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My rotary phones

Started by bellsytemproperty, October 22, 2009, 12:35:29 AM

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bellsytemproperty

Hi! I am new to this website but I have been interested in rotary phones for around half a year. I started my obsession with rotary phones by accident. I went to staples and bought a very low quality touchtone Trimline because my other Trimline-like phone died. The call quality of the trimline was okay, but it was the ringer than annoyed me. It was electronic and had very annoying sounds which could not be changed. Frustrated, I Googled the phone and stumbled upon the Western Electric Sculptura (aka donut phone). I purchased that, and then decided I liked Automatic Electric 80s. Then, after I purchased my lovely Monophone, I finally got some 500s. After that I started getting weird ones like the Kellogg 1000 and SC 1243. For the times that touch-tone must be used, I have a red WE 2500.  I recently bought a rotary lineman phone. I have a couple other phones I keep at a friends house that I don't have pictures.There's a white donut phone, a 500 I rescued out of the trash, and a really beautiful blue WE 554 wall phone.

It was annoying trying to upload the photos to this forum, so I have them posted here: http://picasaweb.google.com/monophone80/MyRotaryPhones#
( dead link 03-11-21 )

All the phones that I have are hooked up, because I don't like the idea of buying a perfectly good phone and then sitting it on a shelf. I have a hard time deciding which one to use when placing a call. They are workhorse appliances and I fully expect them to outlive every one of us. This forum seems like fun because I've finally found some other people who share my obsession.  ;D

McHeath

Welcome Bellsystemproperty!  But I think you are going to be disappointed here, none of us are really that into phones.   ;) 

That's a really nice collection of phones you have, quite the wide representation of makers and styles. 

Phonesrfun

One of US into phones????

Now there's an absurd thought!

-Bill G

bellsystemproperty

#3
I had to make a new account, forgot the s in system. I am going to have to work a bit on my Ericofon, because it has a low volume receiver. It was only $25, while other Ericofons went for around 100 bucks. It's a scary procedure having to open up the earpiece .Eventually I'll add the picture of my blue wall phone , but I let my friend use it because I have so many. I haven't seen too many wall phones in that shade of blue. It was so sad to see a 500 in the trash, but luckily I was there at just the right time so save it.

Also... What kind of dial does the redbar phone have? I have seen other redbars online but they all have a different dial. I am thinking the dial may be Monophone, but I'm not sure.

Phonesrfun

I believe Kellogg did make their own dials for the Redbar, but they were just like the AE dials like the ones found on the Monophones.  Totally interchangeable.  In fact, many redbars do have an AE dial, so that is not uncommon.  AE may have even made dials for Kellogg and private labeled them as Kellogg dials.

-Bill G

bwanna

welcome "bsp". nice collection, is that a cadillac emblem on the ivory? glad you found our phone rescue organization. we are not obsessed with anything here other than our mission to provide homes to any& all abandoned phones. ;)

please learn the forum mantra .........."it is NOT an addiction, is NOT an addiction" :D

donna

mienaichizu

hello there and welcome too

Dan

Welcome bsp, does your Ericophon ring? I was lucky to meet a guy who was selling a rare "clear one". He showed me the wiring thru the clear housing  and what "jumper wire" I had to put back on to get it to ring. I know it's not a bell, but it is now fully functional.
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

bellsystemproperty

My Ericofon doesn't ring. I don't think it has a buzzer inside but I'll have to look to be sure. I have so many phones that at&t doesn't provide enough ringing power for all of them, so some of the ringers have the wire unscrewed. I will have to get a REN booster eventually, and then I can reconnect the wires.

John S

welcome....you going to love this board!!!!

jsowers

To answer Bwanna's question, yes that's a Cadillac crest on that white phone. Did any of you see the last picture on his album? "LIVE PHONE TERMINAL Do not touch the nails. They are live and there's a good chance they will kill you if you are touching the nail when the phones ring."  :o Nothing like some danger involved to make a cool display. Now that's some good ringing voltage.

The yellow one has the "phone number to nowhere" 311-555-2368 that the Bell System used in their ads and I hear is the number for Ghostbusters.

That's a nice start to a collection. When you get to the point where you even have phones displayed in your dining room like I do, it starts to be more of an obscession. Welcome to the board and I hope you find lots more phones. Eventually you will not be able to enjoy them all at the same time. I do agree that it's nice to be able to use them and I do use some of mine and enjoy the ring.
Jonathan

Tonyrotary

Welcome to the forum and the obsession! Nice collection. :)