Orchid AE 40

[Dan]

Wow, this looks like the real deal and the auction is already up to near $4000! This should be a good auction contest candidate. Put me in for $6990. Someone feel free to add a picture for future posterity. Would anyone have the guts to sand this back to it's former glory?


http://tinyurl.com/6u82fpa

[JorgeAmely]

Dan, it depends how deep the fade goes.

[AE_Collector]

I have been meaning to ask Ray if this is the Orchid 40 from his recent haul. The last one on ebay a few months ago went for close to $4000 I believe. This one started at $1000 and jumped to $3999 so I'm pretty sure that $3999 was the reserve price which it has met with 8 days left to go.

Terry

[GG]

I'm going to guess $5,800, and personally I'd rather offer Ray a price like that for a rainbow of eight or nine mixed 40s and 34s, and wait two or three years for all of them if that's how his schedule went.  Also Ray is probably using plastics that will not shrink over time as the original plastics did (the sight of shrunken & warped 40s is to my eyes rather disturbing). 

I would suggest that whoever ends up with that orchid/turquoise 40 not try to sand it or do any other such treatments, because one mistake and it's bye-bye birdie.  It actually looks great as it is, and would be quite a surprise to casual visitors to unscrew the handset caps to show them what happened. 

[Doug Rose]

it is a beauty. Mark always has beautiful phones for sale. Would you try to bring it back to orchid, or leave it at the beautiful all over light blue "fade?" ...Doug

[kleenax]

it is a beauty. Mark always has beautiful phones for sale. Would you try to bring it back to orchid, or leave it at the beautiful all over light blue "fade?" ...Doug

I would leave as-is for sure.  As homogeneous as that Robins-egg Blue is, the fading must be pretty deep. And no, this is not the example that I found with all of those other AE phones; that one is squirreled away!

After examining about 6 or 7 original Orchid AE's, (1As, 40s and 1 - 50!), it is obvious to me that the orchid pigment must actually leach out over time, leaving the base color of light blue. It's just strange to me how the light blue doesn't fade though once it gets to that point.

We have come a long way in plastics and pigmenting. Most (not all) of the pigments that I use actually cross-links with the plastic at the molecular level, so it can't fade; it becomes part of material.   

[TelePlay]

For posterity, here's the handset.

[DavePEI]

it is a beauty. Mark always has beautiful phones for sale. Would you try to bring it back to orchid, or leave it at the beautiful all over light blue "fade?" ...Doug

I would leave as-is for sure.  As homogeneous as that Robins-egg Blue is, the fading must be pretty deep. And no, this is not the example that I found with all of those other AE phones; that one is squirreled away!

After examining about 6 or 7 original Orchid AE's, (1As, 40s and 1 - 50!), it is obvious to me that the orchid pigment must actually leach out over time, leaving the base color of light blue. It's just strange to me how the light blue doesn't fade though once it gets to that point.

We have come a long way in plastics and pigmenting. Most (not all) of the pigments that I use actually cross-links with the plastic at the molecular level, so it can't fade; it becomes part of material.   

Beautiful! Too rich for my blood, though!

Dave

[JorgeAmely]

I'm going to guess $5,800, and personally I'd rather offer Ray a price like that for a rainbow of eight or nine mixed 40s and 34s, and wait two or three years for all of them if that's how his schedule went.  Also Ray is probably using plastics that will not shrink over time as the original plastics did (the sight of shrunken & warped 40s is to my eyes rather disturbing).  

I would suggest that whoever ends up with that orchid/turquoise 40 not try to sand it or do any other such treatments, because one mistake and it's bye-bye birdie.  It actually looks great as it is, and would be quite a surprise to casual visitors to unscrew the handset caps to show them what happened.  

I agree with leaving it the way it is. It has so many fine details around the vent areas, that it will be impossible to clean those areas without affecting the nice fine edges the phone has. Plus, the aqua blue color it has developed now looks cool.

[AE_Collector]

Completed at the reserve price of $3999. Three bids all from the same bidder and the seller protected the bidders identity so we will not likely find out who bought it.

Terry