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Gray three slot chrome - What did I buy??

Started by shortrackskater, May 09, 2016, 09:27:52 PM

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wds

In your first post you said you bought it because it looked cool.  You're only unhappy because of the posts and questions you asked after you received the phone.  Seems kind of unfair to the seller to return it because of what other people think about the phone, not because it looked cool.  It's still a cool looking phone.
Dave

shortrackskater

Quote from: wds on May 17, 2016, 03:40:02 PM
In your first post you said you bought it because it looked cool.  You're only unhappy because of the posts and questions you asked after you received the phone.  Seems kind of unfair to the seller to return it because of what other people think about the phone, not because it looked cool.  It's still a cool looking phone.

Yes true ... BUT... I feel the seller was not telling the whole truth about it by not showing the inside. I don't think that should have been overlooked, especially by an experienced Ebay seller with 17974 points.
I assumed (bad thing to do) it would be at least mostly complete. I should have asked for a picture of the inside I guess, but at the same time I still feel like he was not being completely honest about the listing.
If I had a ballpark figure on getting it complete and working with whatever it takes, with what's inside, I'd keep it and just work on it.
Mark J.

DavePEI

#17
Yes, it is a Frankenphone, with its AE top and Gray bottom, and goodness knows what all else in it.... Honestly, to make it all original Gray, or even to make it all AE, it would cost a lot more than it is worth. I suspect the seller expected someone who didn't know the difference to buy it just to use in a Rec room or something.

Dave
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html
Free Admission - Call (902) 651-2762 to arrange a visit!
C*NET 1-651-0001

shortrackskater

I had a friend (I think he's on this site) who may buy it from me. He also may have parts as he has numerous old pay phones so I'll wait for him before I return the phone in a rush. Disappointed though.  One thing, the chrome was really dirty. I simply wiped one side and it came out looking really nice looking.
Mark J.

wds

#19
Did you ask the seller any questions before you purchased?  Did you ask for the missing pictures?  Sounds like you didn't do your homework, now your upset with the seller when you should be upset with yourself.  This is part of the learning curve when collecting these old phones, or anything else old.  It's certainly not fair that the seller should have to take back the phone and eat all the shipping costs because a Buyer didn't ask questions, or didn't know what he was buying.  Window shoppers are for Walmart, not Ebay.
Dave

shortrackskater

#20
Yes I heard you...I agree I should have asked...
My previous post:

Yes true ... BUT... I feel the seller was not telling the whole truth about it by not showing the inside. I don't think that should have been overlooked, especially by an experienced Ebay seller with 17974 points.
I assumed (bad thing to do) it would be at least mostly complete. I should have asked for a picture of the inside I guess, but at the same time I still feel like he was not being completely honest about the listing.
If I had a ballpark figure on getting it complete and working with whatever it takes, with what's inside, I'd keep it and just work on it.

I guess I'm the anomalous seller who posted INSIDE pictures of stuff I've sold, which in the 13 years I've sold on ebay included phones, radios, slot machines, etc...   :P


Mark J.

wds

#21
About the only answer for that is if you needed pictures of the inside to make proper judgement, you should have either asked, or better yet not bought the phone.  I've looked at the Ebay listing, and I don't see anything misleading.  Possibly the Seller could have provided more information, but if he's not knowledgeable about these old phones, he wouldn't have known what pictures to provide.  Correct?  It's up to the Buyer to ask questions.  You were hoping for a home run at a bargain price and it didn't work out.  If the phone had turned out to be a $1000 Gray Telephone would you have given the extra profit back to the Seller?  What you did is called "gambling", and you lost bet.  You shouldn't take it out on the seller because you lost the bet. 

I've sold phones on Ebay, for $10, with approx. $10 postage, then the Buyer would change his mind and return the phone.  I'm now out the $10 for the phone, and another $20 in postage.  I would have been better off throwing the phone in the trash.  Don't much care for window shoppers.
Dave

shortrackskater

#22
I just wanted a mostly complete three slot phone...to keep, for me.


Mark J.

rdelius

I stand by my  earlier comments about this set.I know it's faults but try to find a virgin never rebuilt paystation is difficult.I suspect many of the correct ones out there were restored with parts as they could be obtained.I doubt Grey had a chrome option .If I saw the set at that price I might have gotten it even though I could see faults from the outside.It could be restored to a typical AE rebuild .The coin relay and nickle switch should be easy to get.These would be AE parts because the hopper is AE and not Grey.Better than the Phoneco metal replicas that are on ebay at a much higher price

shortrackskater

#24
Quote from: rdelius on May 17, 2016, 07:01:13 PM
I stand by my  earlier comments about this set.I know it's faults but try to find a virgin never rebuilt paystation is difficult.I suspect many of the correct ones out there were restored with parts as they could be obtained.I doubt Grey had a chrome option .If I saw the set at that price I might have gotten it even though I could see faults from the outside.It could be restored to a typical AE rebuild .The coin relay and nickle switch should be easy to get.These would be AE parts because the hopper is AE and not Grey.Better than the Phoneco metal replicas that are on ebay at a much higher price

Thank you... I appreciated your comments too!
But somehow the topic is getting changed into the wrong idea that I was pissed for not getting a complete vintage, virgin, untouched Gray payphone, of which I know nothing about. I just was expecting a MORE complete phone than what I had and now I WAS trying to get a teeny bit more help on what it would cost to get the parts it needed to just make it work as a payphone. All I said was that I thought the seller was holding back by not posting ONE STINKIN internal picture, which would have been quite easy to do. But MY FAULT ADMITTED... I failed to ask.
I'd love to MOVE ON now...
Mark J.

