Wall or desk?

[Tonyrotary]

Which do you like better? I think I prefer wall telephones over the desk sets. I love my 302! But I miss my 354 my ex wife ended up with. I actually got that 354 from a member on this forum years ago. Jester had sold me one and it was in pretty good shape. Just something about wall phones I thought looked cooler than desk sets. Though with the trimline I like both versions the same.

[WEBellSystemChristian]

Good question!

My favorite is definitely desk. I have no idea why, but it feels like more of an accomplishment when I find a 500 in a rare color rather than a 554 in the same color.

[Tonyrotary]

I need phones in color! LOL! Mine are mostly black.

[Dave203]

I think I like wall phones a little more than desk sets. The first phone I remember is my parents yellow trimline on the wall. They would take it off the wall and let me play with it as if it were a toy

In reality I love all phones but something about seeing them attached to a wall makes me happy. Not to mention special moments like when I went to a customers home for a computer repair and she had two trimline phones side by side in her kitchen, one for home other was her office line. I told her how much I like telephones and she gave me one from her closet as well as a story to go along with it.

She told me her husband worked for bell labs in some way or another many years ago and that he helped design the trimline and princess phones

She also gave me a copy of his book and many more stories that have nothing to do with phones but I just thought I'd share with you guys.

-Dave

[jsowers]

Dave, was that man who helped design the Trimline Donald Genaro or was it someone else?

I confess a weakness for 554s. They're a challenge to find. I have them in the kitchen, garage and basement on the wall. I use the one in the kitchen a lot and its ring can be heard clear through the brick wall outside in my front yard.

My grandmother and aunt both had 554s in their kitchens. My mom never did. I remember them well. For me it may be a case of wanting what I couldn't have. Here's a picture of the collection as it was ten years ago. Two have been added since then. I need to take another picture, but I'd have to first get a bigger couch. 

[paul-f]

She told me her husband worked for bell labs in some way or another many years ago and that he helped design the trimline and princess phones

She also gave me a copy of his book and many more stories that have nothing to do with phones but I just thought I'd share with you guys.

Dave,

I agree with Jonathan -- "Who was that masked man?"  What is the name of his book, and can you share a scan?   

BTW, to stay on subject -- I agree with you that all phones are loveable, and that picking a favorite is like picking a favorite child.

My first instinct was to say "desk sets," but that's probably because they greatly outnumber wall sets in my collection.  It would be marginally easier to pick a group of top 10 or top 20 phones.  There would be quite a few wall sets in either group. 

[WEBellSystemChristian]

I confess a weakness for [soft plastic] 554s.

Despite my love of 500s more than 554s, I absolutely agree!!

[Dave203]

Wow those 554's look so beautiful. I've always liked them and recently found one in an abandon house in the woods. I took it home and cleaned it up now it's in our kitchen

I have trouble remembering model numbers and lots of other stuff but I'll try to stay on track the best I can. I wanted to tell the group about this telephone story but not sure what topic on the form stories goes under. But I have his book and read a few chapters and skipped ahead to the telephone stuff but I can take pictures and tell you all about it on the right page if I can figure out where the story goes.

-Dave

[DavePEI]

I can't pick a favorite. I love all phone, wall or desk, magneto or central battery. I think that comes from growing up in the 50s in Brockville, where we had automatic switching, and then spending two months of each summer here on PEI, where they still used magneto phones. So I developed a love for them all.... The only problem with this is it sure gets expensive!

Dave

[WesternElectricBen]

Desk sets are easier to display and generally take up less room, they can also more versatile and used as a 'daily dialer.' I think many people like to collect all the 500 sets rather than all of the 554s as it just seems too complicated. With good reason, as they do not appear to be found too easily.

Saying that, I do have a fascination with multiline wall sets. :0

Ben 

[Tonyrotary]

My Uncle use to have two lines. And at the time he didn't have touch tone service. This was in the eighties. He had several 554's he got from someone. I would have to ask him how. Anyways, he had them one in the kitchen, one in the garage, four in the basement and a modern cordless phone in the living room. Also a modern phone in his bedroom. I think that is why I tend to lean towards wall phones. Especially the 554's. Love the 354 too though.