Classic Rotary Phones Forum

Telephone Talk => Flea Market/Yard Sale/Antique Store/Thrift Store Finds => Topic started by: Pourme on January 02, 2018, 11:28:56 PM

Title: Phoneitis attack in the antique store?
Post by: Pourme on January 02, 2018, 11:28:56 PM
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Today I was walking through a rather large Antique market. One section used to be offices, now used as vendor rooms, mostly glassware and generally things I'm not interested in.

Everyone here knows what soft plastic phones smell like. As I passed by one particular room my senses were aroused,  I smelled the distinct odor of soft plastic. "There's a phone in there, somewhere", I thought. As I searched the room there was no phone to be found and I searched it good! I was positive I was going a "barn fresh" soft plastic phone.

The reason I'm telling you is, you need to imagine me recounting this story to my wife. When I told her I smelled a phone in that room she became very concerned about my mental condition. (she don't understand the aroma of Tenite) She is now positive I my phoneitis is out of control, I saw the look on her face....she blames this forum.

Benny
Title: Re: Phoneitis attack in the antique store?
Post by: twocvbloke on January 02, 2018, 11:54:42 PM
Are you sure it wasn't just a case of someone being in there before you with some unpleasant feet?  ;D
Title: Re: Phoneitis attack in the antique store?
Post by: Pourme on January 03, 2018, 06:05:56 AM
Quote from: twocvbloke on January 02, 2018, 11:54:42 PM
Are you sure it wasn't just a case of someone being in there before you with some unpleasant feet?  ;D

Well....There is that... ;)
Title: Re: Phoneitis attack in the antique store?
Post by: LarryInMichigan on January 03, 2018, 06:43:20 AM
So, did you find a phone?  Tenite was used for various things other than phones.  I have an Arvin 840T radio which has tenite plastic knobs and trim.  After I bought the radio and cleaned it, my whole house was filled with an overwhelming tenite smell from the tuning knob.  I had to spray it with clear lacquer to stop it from stinking. 


Larry
Title: Re: Phoneitis attack in the antique store?
Post by: twocvbloke on January 03, 2018, 06:46:20 AM
It's definitely a unique smell, there are times I have to check my feet to make sure it's not me (two black 500s and the red 500 with tenite parts) before remembering I have those in the same room as me, though it is quite funny when you hand someone the red 500's handset and ask them to smell it...  ;D
Title: Re: Phoneitis attack in the antique store?
Post by: Pourme on January 03, 2018, 07:14:36 AM
Quote from: LarryInMichigan on January 03, 2018, 06:43:20 AM
So, did you find a phone?  Tenite was used for various things other than phones.  I have an Arvin 840T radio which has tenite plastic knobs and trim.  After I bought the radio and cleaned it, my whole house was filled with an overwhelming tenite smell from the tuning knob.  I had to spray it with clear lacquer to stop it from stinking. 


Larry

I didn't find a phone that day. Minutes later, I found this unique Butler's phone table I'm quite thrilled about.
Title: Re: Phoneitis attack in the antique store?
Post by: Pourme on January 03, 2018, 07:18:47 AM
Quote from: twocvbloke on January 03, 2018, 06:46:20 AM
It's definitely a unique smell, there are times I have to check my feet to make sure it's not me (two black 500s and the red 500 with tenite parts) before remembering I have those in the same room as me, though it is quite funny when you hand someone the red 500's handset and ask them to smell it...  ;D

I display my 9/'52 WE500, birthday phone on my end table next to "my place" on the couch....I've had to place it the furtherest distance away from me because of the odor coming from it. It's the exact odor I smelled in the store.
Title: Re: Phoneitis attack in the antique store?
Post by: Doug Rose on January 03, 2018, 08:18:58 AM
Benny...my grandmother had the exact table in her sitting room. I remember it as a child. I had one in the phone room, but it was my only casualty when I put in new carpet three years ago. Some how a leg got broken off. I had a 302 on it and was a perfect fit as it has a metal clip on the back...they are very cool....Doug
Title: Re: Phoneitis attack in the antique store?
Post by: Pourme on January 03, 2018, 08:41:42 AM
Quote from: Doug Rose on January 03, 2018, 08:18:58 AM
Benny...my grandmother had the exact table in her sitting room. I remember it as a child. I had one in the phone room, but it was my only casualty when I put in new carpet three years ago. Some how a leg got broken off. I had a 302 on it and was a perfect fit as it has a metal clip on the back...they are very cool....Doug

Doug,

I saw your table on a earlier thread, link on this thread earlier. Very nice table you purchased at a nice price. looks better than mine. I will be using Howards on mine soon. Too bad about the unfortunate accident. Someone should be able to repair it for you.

