Classic Rotary Phones Forum

Telephone Talk => Auction Talk => Topic started by: Doug Rose on April 10, 2016, 06:25:47 PM

Title: A Very Expensive Postage Stamp
Post by: Doug Rose on April 10, 2016, 06:25:47 PM
Pic just keep getting smaller and smaller and then smaller still. At least there is only one so you can make a valued decision. Its only $700. What are they thinking. ...Doug

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-NLWBX-Superb-Candle-Stick-Telephone-/172163295978
Title: Re: A Very Expensive Postage Stamp
Post by: HarrySmith on April 10, 2016, 06:34:34 PM
Obviously not thinking!
Title: Re: A Very Expensive Postage Stamp
Post by: TelePlay on April 10, 2016, 06:52:42 PM
That seller has quite a few phones listed and while this one has the smallest image, many have images just a bit larger. And it seems none of the listings have more than one photo along the descriptions that are brief. Prices are generally over $400 with many over $500.
Title: Re: A Very Expensive Postage Stamp
Post by: Victor Laszlo on April 10, 2016, 07:49:00 PM
The seller is an agent for www.phonecoinc.com who are located in Wisconsin. They have been selling parts and old phones for many decades and are trying to get out of the business. You can recognize the auctions from this partnership by looking at the title, which always has a "product code" and which has strange photos that are slightly out of focus and which have a shadowy background. The seller is clueless about the products he is selling. On several occasions, I have sent questions to the seller, expecting to get specific answers, but the answers are always the same: "We cannot answer your question because the item is in a warehouse and we do not have access to it at this time" or some variation on that theme.  The asking prices are very high, as a result of the financial relationship (mark-up) between the owner and the agent.
Title: Re: A Very Expensive Postage Stamp
Post by: LarryInMichigan on April 10, 2016, 09:59:06 PM
Making tiny phones like that was a very expensive process, hence the high prices ;D
Title: Re: A Very Expensive Postage Stamp
Post by: Jack Ryan on April 10, 2016, 11:24:37 PM
It seems to be this phone: http://www.phonecoinc.com/topic.asp?map=1&hhrl=home&gorl=group&group=main&category=Candle&topic=01020

Jack
Title: Re: A Very Expensive Postage Stamp
Post by: TelePlay on April 11, 2016, 07:55:30 AM
Jack,

You solved the problem, the seller grabs the thumbnail off of the catalog page rather than clicking on the phone and grabbing the enlarged image.

This is the thumbnail

(http://www.phonecoinc.com/thumbn/NLWBX.jpg)

from here (scroll down toward the bottom on the right column)

http://www.phonecoinc.com/category.asp?map=1&category=Candle&gorl=group&hhrl=home&group=main

and this is the larger image from the phone listing (by clicking on the above thumbnail at the above link)

(http://www.phonecoinc.com/Hires/NLWBX.jpg)

from here

http://www.phonecoinc.com/topic.asp?map=1&hhrl=home&gorl=group&group=main&category=Candle&topic=01020

Now we all know . . .  ;)

And, you can see the second seller markup, the difference in prices.