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WE 500 CD from 1961 surprise (not)

Started by TelePlay, July 08, 2012, 03:45:27 PM

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TelePlay

I bought this phone for $25 plus $10 shipping (BIN) just for the soft center finger wheel for my Imperial Continental on June 12th.

Today I finally dug out my Imperial to swap finger wheels and while doing so, opened the 500 case to look inside. First thing I noticed the smell. Then I began to look at the dates.

The seller said it was a "Turquoise Aqua" phone from 1961.

It sort of was but it is not. It's really a soft plastic WE 500 Aqua Blue (faded a bit to the yellow side) with matching dates. Only thing missing is the line cord - someone put a silver satin cord on it.

Here are the dates:

Network - 5/61
Ringer - II 6
Dial - 6-61
Case - 61
Base - 6-61
Handset - 6-61
Receiver - 6-23-61
Receiver Cap - 5C61
Transmitter - 6-23-61
Transmitter Cap - 3C61
Handset Cord Retainer - 61

Only wanted the fingerwheel and ended up with a keeper. I think $35 may be a bit on the high side for the phone but all I wanted was the finger wheel, so I'm happy. It needs some bleaching, has a few small dings to sand out and there is a little rust on the base near the rubber feet. But, it should turn out nice.

These are the photos from the eBay listing.

LarryInMichigan

That's very interesting.  Were aqua plastics made of tenite later than other colors?  I had assumed the mid 1959 cutoff for all colors but black or soft plastic.

Larry

TelePlay

Quote from: LarryInMichigan on July 08, 2012, 03:51:26 PM
That's very interesting.  Were aqua plastics made of tenite later than other colors?  I had assumed the mid 1959 cutoff for all colors but black or soft plastic.

Larry

Larry, I don't read stamped color codes well. I found numbers molded and stamped into the plastic case and handset but none of them match with the color code chart on paul-f's site. According to the numbers I found, the phone should be red. And it sure smells like tenite. In other words, HELP!

Or, maybe it's just a smelly old ABS phone with matching dates.

LarryInMichigan

Tenite is noticeably softer than ABS and makes a dull 'thud' sound when hit.  As far as I am aware, all non-black tenite shells had a date code printed inside the shell near the front bottom, but early ABS shells also did.  Also, all tenite receiver caps had only six holes.

Larry

xylenol15

Is $35 high? The prices on ebay seem somewhat higher than that-or maybe I'm just the impatient kind.  :D I looked and they do go for less but I don't generally see a lot of Aqua listings at once- limited selection. As opposed to red which is more common but routinely breaks $50, even for modular 2500s.

TelePlay

Quote from: LarryInMichigan on July 08, 2012, 04:14:34 PMAs far as I am aware, all non-black tenite shells had a date code printed inside the shell near the front bottom, but early ABS shells also did.  Also, all tenite receiver caps had only six holes.

Larry

Okay, it's a date matching smelly ABS phone - has 7 holes in the receiver cap. No date stamped on the inside case lip but "61" is molded into the nice light blue plastic.

Anyway, all I wanted was the finger wheel. So everything else is an extra. Will post date pictures later.

poplar1


> I found numbers molded and stamped into the plastic case and handset but none of them match with the color code chart on paul-f's site. According to the numbers I found, the phone should be red. And it sure smells like tenite. In other words, HELP! >

I don't think you will find any color codes other than the dial (7C-62 would be aqua blue)
"C'est pas une restauration, c'est une rénovation."--François Martin.

TelePlay

Quote from: poplar1 on July 08, 2012, 05:51:01 PM
I don't think you will find any color codes other than the dial (7C-62 would be aqua blue)

Yes, the dial had that exact code right above the date stamp. Thanks.

So, it is a '61 hard plastic Aqua Blue phone, slightly yellowed with age.

TelePlay

Well, more than slightly yellowed with age. The phone must have been in a smoky environment. That's why the odor.

Even the underside of the handset caps are yellow around the holes, strangely more so on the receiver cap. The last photo showing aqua threads also shows the general and almost uniform discoloration of every part of this phone except on the case under the handset, handset threads, case inside, inside the handset and inside the handset cord.

poplar1

This really isn't a "500 CD" even though the base is marked C/D 500. It is a 500D (technically 500DR-62). The same base could have been used to make a 500C (non-dial) or 500D (dial) that is why it is marked C/D.
"C'est pas une restauration, c'est une rénovation."--François Martin.

TelePlay

Thanks, David. Nice to know.

In my few short years collecting, I always wondered why both letters "C/D" were stamped on the bottom.

Spent some more time on Paul-F's site and getting a better sense of phone coding.

twocvbloke

Just think about how much more of that brown tar is (or was) inside the lungs of it's previous owner(s), such are the joys of smoking... :o

LarryInMichigan

Soaking for several hours in Oxiclean can help alot.

Larry

twocvbloke

Quote from: LarryInMichigan on July 09, 2012, 10:20:50 AM
Soaking for several hours in Oxiclean can help alot.

Larry

For the human or the phone? :D

TelePlay

#14
Just got an all everything matching date white 12-65 (ringer is IV-65) 554 that is quite more yellow than white (treatment on the way) except under where the handset was hung. Great shape and no tar, etc. $7 BIN 4 minutes after it was listed. Shipping was $8. Thought I'd stick the matching date find here for it's not really worth a find of the month. Just a nice phone like the aqua blue 61 listed above. Guess if anyone were looking for a birthday phone, this would be one of those.