Which Yellow is This?

[LarryInMichigan]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180441375543

Is it "Yellow", "Canary Yellow", "Sunlight Yellow", or other?

Larry

[Dennis Markham]

Larry, it's difficult to tell which yellow.  I never could see much of a difference.  The later in years the more the yellow colors changed I think.  That one looks a little orange colored in the photo, especially the handset.  That may be from UV color change or from poor photographic lighting.  The seller indicates it is from 11-1955 but I'm sure that phone has been to the refurbish shop.  No doubt the plastic is much later.  You can see the tapered end on the handset cord where it extends from the handset. That is a clue of a later replacement.  Also look where the finger stop comes through the dial bezel.....it is a narrow slit as opposed to the wider opening on the earlier 7 series dials.

Oops, I guess it's a moot point now that I see it's already ended.

[Dan/Panther]

As far as I know only one color yellow was produced in 1955, I have a 7-55 that is much lighter than that one, more of a pastel yellow. i think the photo is not color correct.
After a little photo shop work, I think the phone is actually more like this.
D/P

[finlover]

There was only one yellow--Pastel Yellow.  Soft plastic tends to fade and ABS plastic darkens from sun and smoke exposure, which accounts for all the different shades.  Also, with soft plastic phones there seems to have been some color variation when they were new.  On my MIB aqua '58, the handset caps and number plate are a lighter blue than the rest of the phone--it almost looks two-tone!

[Dennis Markham]

Greg, according to Paul F's site there were several other colors.  Now I don't know if model 500 sets were made of these colors.  At least one (-93 Lemon Yellow) was for the Design Line Series.

Listed are -56 , Pastel Yellow (That we normally associate with the older 500's)
-72 - Light Yellow
-93 - Lemon Yellow
-111 - Harvest Gold
-123 - Butter Yellow
-257 - Yellow Essence
-308 - Yellow, Maize

There is a chart with a few of those colors shown here:

http://www.porticus.org/bell/images/we-color-chart1.jpg

Agian, I don't know if Model 500's were made in all of these colors or just some of them.

~Dennis

[finlover]

I would bet that no non-modular 500s were made in those colors.  If you ever see one in a different yellow please let me know because I WANT IT!!

[bellsystemproperty]

The bright yellow ones are the best, the dull yellow is so boring. I don't know what color this 500 is, but I use it a lot and it seems to have no fading. This was my first 500, which I got on Craigslist. It is from 11-65.

[Phonesrfun]

Kyle:

Interesting phone you have there.  Are you aware of the significance of 555-2368?

-Bill

[McHeath]

It's the super secret direct line number to Santa?

[Phonesrfun]

From my phone it is a secret number to directory assistance.  Probably wound up costing me for a 4-1-1 call.   

However, it is usually a number that the phone company often used in movies when someone called out a phone number.  Other times it was used on phones that the phone company used as demo phones.  If you Google it up, you can see what various sources have to say.

Unless Kyle made his own dial card, the phone could have been a Bell System demo phone at one time, or even a movie or TV show phone.  The fact that the phone obviously works would not point to an out-and-out movie prop, but rather something functional.

-Bill

[bellsystemproperty]

I got the 500 from a guy on Craigslist in San Francisco at least 8 months ago, well before I joined the forum. I think he made the dial card, because it looks a little bit too white, there's no yellowing. The number was used in movies a lot, because if they used a real number people would call it. Since 311 is a fake area code, with at&t landline it cuts out at the area code. I have to say it is one of my most used phones, with my red 500 my most commonly used phones. Lately I haven't been using my rotary phones as much because my PBX is down, so only three phones are connected downstairs, and I don't feel like walking that far, so  I use my cell phone. I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my new PBX so I don't have tolerate the lag of my cell phone. There's always a slight delay from my words until the other caller hears them, which of course my beloved rotaries don't have.
Ohh just noticed, next to the rotary phone is another ancient piece of technology, a floppy disk. 

[Greg G.]

From my phone it is a secret number to directory assistance.  Probably wound up costing me for a 4-1-1 call.  

-Bill

Everybody who dialed the number after reading Bill's post raise your hand!    I got a "The number you have dialed is not a working number." message from a very pleasant sounding lady.  Hey, who is she, anyway?

So Larry, did you win that phone?

I call my SC "mustard", not sure what the official color is:

[Dan]

Brinybay, here's the scoop on the phone lady

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/07/25/sunday/main565229.shtml

The immortal phone lady died recently. This is the voice you heard. I heard her too.

[Dan]

more on Jane

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQK8kpkAosQ

[Phonesrfun]

From my phone it is a secret number to directory assistance.  Probably wound up costing me for a 4-1-1 call.   

-Bill

Everybody who dialed the number after reading Bill's post raise your hand!     I got a "The number you have dialed is not a working number." message from a very pleasant sounding lady.  Hey, who is she, anyway?

So Larry, did you win that phone?

I call my SC "mustard", not sure what the official color is:

With the 311 area code, I got the recording.  Without the area code I got the directory assistance.  I think Kyle is right.  There is no 311 area code.