Princess Phone in a Tough Color

[Dave F]

Here's another grey one --  Soft 500 set from 1958.

[Dennis Markham]

Dave, it looks like new.  I have one in Light Gray from August of 1958  but the color is not quite as perfect.  Very nice phone!

[Dave F]

This one's from November '58.  The case and handset could use a little Novus, but that's not quite yet at the top of the priority list.

[Dennis Markham]

Since that's November 58, does it have the Neoprene feet rather than suede?  They switched in about October of that year but of course there are exceptions to everything.

[Dave F]

Yes, the feet are Neoprene.

[Dennis Markham]

Thank you.

[McHeath]

The soft greys have a nice look about them, very clean and modern to my eye.  (other's mileage may vary)

[Dave F]

Grey phones are so pretty (to me) that I'm surprised the phone companies never did more to promote them.

[Jester]

This one showed up on ebay briefly last night, but the seller pulled it after about six hours.  I bid on it before that, hoping the seller would not be tempted by an off-auction offer & let the auction run its course--you see how well that worked.  It would have been interesting to see how high this could have gone.http://tinyurl.com/2bd5ucd
( dead link 04-13-21 )

[Dave F]

A new-in-box grey Mushroom phone is something to behold.  Now I'm gonna tell you a secret.  I saw that auction last night and was preparing to bid on it when the seller pulled it.  Obviously, somebody got to him and made him an off-eBay offer.  I quickly contacted the seller and told him that if he had let it run to completion, he would certainly have scored big, as it is a truly rare phone.  I said that if he still had it  I would give him $500 for it.  I figured that if I could wrest it from the doofus who  caused it to get pulled, he deserved it.  Anyway, the seller immediately relisted it with a $500 Buy-It-Now, and sent me a message telling me so.  I jumped on it, and bought it.  I truly hope it gets here undamaged.  I know that I paid big bucks, but as a collector of grey phones, I couldn't let that opportunity pass.  How often do we ever see a NIB Mushroom phone, much less a grey one.  When it arrives, I'll post some pictures.  Do you think I'm also a doofus for paying that much?

[Jester]

I'm glad you got it, Dave.  I don't think it was a bad buy considering what it is.  It will go well with your other examples.  Please post a few pics. when it arrives.  Do you have a light gray 554?  What about examples of oxford gray?

[HarrySmith]

I think it was a great move! Congrats!

[Dave F]

I don't (yet!) have a grey 554 nor anything in Oxford.

Getting back to this auction situation for a moment -- We all understand the motivation (selfish as it is) to entice a seller to pull an auction early.  But anybody who plays that game should not be the least surprised or upset when others don't just stand there and take it up the wazoo.  I personally don't end my auctions early.  That's not how I think things should be done.  On the other hand, I don't deny anybody the right to behave in whatever manner he or she chooses.  We all just need to remember that every choice we make has consequences.

A grey Mushroom phone -- How am I going to sleep tonight?!!

[Dennis Markham]

Good for you, Dave.  It was on my radar too but I knew it would go higher than I could afford to spend.  It would be interesting to see what the seller thought was a good deal the first with the first offer.

That green one sold about a week ago for $660.  Both nice phones, but this one is much nicer, in my opinion.  Lucky Dog.!

[Dave F]

I wonder how nice my wife will think it is when our next credit card statement arrives.