WE 1500 question

[ldj1002]

I have saw photos of 1500 10 button phones. Most have 10 buttons and the rest of that area is blank. A few have 10 buttons but a place for the 11th and 12th button. The 11th and 12th (the * and#) button place has short dummy nonfunctional  buttons. What is the difference? has it been modified?

[Dave F]

At some time after 2500 sets started being manufactured, they ran out of replacement 10-button faceplates for 1500 sets and decided not to make any more.  After that, when a 1500 needed refurbishing, they began using the new 12-button faceplates and adding a small plastic assembly which straddled the "0" button and filled the extra holes in the new faceplate.  (Others can post a picture of how it worked, as I don't presently have any.)  This procedure didn't last very long, as new uses for the * and # buttons made it appropriate to trash old 1500s and replace them with new 2500s.  Today, 1500s with the "dummy buttons" are relatively uncommon (translation: slightly collectible), as they just didn't use them for a very long time.

DF

Addendum:  Note that this procedure was also used in the refurbishing of other 10-button sets, such as 1554 wall phones and 1702 Princess phones.  There, they replaced the entire housing with a new 12-button type while using that same plastic insert to fill up the extra holes.

[paul-f]

There's some more background info and photos here:
  http://www.paul-f.com/we1500typ.html#Upgrades

[Dave F]

Thanks, Paul!

Dave

[ldj1002]

Reason I ask was there was one on ebay that I had bid on. Woke up this morning and found out I was high bid. I think I would like to find a face plate with just the 10 holes so I could put it to the original way. If anyone has a tan one let me know. I have been watching for a 10 button touch tone for some time and had never noticed any had 12 holes until I bid on this one.
Thanks for the info

[Dave F]

<snip>...I think I would like to find a face plate with just the 10 holes so I could put it to the original way...

As you will discover, spare 10-button faceplates are very hard to find.  You could post a want-ad for the faceplate in the "Classifieds" category on this Forum.  You might get lucky, but it will most likely be much easier to find a complete 1500 on eBay or from another collector.

DF