Title: Re: Phoneitis attack in the antique store?
Post by: HarrySmith on January 03, 2018, 10:11:17 AM
I have one of those tables also, in off white. As Doug stated a 302 fits nicely. I have my 1937 302 on it in the living room. My wife allows me to display 3 phones. 1 on the phone table and 2 on speaker stands I got from a junk pile that a phone fits on perfectly!

You can tell your wife the forum does not cause Phoneitis but it is the only known treatment for it!
Title: Re: Phoneitis attack in the antique store?
Post by: Pourme on January 03, 2018, 11:08:42 AM
Quote from: HarrySmith on January 03, 2018, 10:11:17 AM
I have one of those tables also, in off white. As Doug stated a 302 fits nicely. I have my 1937 302 on it in the living room. My wife allows me to display 3 phones. 1 on the phone table and 2 on speaker stands I got from a junk pile that a phone fits on perfectly!

You can tell your wife the forum does not cause Phoneitis but it is the only known treatment for it!

Harry,
After you and Doug mentioned the 302, I put one on my table in place of the 500. It really fits better and looks more appropriate, too.

We invested in a space in our partially underground basement where we live, away from the bussle of the main floor. I just counted 67 phones, two PBX and 3 phone lamps in here. Imagine what it would be like if it wasn't for the treatment I get on the forum!

Benny
Title: Re: Phoneitis attack in the antique store?
Post by: 19and41 on January 03, 2018, 05:09:18 PM
The screw- and nutdriver drawer in my tool chest reeks of that smell and I have a pair of old ray bans that smell the same.  With those in my pocket, I wouldn't be able to detect a phone at all.  I guess my birthday phone must have gassed off the worst of it's smell.
Title: Re: Phoneitis attack in the antique store?
Post by: Jim Stettler on January 03, 2018, 09:16:51 PM
Quote from: Pourme on January 03, 2018, 11:08:42 AM
Harry,
After you and Doug mentioned the 302, I put one on my table in place of the 500. It really fits better and looks more appropriate, too.

We invested in a space in our partially underground basement where we live, away from the bussle of the main floor. I just counted 67 phones, two PBX and 3 phone lamps in here.
Benny
How many in the rest of the house and on your property?
Been There,
Jim S.
Title: Re: Phoneitis attack in the antique store?
Post by: Pourme on January 04, 2018, 09:28:31 AM
Quote from: Jim S. on January 03, 2018, 09:16:51 PM
How many in the rest of the house and on your property?
Been There,
Jim S.


Jim S,
The rest of the family (upstairs) don't share my passion, therefore I don't keep any of my phones there. 90+% of my time is spent downstairs. I have wired a PBX extension to my hangout poolside, just outside my space so I can take a phone out there. A hallway here has a 50's gossip bench with a active pink WE500 on it. My workbench, also downstairs, houses the balance of my phones, all in in some level of clean up or repair. About 25-30 of my phones have a dial tone through the dual PBX arrangement via a Magic Jack line.

I love the fact that a phone collection doesn't have to be static but can be live, functional and usable.

PS. My Magic Jack line had a life before it became my collection "hot line". Every so often someone calls the number out of the blue. It can startle you but sounds very cool when that happens!
Title: Re: Phoneitis attack in the antique store?
Post by: Ed Morris on January 04, 2018, 07:04:48 PM
I think at least one of my phones is Tenite, and I've had a Philco with a Tenite dial and speaker escutcheon (badly shrunk and deformed), but I've never been aware of any particular odor associated with either.  Of course my feet don't smell, either  ::)
Title: Re: Phoneitis attack in the antique store?
Post by: Pourme on January 04, 2018, 07:13:01 PM
Quote from: Ed Morris on January 04, 2018, 07:04:48 PM
I think at least one of my phones is Tenite, and I've had a Philco with a Tenite dial and speaker escutcheon (badly shrunk and deformed), but I've never been aware of any particular odor associated with either.  Of course my feet don't smell, either  ::)

In my opinion, the 50's black 500's are the biggest smellers. Once you smell them you will never forget!
Title: Re: Phoneitis attack in the antique store?
Post by: 19and41 on January 04, 2018, 08:52:01 PM
I have a Philco "log cabin"  that had a deformed escutcheon and even deformed knobs.  It's not a long term material.
Title: Re: Phoneitis attack in the antique store?
Post by: LarryInMichigan on January 04, 2018, 09:42:18 PM
I have a Philco 41-221 (video link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEHtE_lgt24)) like that, but mine was fortunate that the tenite is only slightly warped.  Most of these I have seen are much worse.  The radio is also a great performer.  The tenite on this radio does not smell.

Larry