I have collected. Also from a few WE publications I have. If anyone has any proof to the contrary, please feel free to correct me.

Going back to what TelePlay posted, does anyone know who those two highest bidders are or if they are Forum members? Anyone who is into 554s that much needs to be part of this group. They need to come out of the wiring closet, so to speak, and share their addiction. :)
Jonathan

Slal

Thanks for info.  Cut-pasted into 3-ring binger am making.

Knowledge is power as they say.  If I'd seen a phone like that at a flea market for more than $35 I'd have probably passed on it.

"Just an old phone & the cord doesn't even match."

Wrong & now hoping I should be so lucky.  Bet seller is very happy.

thx

--Bruce

Dave F

#8
Quote from: HarrySmith on March 26, 2014, 06:45:55 PM
<snip>...I think this is the second 554 I have seen on that color on eBay. The last one went for a more realistic price. Around $500 if memory serves me right. Definetly pick up any you find with grey cords!!!

Harry,

I believe I won the previous eBay rose beige 554.  It's NOS and beautiful, but it was made late in 1956 and does not have the gray cord.  Cost was $364.99 +S/H.  This latest 554 is also beautiful but, in my opinion, the gray cord isn't worth an additional ~$550!  You can see mine here:

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=10085.msg108472#msg108472

DF

Dennis Markham

I agree, Dave.  Yours is beautiful just the way it is.