Auction (163 Cancelled: Listing Terminated) AB Speaking Tube Telephone

[TelePlay]

New forum members are very welcome and encouraged to take a guess. After all, there are no wrong guesses, just one lucky one. No one knows the winning bid on any auction until it ends. However, it is important to get your guess in before someone else grabs your guess.

Listed about one day ago in a 7 day auction with no reserve for $0.99 is a rather rare item, at least on eBay (with a big thanks to Kenton K for a heads up on this auction). When I first saw the listing, about 12 hours after it was listed, it was sitting at about $162. During the next 10 hours, the auction gained 4 more bids and with 6 bids is now sitting at $510.09 plus $12 for shipping. At $510, a hefty price to some, the question becomes how much up side could there be in this item over the next 6 days, So, once again, the question is who best knows what this will sell for when the auction ends?

The seller listed it as an "American Bell Telephone Speaking Tube Transmitter made by Western Electric Co." with the item condition as "Used" and " - - - " with the auction listing description as an "Extremely rare 1890's American Bell Telephone Speaking Tube Transmitter made by the Western Electric Company.  Original, no reproduction parts (the receiver cord & mouthpiece were not original to the transmitter), no damage. 6 digits on the transmitter faceplate, 342731. The side of the transmitter box says Patented April 8, 1890 & July 11, 1893. There are four terminal screws under the transmitter box. The switch hook works well. The receiver is a marked Western Electric No. 130 bi-polar receiver, correct for this transmitter. Speaking Tubes are some of the earliest (and rarest) Bell Telephones, designed for wall or desk stand mounting, and generally used battery signaling. A simple transmission circuit was employed, without an induction coil, with the transmitter and receiver wired in series across the line and typically receiving battery supply from a common source. This particular transmitter had been mounted on a Western Electric desk stand (note the four tiny holes in the back of the transmitter for mounting) but would work just as well on a wall phone."

This could and should be an interesting auction to watch and an exciting contest to play."

http://www.ebay.com/itm/201282309522

NOTE: we will use a 3% gap rule between guesses to prevent crowding. As such, guess gaps of 6+% can be split. I'll help with these as the auction goes forward and guesses are entered. As usual, the guessing window closes on 2/14 at 18:16 PST, 24 hours before the eBay auction ends.

It's another chance to move up a rung or to get onto the CRPF -> Contest Standings <- list,

     . . . for as twocvbloke said,   ---> "You gotta be in it to win it !!!" "

If you want to see the phones of past Auction Contests, click -> HERE <-


S C O R E B O A R D

$   1,000.00 - andre_janew  ( 12 )
$   1,150.00 - WEBellSystemChristian  ( 10 )
$   1,900.00 - K1WI  ( 11 )
$   2,100.00 - Fabius  ( 6 )
$   2,250.00 - tallguy58  ( 3 )
$   3,500.00 - wds  ( 1 )
$   4,000.00 - WesternElectricBen  ( 4 )
$   4,200.00 - Sargeguy  ( 2 )
$   4,750.00 - kleinkaliber  ( 9 )
$   5,000.00 - Mr. Bones  ( 7 )
$   5,250.00 - Kenton K  ( 8 )
$   5,500.00 - HarrySmith  ( 5 )



Early Morning Auction Status

02-08-15      Listed      $          0.99
02-09-15      2 bids      $      164.99
02-10-15      6 bids      $      510.09
02-11-15      7 bids      $      610.00
02-12-15      7 bids      $      610.00
02-13-15
02-14-15
02-15-15

02-15-15      Ends at 18:16 PST

[wds]

I'll bid $3500.  This speaking tube actually sold at the Morphy's auction with the candlestick - wonder what happened to the candlestick.

[Sargeguy]

$4200

[tallguy58]

$2250

[WesternElectricBen]

4 grand.

[HarrySmith]

$5,500.00

I guess the buyer of the phone at Morphy's decided the speaking tube was better alone. IIRC the desk stand was a reproduction.

[Fabius]

$2100

[Mr. Bones]

$5000.00, please.

Thanks, and best regards!

[Kenton K]

$5,250 to me!

[kleinkaliber]

$4750

----------------------

EDIT:  Revised guess needed

[WEBellSystemChristian]

$1150

[K1WI]

$1900

[andre_janew]

$1,000

[wds]

Not only is the candlestick missing but now the Speaking tube is also missing.  Seller cancelled the auction.

[TelePlay]

Not only is the candlestick missing but now the Speaking tube is also missing.  Seller cancelled the auction.

Thanks for the update.

Checked it's status this morning, a few hours ago, and it was still up. As such, this contest is hereby cancelled.