phone identification

[kimemerson]

Hello,  I have a WE 500 but would like to know the mfg. year. I don't believe it's any earlier than the '60's, but it wouldn't really surprise me to learn it's from the '50's. Then again, maybe the '70's and that's my final bid. So, just how is it done? Thanks,
Kim

[HobieSport]

Hi Kim,
If there is no date on the base in red ink just open it up and look at the dates in red ink on the components inside, as well as under the handset caps.  You'll want to do this anyway to see if the dates are similar (a "matching dates" phone, say within a month or two) or different dates (a "frankenphone").  Matching dates are generally more desirable but frankenphones can be interesting also.

There are a number of ways to spot dates on Ebay, by learning the history of the changes made, such as colors, leather or rubber feet, metal or plastic dials and dial types, cord types, number of holes in the earpiece (6 or 7), etc..

But the best way is to just open it up, because of all the frankenphones out there.

Hope this helps.  I'm still learning all this too and am not an expert here by any means.  Just an enthusiast.

[kimemerson]

Hello,
The bottom has something in white ink:
C/D
500
4-57
On the inside, in red ink near one of the ringers looks like either C4A, O4A, CAA or OAA I can't tell. Below that also in red could easily be another 4-57.
Under the hand set caps: Ear, which has 7 holes (the black plastic cap as well as the metal bits inside), in white ink is 2-6-70. The speaker part of the handset has a few numbers on the underside of the metal bit. But I don't believe the 3   27 is the date. There's a 78 inside a small indentation, as well as a T1 in another.
And that's it. Is 1957 the date? Mostly? It's a Frankenphone, isn't it?
Thanks,
Kim

[bingster]

Yep, your phone was made in April, 1957.  Even though collectors prefer all matching dates on a phone, they're not easy to find.  (I don't have a single one.)  There's nothing at all wrong with having something dated differently--it just means that somewhere along the line, a repairman came out and replaced a defective part with a newer one.  No biggie. 

[McHeath]

Seems that most of the chassis parts are original to 1957.  The handset was replaced in the 70's, and maybe the dial as well.  Are the feet on the bottom leather, triangular plastic, round plastic with ribs or round plastic with smooth bottoms?  Leather is oldest and what the phone had when made, any others indicate a repair shop got to it.  Don't fret over a Frankenphone, they are just as authentic as a Pureblood since the Bell System issued them. 

[rp2813]

With the base saying 4/57 and the ringer (C4A) having the same date, one other item you might want to check is the network (the big block with all the screws/terminals on it) which should have a date on its side.  I'll bet it's 4/57 or very close.  The dial should also have a date on its back side.  If that's 4/57 or near it, you probably only have different dates from the handset cord on out to the handset itself.  The cord should have a two-digit date stamped into the crimp on the end, usually the end that connects to the base.  It's highly unlikely you'll find you have a 1957 handset cord, but you never know.  You'll want to determine if the handset itself is bakelite or plastic.  Bakelite is definitely heavier and probably won't have cotton stuffed into it at the receiver end.  You may be able to make this a matching dates phone or something very close to it fairly simply.  You'll just need to find receiver and transmitter elements dated around 4/57.  Not an impossible task, and fun to hunt down.  You can take things a little further by finding any bakelite handset parts you may need, but even with plastic handset parts the phone looks generally the same as with bakelite.  Have you checked the case to see the date on it?  I don't recall if they stopped putting the date in yellow ink at the front inside edge by 1957 or not.  It may be dated under the cradle area instead and if so, you'll see a circle with two digits in it that will provide the date of the case.