Help with antique store find

[heifetz17]

Hi guys, I came across this in an antique store and it's quite expensive so I want to make an informed decision. Is it real? Where is it from? I can't tell if the date is 1918 or 1938. It's priced at $245.

[countryman]

It's Swedish and does not look too bad. The price is high though.
I have a similar phone : http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=23141.msg234325#msg234325

Yours seems to be a "normal" cb automatic phone. It's possible that the dial was added by Televerket, the Swedish phone co., when the region was automated. Mine has a magneto with a crank and is an intermediate phone, but the outer appearance is similar.

I have seen a handful of these on the German market. Apparently many have been tinkered with - not sure who did this, private owners, antique dealers,...? So better have a look inside before spending so much money. At least the numbering of the dial isn't original to Swedish Televerket - they started with 0-1-2...9!
Here's a link to a German collector who has a similar phone and more info: http://www.erel.de/INH/20/2022310/index.htm

[dsk]

Yes Swedish made by the telcos production in Nynäshamn. Model 310 probably made in 1931. The paper label tells about repair date, ringer resistance.  I am old enough to say everything is expensive and so is this. I do think max $100 and even that feels to be more than enough. (But you do have no shipping costs :-)   )

Here is one sold at an auction: https://www.bukowskis.com/sv/lots/1004909-telefon-kungl-telegrafverkets-verksatd-nynashamn-1900-talets-forsta-halft
According to the museum page: https://digitaltmuseum.se/021026309061/telefonapparat
this was started to be made in 1925

dsk

[Sargeguy]

The last one of these I had sold for $50.

[tubaman]

I'm pretty sure that ticket says 1938, and yes, I'd say it's real and correct (assuming the insides haven't been messed with).
Agree with others that the price is way too high and that $100 would probably be about the top. Of course the rarity on your side of the pond may push the price higher.

[heifetz17]

Thanks guys, I passed for now while I do some more research and next time maybe I'll put in an offer but it sounds like he's so high on the price he may not accept a lower offer!

[Jim Stettler]

Bob Prosser of Turtle Lake Telephone (Turtle Lak,e Wisconsin) brought thousands of similar style telephones from Europe to the US in the 1950's or 60's. I heard $.50 each.
That is the main source of this style of telephones in the US.
The first to sell were complete telephones, as time went on and parts became unavailable, repro parts started being created.  When you are examining this style of phone (in US), You can find them in many stages of original parts, there are also full repro's out there.
I agree that top value is below $100.
JMO,
Jim

[countryman]

Interesting, it seems the same business model was going on both sides of the pond, possibly sharing sources of repro parts.

The red fragment I recently bought for parts was sandblasted, painted, decorated with gold trim and received a repro cradle. The ringer, coil and switches inside were original as I had hoped for.