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Could this be a Med Blue?

Started by LM Ericsson, July 22, 2013, 09:00:14 AM

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LM Ericsson

I was searching on Ebay and spotted this Aqua Blue 500. I noticed it is a painted phone as you can see on the handset. But if you look at the color where the paint has been chipped off, it looks to be Med blue. Could the whole phone be med blue. Too bad the dial was replaced though.

Link: http://tinyurl.com/lbt3xmq
Regards,
-Grayson

LM Ericsson

Regards,
-Grayson

Dennis Markham

It definitely has been painted.  The color on the ear cap could be dark blue underneath.  However, I've seen painted 500's before that had different original colors for the handset, caps and housing.  So the cap may be dark blue but the handset and housing may be from a different color phone.  Perhaps the seller could provide photos of the underside of those pieces.  If the paint is Polane, it's very difficult to remove.

LarryInMichigan

To me, it looks like the handset and at least one cap are med blue underneath the paint, but the shell is not painted.

Larry

Dennis Markham

That could be dark gray too.  Looking at that logo on the housing.......looks pretty smooth like maybe it's been painted.  Perhaps the same as the original color?  I guess someone is going to have to buy it to find out for sure. 

WesternElectricBen

Just ask them to open it up and show the dial numbers and the inside of the case..

AE40FAN

#6
I was planning on bidding because I suspected it was med blue underneath.  This looks like it will require a lot of work to restore.  Wish me luck.!  I don't plan on bidding too high so if someone else wins you better keep us updated on the results.  Whatever it is underneath it definitely has discoloration.  I suspect the handset is the only thing that is med blue as the body has some paint around the dial that reveals a similar color as the dial...

wds

I asked the seller to open the phone and take a picture, and he won't.  Too bad - that's my birthday phone!
Dave

AE40FAN

Quote from: wds on July 22, 2013, 01:22:03 PM
I asked the seller to open the phone and take a picture, and he won't.  Too bad - that's my birthday phone!

I doubt it's all matching dates.  The dial has been updated. 

poplar1

#9
Manufacture date 3-56. Remanufacture date R658.

Handset cord appears to be fat (pre-1959?). In 1958, Mediterranean blue was M.D. (obsolete), and aqua blue was now standard (since 1957). So it would have been remanufactured in a then standard color. The dial may have been added in the field.

A 500D I received with a Teletrainer was painted light gray, and it was dark gray underneath, except for the dial and cords. Again, the new and improved color was replacing the old one. I also have a 1957 yellow 500 that was repainted yellow in 1959.

For many years, original color didn't seem to matter when repainting. I remember the local hardware store had a 2-line black wall phone, but the black paint had worn off part of the handset, revealing pink underneath.

Later, however, caps and handles were repainted the same color as their original color.

The WE ads from the 1960s show a high ratio of color phones manufactured, yet most of the 500Ds I remember were black. (Color 500s had a one-time extra charge of $7.50.) Perhaps a disproportionate share of the "Tel. Co. Property" sets that were refurbished by WE and reinstalled were reissued in black. On most new installations, you didn't get a "new" phone; rather, you got a remanufactured black 500 or even a 5302.

As previously discussed on the forum, the original color of the dial (and the phone that it was on) can be determined by looking at the code stamped on the back of the dial. The color code is not on 7A dials because all 7As were black. 7Ds (black number plate with painted aluminum finger wheel) were always marked "7D-3." The dials on color 500s and 554s (matching color number plates and Lucite finger wheels) were stamped 7C followed by the color code.  Early 9C dials also had a color code.

There are 7C-3 dials (black with Lucite finger wheel). These were used on the 500H, 500P and 500U sets.


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

AE40FAN

Yeah, since it's been "advertised" here on the site someone has bid on this phone.  It says private listing bidders identity protected?  Anyways, I have enough on my plate to be messing around with this one.  Whoever wins it please post pics as I"m sure we are all curious.

poplar1

"Hi Bob 4676,

"Why did you cut the cord? If you don't have a screwdriver, you can always use a table knife.

"And why won't you open up the phone to see if it is the same dark blue or dark gray that is peeking through on the receiver cap and handle?"

"Oh, that's right, you don't own a screwdriver."
"C'est pas une restauration, c'est une rénovation."--François Martin.

WesternElectricBen


poplar1

This phone was made in 3/56 (1956), then rebuilt by Western Elec. shop in 1958 (R658). The blue sticker with the Bell logos was added when it was sold (1983) to the customer who had been leasing it since 1958. @ $1.50 a month, that's about $450 rent paid before they bought it for $19.95 from Southwestern Bell. After 1/1/84, it would have become property of AT&T. SIP phones (sold in place--not VOIP) after 1/1/84 had red AT&T stickers. 
"C'est pas une restauration, c'est une rénovation."--François Martin.

baldopeacock

Quote from: AE40FAN on July 22, 2013, 04:43:26 PM
Quote from: wds on July 22, 2013, 01:22:03 PM
I asked the seller to open the phone and take a picture, and he won't.  Too bad - that's my birthday phone!

I doubt it's all matching dates.  The dial has been updated. 

When refurbishing, did they always replace the entire dial, or might they just replace the color face plate and leave the original dial in place?   It seems like I've seen that, but not sure.