Need more input on Pre-War colored 302's!

[deedubya3800]

I am really hungry for more information on Pre-War colored thermoplastic 302's. We've discussed them on here before, but other than a handful of facts and about a couple dozen or so photographs of no more than three specimens, there's not a whole lot about them out there. Not online, anyway. I know ivory and red were the most common colors, but I haven't seen as much as a single picture of any of the rest. All I can do is sit here and stare at one ivory that someone wisely stashed away for some seventy years and wonder where the rest are.

Anything would be greatly appreciated!

[poplar1]

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=7617.0

Other than the cords, finger wheel and receiver element, this 1942 rose one is in good shape.

[Doug Rose]

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=7617.0

Other than the cords, finger wheel and receiver element, this 1942 Rose one is in good shape.

What did the Old Rose 302 sell for?....thanks....Doug

[deedubya3800]

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=7617.0

Other than the cords, finger wheel and receiver element, this 1942 Rose one is in good shape.

What did the Old Rose 302 sell for?....thanks....Doug

Thank you! I had forgotten all about that one! The color-matching plungers are nothing short of spectacular! It went for the $500 Buy It Now price.

[Doug Rose]

thx

[Jon Kolger]

Like deedubya3800, I too am very interested in these pre-war colored 302 sets.  Some of you in ATCA or TCI may remember me advertising (for years) for a pre-war blue 302 with blue plungers.  So far, I haven't turned one up.  I don't even know if they were even made.   But, I have been lucky enough over the years to have found several ivory sets, a green, a rose, and a red... all pre-war colored 302 sets.  These sets are different from later 302s in many ways.  The plastic is more opaque, not translucent like the postwar sets.  The handset is solid.  The threads on the transmitter and receiver caps are different from the postwar sets.  The plungers are the same color as the phone rather than clear like on the later sets.  The dial, and even the dial blanks, are different, as previously mentioned.  The little insert that goes underneath the hookswitch handle is made of metal and painted to match, rather than plastic as in the postwar sets.  The cords were the typical brown cloth cords, not colored as in later years.  I'm sure there are other differences, but that's all that I can think of off the top of my head.  One of my phones has a 1939 date if I recall correctly.  I can't provide photos right now because they are all packed away in storage.  And, if anyone has a pre-war colored 302 in BLUE I would be very interested in hearing from you. 

[Doug Rose]

Hey Jon....good info on the pre war color 302s. I thought the earlier ones had a brown cloth cords. I have never seen a blue either. I have never seen a color side by side, 40s to 50s. If you could snap a picture of a pre war color next to a later 50s color, I sure would appreciate it. We are all thrilled you have decided to join us...thanks...Doug

[Jon Kolger]

Hi Doug,

Thanks for the kind words.  I'll be going over to my storage unit in a few days, so I'll try to see what I can do.  I don't remember the color being all that different, just the opacity of the plastic.  Later colored 302s, if you hold them up to the light, are almost translucent.  The pre-war sets are much more opaque.

Jon

[Jon Kolger]

OK, I went over to my storage unit yesterday and dug out my pre-war 302 sets.  I'm glad that I did because I had completely forgotten that I also had a pre-war ivory 410 set hidden away.  Please excuse the look of these phones, as they are "as found" and have not been cleaned up or restored.  I didn't bother to take a photo of the ivory set since we have already discussed them.  In several of the photos you can see the very early version of the 5J dial with the "cross" in the center.  The green one has an AE dial that someone fitted to it... I need to find another early 5J for that one.  The rose set has a later 5J, not the proper early one.  Even the dial blank in the ivory set is much different from later versions.  I have not posted photos to the forum before, so bear with me...

[Jon Kolger]

Obviously I haven't gotten the hang of posting photos yet.  I'll try again.

[Jon Kolger]

More photos...

[Jon Kolger]

One more... I have it figured out now.

[Doug Rose]

WOW!! Jon just amazing. WOW!!

[Dennis Markham]

Beautiful phones, Jon.  Thank you for posting those photos.  I don't think I've ever seen them with the matching plungers.

[deedubya3800]

Those are so beautiful! Pictures of them seem to be so rare! They pop up online so rarely and in real life virtually never, so I know I'm lucky to have one in my possession. They must be well-known among collectors, though.