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Auction 38 - Automatic Electric 80 in clear plastic

Started by Dan/Panther, November 01, 2009, 01:30:35 PM

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Jim Stettler

Hi Dennis,
Thanks for the welcome.  I bought my first clear telephone about 15 years ago. It was auctually a pair of  trimlines.
I bought them at a moving sale. she assured me she didn't have anymore. The following week My buddy bought 2 trimlines at the same sale. His came from her mother. (He didn't sell me his until 2009).
However he gave me the mother's # and I bought 2 more trimlines and a 500.

All of a sudden I had  2 rotary trimline handsets, 2 sq. button handsets, 2 desk bases and 2 wall base, and a 500. Since that was a great starter collection for clear telephones, I decided to pursue clear collecting.

I remember seeing clear trimlines in Phone centers. The first show I attended (20 years ago). Had a clear 302 and a clear 500.  A couple of years later I bought a generic 2500 housing kit at a show, and at another show I saw a clear trimline.

After I bought my clear collection I started pursuing clear phones and I have built up a nice collection.  I know of several clear collectors and I know many collectors who have real nice clear telephones in their collections.

Here in CO, the phone store employees could take home telephones to try out. At the break-up the got to keep any WE phones they had. Design line sets cost them $10.00.
I know of  8 trimlines and a 500 that came from the local phone center stores.  I was able to buy 6 of the trimlines and and the 500.
I only have 2 of the trimlines left. I sold the other phones as I was upgrading my collection.
Jim S.
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.