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My 500's and 554's

Started by GusHerb, March 12, 2010, 01:39:22 AM

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GusHerb

These are all my Western Electric 500's I managed to round 'em up and get them all together, dust them off and take a picture.
as I was looking at them all, I realized the only one with all original and matching date parts is the black one in the front, 2nd from the right. The phone is dated 10-67 and all the parts in it are dated 67 as well.

Then there are my 554's, the white one is made by Northern Telecom and dates 1980. The Ivory one is Western Electric and is one that I found in a crate of other junked beyond any kind of salvage or repair phones. it was discusting when I found it, I washed it and it turned out quite good for what it came from... It was used heavily during it's life and was painted once from yellow to Ivory also.

(BTW that's not my room, it's the unused bedroom... LOL :))
Jonathan

Jim Stettler

You don't need matching dates to have a good phone, Matching dates is just a bonus.
You have a nice collection going.

Regarding the spare room , Carla {the phone lady *smiles*} used to use the wasted space under the bed to store her 500's.

http://www.myinsulators.com/commokid/telephones/telephone_collecting.htm



I haven't seen Carla on any phone sites for a long time, I suspect she is still stashing 500 sets away.
Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

GusHerb

I do like all my 500's, I have them all on display except for 2 beat up ones and I love to look at them all the time.
Next phone's I'm gonna post pics of will be my Princess's and Trimlines which I notice no one on here really talks about or collects.
Jonathan

jsowers

#3
Quote from: GusHerb on March 12, 2010, 02:13:12 AM
Next phone's I'm gonna post pics of will be my Princess's and Trimlines which I notice no one on here really talks about or collects.

I collect Princesses and Trimlines in addition to the 500s and 554s, so yes, please post your pics of those too. You can really get a large variety of Trimline and Princess colors, even down to the rare light gray and black. Thanks for sharing your collection, Jonathan. And I agree with Jim that matching dates are the icing on the cake, but pound cake is still very good with no icing. I don't use the space under my bed for phones, though. I have all my videotapes stored there in flat storage totes. :)

Also, welcome to the forum. I'm the other Jonathan. Must be something about that name and phones, Like Dan and a few others. I've been collecting since I was a kid too. I just saw your other post and you have a lot of nice phones and great stories behind them. I like that part--the history of it all.
Jonathan

Phonesrfun

Quote from: GusHerb on March 12, 2010, 01:39:22 AM

(BTW that's not my room, it's the unused bedroom... LOL :))


Noy "unused" any more!

-Bill
-Bill G

GusHerb

LOL the unused bedroom really get's used for MY things! ;D, across that room from the bed is a small vacuum collection I have as well. Out of all my WE 500's the yellow one has to be my most interesting in how I acquired it and what I made it become just by cleaning it and eventually treating it for various scuffs. (which I talked about in my other thread)

My Princess and Trimline collections are small... I have only 5 of each varying between rotary and TT. But my coolest finds are the Princess and Trimlines, being I have a 701 MINT in it's original box all dated from 1960, and then a Trimline wall phone Mint in original box from 1966 too.
I should be able to get pics of the rest up tonight hopefully.
Jonathan

Wallphone

GusHerb,
Do you have a small collection of vacuums or a collection of small vacuums?
The one that I have here is good for vacuuming my van.
Dougpav

Jim Stettler

a 1960 NIB princess is a VERY scarce phone.
Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

GusHerb

Quote from: Wallphone on March 12, 2010, 12:20:32 PM
GusHerb,
Do you have a small collection of vacuums or a collection of small vacuums?
The one that I have here is good for vacuuming my van.
Dougpav

No it's small collection of uprights, I don't have anything special or particularly old. My oldest one is a 1982 Kirby Heritage.
Jonathan

Steve

Quote from: Wallphone on March 12, 2010, 12:20:32 PM
GusHerb,
Do you have a small collection of vacuums or a collection of small vacuums?
The one that I have here is good for vacuuming my van.
Dougpav


Wow! whats the story on that? looks almost new.
If you're a long way from home,
Can't sleep at night.
Grab your telephone,
Something just ain't right.

Wallphone

I don't know when those were made, probably in the 40's & 50's. I have a few of different mfg's stashed away. I found them on eBay but I haven't seen any in awhile. I thought they were neat looking so I went for it. I have a little bit of everything in my collection.
Dougpav

Craig T

#11
I had a nice vintage Rainbow vacuum up until last year. In fact it was this same model here...

http://tinyurl.com/yfknmhh


Now you know why I don't have it anymore  :)



Gus great lineup of phones you have there!

Dennis Markham

Doug, that GE vacuum is cool looking.  I'll bet it works good too.

McHeath

Nice little collection of 500s you've got.  What are the dates on the black ones?  Some look rather old.  I mainly collect 500s, but also have some Trimlines and Princesses, as well as some touchtone jobs like 1500/1554/2500/2554/3554 stuff.  

This weekend I'm planning to try to finish restoring my moss green early 66' Trimline.  I like the Trimline and had one as the kitchen wall phone for years.

Never knew much about the Princess till I bought one at a junk store for a few bucks, a yellow touch tone.  Liked it, and so I've since got a few more, the pride of place being a nice early 70's one with hardwires and in black.

Your white 554 is very nice, looks to be in good shape.  I'm on the lookout for a white 554 myself, having just a black and beige one.  


GusHerb

1st front is from 66 I believe, 2nd front is 10-67, 3rd front is 4-52, back 1st one is from 57, and the 2nd black one in back is from 64 and that one confuses me cuz it's metal dial is original to it from 64, so I guess WE must have made a metal dial phone that late.
Jonathan