When was Turquoise first introduced ?

[Dan/Panther]

I read earlier today in a thread that the color Turquoise was introduced in 1964, was that for the 500 or all models.
The reason I ask is that at the Show in Placentia earlier this year I bought a real nice Princess phone dated 2-61, it's Turquoise and not painted the guy who will remain un-named assured me, it was a rare color for that year, Yeah so rare they didn't make them, have I been had ?
The phone is clearly displayed in one of the photos from the placentia show.
D/P

[JorgeAmely]

Is there a date in the housing? Inked or molded?

[Dennis Markham]

Or is it Aqua?

[Dan/Panther]

here is a close up at the show before I cleaned it, and one on the shelf after I cleaned it Next to an aqua Princess.
D/P

[Dennis Markham]

Dan, is there a date molded inside the housing?  How about the handset dates?

[jsowers]

Turquoise was introduced in late 1959 on Princess phones and 1964 on 500 sets. The lineup you see in the last picture Dan posted are all 701 Princesses in the five original colors: light beige, turquoise, white, aqua blue and pink. That being said, the turquoise one in the picture looks a little bluish in spots, but it could be the camera. Look inside the handset caps and behind the receiver element for the true color. Smoke can fade aqua blue to turquoise.

I've never considered turquoise in a Princess to be any rarer than the other colors, but I suppose it could be. I have several turquoise 701 Princesses and never considered them rare items. I think they were all $20 or so each, back in the day. Now they're a bit more.

[Dan/Panther]

I'm not budging on this one guys.
Here are a few more photos, also same vintage aqua.
The only marking at all inside the housing is a 2, most likely cavity number in mold.
Here are both caps next to the same vintage aqua.
Next is the base of the phone.
Next Receiver end of handset with C-60.
Next is both caps 1-60, and 2-60.
D/P

[Dennis Markham]

It looks Turquoise to me Dan.  I didn't think to look over at my 701B to see the date on it.  It is 9-1960.  As shown here:

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=530.0

[Dan/Panther]

Is it safe to say, I didn't get hosed ?
D/P

[Dennis Markham]

As far as the color is concerned, I say you did not.  As Jonathan reported, late 1959 was the early date for Princess phones in Turquoise. 

[Jim Stettler]

Dan,
It sounds like they exsisted and you have one.

Somewhere I have a soft plastic red princess dated 1959. I haven't seen it in the last 15 years or so.
I bought it because it wasn't supposed to exsist. I turned down a second one that she had. It was also notched but had a bad crack (low funds was also a problem).

ISTR that the housing date stamp is molded and matches the base dates. The only drag is it got notched. I paid $20.00 for it in 1993-94.
As I said, I haven't seen or examined it for 15 years, I am relying on my memory (which isn't as good as it was 15 years ago).



This is the same lady I bought my first 2 clear trimlines from for $5.00. When I went to visit I bought a clear 500, another clear trimline and the red princess all at $20.00 each.

Jim

The last time I saw all the phones I own was Christmas week 1994. I was off that week and packed them all away in an effort to baby proof the house and phones.

Since then some of them have never been unpacked and some of my phone show purchases have never been displayed. Over the years I have sold a lot of the phones, but I also bought a lot more.

Since I have joined the forum I have been trying to display some of these phones.

[McHeath]

Love to see pictures of them, you have some real rare birds in your collection.

D/P that's a nice lineup of early Princess phones, impressive.  Looks Turquoise to me, the inside is the proof eh? 

[Doug Rose]

Dan....I have had light blue Princess phones fade to a turquoise color. The handset cord looks like a light blue or aqua. Is it the same color throughout? From your pictures together it looks like its a lighter blue on the front bottom. ...Doug