DavePEI

#25
C'mon. Guys - lay off on Mark. How many of you  haven't made a bad purchase when you were less experienced. Now, Mark knows what to look out for in the future. He made a mistake, and maybe trusted the seller that it was complete.

I have suggested to him that he fix it up so that it can make calls on a POTS line, and then sell it, noting that it is comprised of parts from several payphones. As long as it looks good and works as a normal phone, I am sure he will recover the money he has in it. There are always people looking for a phone for decorator purposes.

And now, he has learned out what to look for in future purposes. A hard way to learn, but he should be able to get out of it ok, and someone who isn't a collector will love the phone.

Don't blame Mark for a poor first payphone purchase. At least the seller did offer to take it back with Mark paying the shipping.

Additionally Mark is trying to find another way out without returning it to the seller.

Dave
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html
Free Admission - Call (902) 651-2762 to arrange a visit!
C*NET 1-651-0001

RotarDad

My first payphone purchase was a WE236G (my avatar), bought with only one auction photo.  The price was a nice BIN so I took the risk......  Nice, but, no relay and no coin track, plus other missing parts.  I ended up buying a parts phone, plus some other parts to put it back together.  Payphones are quite challenging to learn about and buy.  I agree with Dave that parts or whole phones bring good money usually when sold, and there's nothing like hands-on learning.....
Paul

shortrackskater

Quote from: wds on May 17, 2016, 03:40:02 PM
In your first post you said you bought it because it looked cool.  You're only unhappy because of the posts and questions you asked after you received the phone.  Seems kind of unfair to the seller to return it because of what other people think about the phone, not because it looked cool.  It's still a cool looking phone.

WDS is right.
I did think the phone was cool looking.
I should have asked the seller for a picture of the inside.
I have a habit of assuming people would do what I do all the time...as in posting one inside picture. I believe now the seller just wasn't thinking about it; he just overlooked it.  I scrolled at the other items this seller has and it's clear he's NOT a phone salesman. He's just selling all sorts of odds and ends.
I should have done my homework. I usually do, but I'm used to buying slot machines and they always have an inside picture or, if they're local I just look. Well I failed to look in this case.
So I'm keeping this cool phone and hope to make it into a mostly AE payphone. I will also leave the seller positive feedback.

Now can anyone tell me what the heck I need to buy first?  :D
Thanks DavePEI for your post as well. I'll be fine. I'm ready to work on my phone.
Mark J.

Stan S

"Now can anyone tell me what the heck I need to buy first?"

Not a problem.

1-The missing Hopper parts.
  A Trap Lever.
  A Trap Lever Spring.
  A Trap Lever Pin.

2-A working TESTED Western Electric TYPE 1A 4 terminal coin relay. Hopefully the wiring of the harness that connects to the relay is somewhere hidden in the phone.

3- To make the phone perfect, an Automatic Electric straight front, chrome plated bottom with a tray. One with an open coin return or a Pull Bucket (your choice) with the proper coin return chute to match.
You should be able to trade your older style Gray bottom for one. Your Gray bottom is more collectible so that shouldn't be a problem.

4- A 1A terminal assembly with mounting hardware.

5- A 2 Nickel Mechanism Assembly.  Automatic Electric Part Number 60530-C with mounting hardware.

6- A few lugged jumper wires of the proper color to connect the coin microphone.

Forum member 'Payphone installer' probably has all the parts you need.

Might be a good idea to check the TCI Technical Library for whatever information they have on the payphone.

Good luck.
Stan S.

trainman

Its possible the seller didn't know it was a Frankenphone. These are the thing you learn by collecting. You do research, and ask questions of collectors in the know.

Many business sold phones that catered to those seeking a phone for the nostalgia. these are not collectors. they just wanted a phone that looked old, and functioned as a modern phone. Your phone obviously fit that bill. Nothing wrong with that, but as a buyer and collector you need to know. not all sellers know either. They see something that looks old, so they think its old and original.

Just be glad you didn't pay 300 or more for it. 169, isn't bad.

Check out the PhoneCo Inc website. they sell their frankenphones for 400-500. but they don't pass them off as original either. they tell you exactly how many reproduction parts are in them. They make their phones out of some original parts. remember, back in the day, this stuff was going out in the scrap dumpster. lots of people bought tons of phones for almost nothing. and lots of those people sold refurbished, and reproduction phones to fill a niche for those wanted a nostaligic phone, but didn't want to do the restoration work.