There was one at the Fall ATCA show and it didn't sell. I believe the selling price was around $800.
http://tinyurl.com/m8juoc7
Not a bad price, especially since a lot of collectors are ready to pay anything for any phone-related prototype/field trial set. That one isn't in bad condition, either.
The reference is to Al Capp's character, the "Shmoo."
The challenge with this phone is the "non-working" stamp. Some were made without active internal components to show the form factor of the housing. Others were disabled or gutted and used later in lobby displays and at trade shows. Without seeing the internals, a buyer could be getting an empty shell or a random collection of internal components.
It will be interesting to see how it does.
Since there were only a few, I just edited each post in this topic to change the phone's name from "Schmoo" to "Shmoo," the proper spelling of the word.
Thanks to paul-f for setting us straight on that!
This phone is now Auction Contest #146 (http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=12909.0). Place your guesses there and continue any discussion of this phone here.
Thanks!
You're welcome.
I saw one of those this last summer when I visited Vern P.
I would have never guessed that Vern was a Shmoo!
Speaking of Verne, long time no posts. More than a year ago we talked about him and his Web TV was going the way of the Do Do Bird (soon we can update that phrase to "going the way of Web TV") and I guess he never did anything about a real computer and internet? Would like to hear from him around here occasionally.
Terry
Quote from: AE_Collector on October 24, 2014, 03:31:24 PM
I would have never guessed that Vern was a Shmoo!
Speaking of Verne, long time no posts. More than a year ago we talked about him and his Web TV was going the way of the Do Do Bird (soon we can update that phrase to "going the way of Web TV") and I guess he never did anything about a real computer and internet? Would like to hear from him around here occasionally.
Terry
The last time I looked in the mirror, I noticed I had a little bit of a "Shmoo" thing going on. Whether Vern does or not, well, I won't say. ;D
Vern was still trying to decide what to about his computer when I last talke to him in June. Many of us have given him suggestions, but Vern hasn't done anything yet. He is so gun shy when it comes to technology. I think he would do great with a tablet, but that is yet an even newer form of technology than he has even become familiar with. Someone just has to put one in his hands (in my opinion) and he would grasp it just fine. He has more capablilities than he gives himself credit for.
Who is going to "put one in hishns"?
I would but it is a very long way from South Florida. He invited me out there years ago and I promised I would make the trip but it is not in thth
If cost isn't an issue then yes, someone just needs to put a tablet in his hands and head to McDonalds for free wifi for awhile and he will be sold
I think the big investment for him would be the access to internet. He wont already have internet at this point in time and I dont know what it would cost him per month to get it. Here after you get past the 6 month introductory price etc you are looking at $50-$60 a month. If he is going to invest in that the cost of computer/ laptob/tablet is incidental really. Our Telco has had sign up for ADSL and get a free laptop/tablet promos.
Of course he could get a used iPad 2 or something with wifi only and just use it where ever he can grab free wifi. Obviously he isnt a big internet user anyway. My mom has a cellular iPad and she accesses internet that way. If Verne has a cell phone he may be able tomget a data plan and share the plan with a cellular iPad.
Lots of options.....
Terry
Last week we had a SHMOO discussion and I said that I had actually seen one at Vern P.'s place last summer. I finally found the photo, so here for posterity is a photo of me holding a real Shmoo phone in all its glory.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Very-rare-Vintage-Western-Electric-Schmoo-Telephone-/321560303329
These usually go for 1k or more.
Someone else may have already started a thread about it, but what the heck?
Quote from: Fabius on October 23, 2014, 11:26:06 AM
There was one at the Fall ATCA show and it didn't sell. I believe the selling price was around $800.
http://tinyurl.com/m8juoc7
Looks like I found out who sold it.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Very-rare-Vintage-Western-Electric-Schmoo-Telephone-/321560303329
Don't be bashful, now.
Make a comment.
I don't know what they normally go for, but I did see the auction end when I pulled up the original thread to show the one I saw at Vern's house.
If they normally go for over $1k, then I wonder why the one Fabias talked about would not sell at the asking price of $800 and now this one did sell for $510. shows how fickle ebay and collectible phones can be.
It was stamped non-working. May have affected the value?
I know people think I'm nuts, but I KNOW I saw one go for $1200 a few months ago.
The auction is now hidden on eBay it would seem......
The non working stamp was something I didn't catch.
So I guess 500 would be a fair swing.
Quote from: baldopeacock on November 01, 2014, 02:23:14 PM
It was stamped non-working. May have affected the value?
Yes, that was pointed out by JimH in the Auction Contest we ran on the Shmoo. And no inside pictures kind of confirmed that hunch, I guess.
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=12909.msg135844#msg135844
Quote from: TelePlay on November 01, 2014, 02:33:05 PM
Quote from: baldopeacock on November 01, 2014, 02:23:14 PM
It was stamped non-working. May have affected the value?
Yes, that was pointed out by JimH in the Auction Contest we ran on the Shmoo. And no inside pictures kind of confirmed that hunch, I guess.
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=12909.msg135844#msg135844
The ebay auction I posted DOES show innards photos.
There seems to be a network and everything.
They could be mocks I guess....
Quote from: Partyline4 on November 01, 2014, 02:57:10 PM
The ebay auction I posted DOES show innards photos.
There seems to be a network and everything.
They could be mocks I guess....
And so it does. Interesting. Those photos were not posted by the seller when I started the auction contest. The photos posted at the contest are all that were available from the original listing when the contest started. I did not check back for added photos over the course of the auction so missed that. I will add those two photos to the first auction contest topic for posterity.
Still, stamped non-working may be what you said, mock up parts.
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=12909.msg135712#msg135712
Quote from: Phonesrfun on November 01, 2014, 02:10:54 PM
If they normally go for over $1k, then I wonder why the one Fabias talked about would not sell at the asking price of $800 and now this one did sell for $510. shows how fickle ebay and collectible phones can be.
I did not look at Shmoo that was at the ATCA show closely. It may or may not have been one with guts.
Quote from: Partyline4 on November 01, 2014, 01:54:15 PM
Quote from: Fabius on October 23, 2014, 11:26:06 AM
There was one at the Fall ATCA show and it didn't sell. I believe the selling price was around $800.
http://tinyurl.com/m8juoc7
Looks like I found out who sold it.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Very-rare-Vintage-Western-Electric-Schmoo-Telephone-/321560303329
The owner of the one I saw at the ATCA show was a long time collector in Texas.
Don't discount the time the auction ended. I would have bid higher, but was unable to when I lost my wifi connection as the plane I was on dropped below 10k feet. I often miss auctions that end during the day. I recall bidding on a "shmoo" earlier this year which sold for over $1k.
Quote from: JimHyak on November 03, 2014, 10:51:36 PM
Don't discount the time the auction ended. I would have bid higher, but was unable to when I lost my wifi connection as the plane I was on dropped below 10k feet. I often miss auctions that end during the day. I recall bidding on a "shmoo" earlier this year which sold for over $1k.
Where was Esnipe when you needed it? :)
They seem to pop up one at a time....
People need money every now and then.