Morphys Auction

[Kenton K]

I was surprised too. I felt some of those unique sticks went real low. I guess there were too many phones for buyers to take in all at once.

-KK

[Greg G.]

I'm sorry I blew my phone budget on those other phones now.

[Greg G.]

I was wondering about the shipping on these phones.  Since you've bought from Morphys before, how do you get notifications about phones for sale on that site?

I didn't really answer your question.  On Proxibid I just do a key word search every now and then.  I'm sure there's probably a way to automate it so that you can get emails, but I've never done that.  Much of the time there's not that many phones, and you have to factor in the internet premium along with the shipping costs.

[wds]

Just for the fun of it, I totaled up the proceeds from the sale of all the phones.  $369,775.00   Five items were passed on.  (no sale)

[Doug Rose]

thanks Dave....I wonder how much was profit as those beauties did not come cheaply.....Doug

[wds]

Although some of the phones went for good prices, it seemed like most of them sold for cheap.  Considering that the prices for phones seems to have gone down over the years, I kind of doubt that Pete made much (if any) profit.  If he bought many of these phones years ago, he probably paid more for them than they are worth now.    I just read on the TCI email that one collector bought 50 of the phones. 

[Bill]

Sadly, Dave, that seems to be the way of things. I've heard it said that people collect what they remember, and as the collector population ages, interest shifts to more recent items. Example - I grew up with 500-series desk sets and wall phones all over the place, and today I am mystified as to why anyone would have interest in them as collector items. Yet this Forum clearly demonstrates that it is true.

I collected and restored antique radios for 20 or so years, and yes - I took a beating when I started selling off my collections a couple years ago. I don't expect prices to recover to anywhere near what I paid for them. My current interests have shifted to phones, but I am much more selective about what I acquire. Phone collectors beware - you're in it for the current joy, not the eventual profit!

Bill

[Doug Rose]

Hey Bill....great observation. Its funny, I grew up with 500 sets and feel the same way. They seem "current" to me, that is why I do not collect them. Same with the Princess and Trimlines. I agree with you 100%.

I hope Peter did well as I would hate to see his collection be a break even sale. I buy low so hopefully something will be left for the grand children...Doug

[wds]

Bill, although I agree with you, I also want it to be known that I don't collect candlesticks because that's what I remember as a kid!  I'm not quite that old!

[Greg G.]

I grew up with 500 sets and have many of them, but I'm partial to 20s-30s era phones.  I sold a few phones at the first Seattle phone show, I wish now I had kept them.  Nothing special, a few AE 80s, one or two 500s and a Dutch PTT.   They had been cleaned and made functioning, so my markup was what I thought would be fair.  I ended up selling them at a loss.  Not going to do that anymore.  They are all my precious babies, down to the lowest black 500.

[wds]

The phones arrived yesterday, packed quite well.  All five phones in the same box, but they were wrapped very nicely, and I have enough peanuts now to last me all winter.  It took me over an hour to unwrap all the phones from their bubble wrap, and nothing was damaged.  The packing was good, but it was also pretty expensive.  I noticed that a lot of the phones at the auction were not on the old telephones web site, so apparently he had many more than he displayed.  A couple of the phones I bought were still quite dirty, so i wonder if he did the same thing I do, and buy faster than I can clean and put on display.  This canadian had quite a bit of dirt on it, so I doubt that he had this one on display anywhere. 

Does anyone know how to remove the base plate from this phone?  I don't see any screws, and it doesn't look like it twists off like some of the Strombergs. 

[Stubbypylon]

To remove the base plate on the Canadian Independent candlestick - you have to remove the screw on the side of the shaft up towards the hook (but on the opposite side of the hook).  Then the base and contact switch drop out from the bottom so be careful.

[wds]

That did the trick.  Interesting arrangement - no wires between the switch and the transmitter - the stem mates with another contact up in the stem.  The receiver arm doesn't bolt to the stem, it just slides into place.  Quite original. 

[Doug Rose]

Hey Craig....I didn't know you belonged to the Forum.....welcome.....Doug

[Stubbypylon]

Thanks Doug.  I've been here for a few months now I just haven't been that active.