Classic Rotary Phones Forum

Telephone Talk => Auction Talk => Topic started by: RotarDad on August 26, 2017, 12:40:34 PM

Title: Whitehouse 2500 phone - legit?
Post by: RotarDad on August 26, 2017, 12:40:34 PM
This one just listed:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/222624825850

Looks to have bezel info that would be hard to fake. Also not very pretty, so maybe thus is a real one?  Price seems crazy high ($325 BIN), especially now that presidents tweet instead...... ;)

Title: Re: Whitehouse 2500 phone - legit?
Post by: Jim Stettler on August 26, 2017, 01:12:22 PM
My guess is that  it is real and it is way overpriced.
The only thing that makes it unique is the whitehouse number card and the paper overlay behind the transparent faceplate.  I might be willing to pay up to $50.00 to have it in my hands.
JMO,
Jim S.
Title: Re: Whitehouse 2500 phone - legit?
Post by: jsowers on August 26, 2017, 01:21:01 PM
Your link left a zero off the item number...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/222624825850

There's also an auction for two red ITT Cortelco 2500s for $299.99 each.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/262324654052

These don't look "used" at all, but the light beige one definitely does look like it was used. It would be funny to call that number using a 202 area code and see who answers.
Title: Re: Whitehouse 2500 phone - legit?
Post by: RotarDad on August 26, 2017, 01:46:21 PM
Thanks, Jonathan!  Item number fixed.

The Cortelco ones could be fake.  Once you have the real bezel and number card inserts, it would be pretty easy to scan, clean up, print, and go into the white house vintage phone business.
Title: Re: Whitehouse 2500 phone - legit?
Post by: AL_as_needed on August 26, 2017, 04:25:10 PM
"THIS IS A NON SECURE PHONE"

...nice touch
Title: Re: Whitehouse 2500 phone - legit?
Post by: Alex G. Bell on August 26, 2017, 05:18:37 PM
Quote from: AL_as_needed on August 26, 2017, 04:25:10 PM
"THIS IS A NON SECURE PHONE"

...nice touch
Somewhere I have an example of a red and white vinyl sticker the size of the back of a G-type handset saying something similar but more elaborate.  These were used on telephone sets on military bases.
Title: Re: Whitehouse 2500 phone - legit?
Post by: Victor Laszlo on August 26, 2017, 09:33:39 PM
I tried 202-761-8264   "The number you dialed is not in service."
Title: Re: Whitehouse 2500 phone - legit?
Post by: Ktownphoneco on August 26, 2017, 10:16:52 PM
There's a subscriber listed under "WhoNumber.com" but I didn't see any indication of the date it was posted.    Came back to a Jessica "White", in Washington, D.C.   So I guess technically, it'd be "White's house".    May have been acquired by someone who gave the set to "Jessica" as a joke, and she put her number on it.   Ok, ok, it's a long shot.

Jeff 
 
Title: Re: Whitehouse 2500 phone - legit?
Post by: TelePlay on August 26, 2017, 11:38:08 PM
I found that number also in DC but assigned to the American University School of Public Relations (kitty corner from DHS) but no name.

Problem with internet searches is they find every number (to make the number search site seem all inclusive) and, as you said them, they don't date the numbers so the only way of finding who will answer is calling the number.
Title: Re: Whitehouse 2500 phone - legit?
Post by: Phonesrfun on August 27, 2017, 12:14:07 AM
With Photoshop and other tools these days, who knows, and for that matter the first phone looks pretty ratty.  If it is legit, maybe it was a phone in the WH maintenance department or the motor pool (if there is one).  Unless it can be traced to a specific person, then as far as I am concerned it is just a phone from an office building in DC that just happens to be located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.  Not worth the kind of $$ someone is asking for it in my humble opinion.
Title: Re: Whitehouse 2500 phone - legit?
Post by: TelePlay on August 27, 2017, 12:54:54 AM
Quote from: Phonesrfun on August 27, 2017, 12:14:07 AM
. . . it is just a phone from an office building in DC that just happens to be located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

I think located should be replaced with associated in that the top of the plate says to access the WH Centrex system to dial 45 and the the 3 digit extension number, of which there are only 6 on the left of the beige phone.

This phone as part of the WH Centrex system could have been used anywhere in the 761 DC area to call the 6 WH extension numbers shown, or any other office if they knew the 3 digit extension code for that office.

The top left line states dial 9 for an external number which goes along with my theory that this phone was associated with the WH but not necessarily in the WH.

If it were in the WH, seems just dialing the 3 digit code would connect one office in the WH to another. Having to dial 45 plus the 3 digit extension would indicate at exterior office.

Granted, it's part of the WH Centrex system, if legit, but was not in the WH.

I may be wrong.