Prototype Trimline

[HarrySmith]

This just ended on eBay. Very nice looking, very rare phone. Last second snipe jumped it up a grand!
Since JKL loves green phones & prototypes I am guessing it was him.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/165966227052

[TelePlay]

It's a Contour by WE. Looks like a Shmoo but is different in a couple of places, the easiest to spot is the seam on the handset. The Shmoo does not have that seam.

[paul-f]

Another good tip-off is the smaller dial with movable fingerstop.

[Contempra]

It's a Contour by WE. Looks like a Shmoo but is different in a couple of places, the easiest to spot is the seam on the handset. The Shmoo does not have that seam.

Did you buy it TelePlay?

[TelePlay]

Did you buy it TelePlay?

No

[Doug Rose]

It's a Contour by WE. Looks like a Shmoo but is different in a couple of places, the easiest to spot is the seam on the handset. The Shmoo does not have that seam.

"Gotta lot more money than sense" Rod Stewart

[MMikeJBenN27]

I saw that one too, but too rich for my blood!

Mike

[Contempra]

I saw that one too, but too rich for my blood!

Mike

Anyways , the price is too high for what I have in my wallet. but this phone is compact and nice ..

[FABphones]

"Gotta lot more money than sense" Rod Stewart

Certainly a lot of money, but if JKL purchased it (as many suspect) then at least it will be there for all to see on display at the museum.

[TelePlay]

The phone was won by r***5 with their first and only bid seconds before the auction ended.

b***7 really wanted the phone, kept upping their high bid as g***n kept bidding trying to top b***7's high bid.

b***7 has to be disappointed in that they didn't know of r***5's interest in buying the phone "at any price."

I've watched many similar auctions end this way when doing the auction contests, many for highly desirable phones. I've seen last second snipes double the bid price in the last few seconds by a bidders first and only "buy it at any price" bid.

The curious and always unknown thing is exactly how much was that last bid. For this phone it could easily have been $10,000 or more to make sure they won the auction.

We will never know that last bid, only know that b***7 kept increasing their high bid by hundreds to, at one time, $1,000 to try and stay high bidder. The bid margin at that price level is $50 so r***5's winning bid was $50 more than the high bid b***7 set in hopes of g***n getting frustrated and giving up. b***7 never saw r***5 coming in with a very strong, very high last second bid.

r***5 wanted the phone regardless of price and got the phone. b***7 is disappointed and g***n probably feels relieved that b***7 didn't win it either.

Of all the stuff sold on eBay, collectible phones and a couple of other collectible groups see this type of bidding, last second snipping. It's a bidding technique successfully used by those with high desire and deep pockets.

[countryman]

Last second snipping after all is the best approach if you really want an item.
It's also the best approach to avoid bidding more than you actually wanted.
I have done it successfully but in a MUCH lower price range 
There is not much use in bidding fights days before the auction ends.

Might someone please educate me who or what JKL is?

[TelePlay]

They bought MagicMo's Model 1 Picture Phone for about $21,000.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=125.0


http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=14940.0

[FABphones]

...Might someone please educate me who or what JKL is?

JKL Museum of Telephony
Part of the American Museum of Telephony
Dedicated to Preserving Telephone History

John K La Rue's Museum of Telephony, part of the American Museum of Telephony, is dedicated to preserving telephone history. The museum contains telephones and related items from the dawn of telephony (late 1800s) to the present day. One of the Museum's goals is to have working telephones from all eras. Many Mid-20th Century phones are already connected to the working Step Switch or XY Switch in the Museum's vintage 'Central Office.' The Museum also includes a technical library which is full of telephone related books, catalogs, technical journals and practices.

http://jklmuseum.com

http://jklmuseum.com/about-us/

[TelePlay]

Another good tip-off is the smaller dial with movable fingerstop.

There are actually 5 differences in the handset dial face and cradle, plus the side seam makes 6. Some are as bit more subtle than the dial type and handset seam.

[paul-f]

There are actually 5 differences in the handset dial face and cradle, plus the side seam makes 6. Some are as bit more subtle than the dial type and handset seam.

The main purpose for the Shmoo's redesign was to respond to feedback from the field trial stating that the handset was too wide to be comfortably held in the hand.

The new space saver dial with movable fingerstop has a smaller diameter, which allowed the Contour's handset (and base) to be narrower. It was more comfortable to hold. This change in dimension caused some of the minor differences noted above.

For more on the evolution, see:

http://www.paul-f.com/weproto.html#Contour

"From Butt Set to Beauty - The Trimline is 50 Years Old," Singing Wires (TCI), August 2015. 

"Another Branch on the Trimline Family Tree," Singing Wires, May 2019.