Classic Rotary Phones Forum

Post your "Find of the Month" here.

A "Find of the Month" is a telephone or a related item that you acquired during the month that you are particularly excited about either because of its rarity, the difficulty you had in trying to find it for your collection or the exceptional "deal" that you got on it.

The "Find of the Month" contest is focused on the collection of telephones rather than on their sale for a profit. To be eligible for the "Find of the Month" contest:

- The finder must have personally acquired and actually own the item.
- The item can be acquired for free but it can not be a gift or present from anyone.
- The item (or any of its components) cannot be put up for sale during the contest period.
- Only one "Find" per owner can be in a "Find of the Month" contest.


A Nomination Should Include:

1) where and/or how the item was found.
2) the price & shipping cost.
3) the forum link to the topic discussing the find.
4) the eBay link if won there.
5) and other information of importance about the find.
6) one or two pictures of the item.


Ideally your item would be posted in its own thread elsewhere on the forum such as "Auction Talk", "Flea Market/Yard Sale Finds" or "Collectors Corner" Board. Then you or anyone else can nominate your "Find" to the Current "Find of the Month" thread by posting at least one picture and other details including the price paid, any shipping costs and a link to the original discussion on the forum. It is not a requirement that your find be posted elsewhere on the forum but the more details the better.

Nominations of phones listed in other forum discussion topics, by members that do not own the item but realize it is indeed a "find" worthy of being nominated as a "Find of the Month" candidate, are always welcome.

Please pick your best "Find" to submit for the month limiting your entry to one phone or one "Find" that might include limited multiple items. If you have already entered for the month and come up with something even better either submit your new find indicating that it replaces your previous entry OR you can enter your new Find in next months contest.

To check out a list of all past winners including the Find of the YEAR winners, click here:
          --> Winner's List <-- (http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=12971.msg67140#msg67140)

TelePlay has grabbed pictures of all of the "Find of the Month" winners since we started this back in 2010 and he has put them into albums on forum. Thanks John.  To check them out, click here:
           --> Photo Album <-- (http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=12971.msg180376#msg180376)

Terry

<edit - Moved from May to June's contest due to already having one find nominated in May. Terry>

I would like to nominate my WE 202 D1 base F1 handset, no subset for 400 Mexican Pesos (about $21 USD). I got free shipping from Mercadolibre from points.

It looks like mercadolibre already cleared the auction page but here is the first pic as received complete with external loop start button (?)  . Other pics are after some cleanup and straightening out fingerwheel

The felt base was intact

Phone Discussion posted here:  http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=18288.0

Mark

I would like to submit my  KX-T 61610  I picked up from Shopgoodwill.com. Purchase price $7.99 + $15.24 shipping + $3.00 handling = $26.23. It came today. Everything seems to work. All the ports have a dial tone & I called back & forth between a few & worked well. I haven't tried programming it yet but even if it doesn't the default programming is fine with me. I'm a happy camper.

Link to the 616 discussion topic:  http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=18292.msg188121#msg188121

Now on a colored phone streak! I would like to nominate this literal barn find pulled from the pile before it was tossed in a dumpster.  WE yellow 554, 12/63, modular conversion. Was very very dirty when found but worked!

My find this month.  Sorry no photos, maybe someone can post one.

A white WE 1554, but this is not the standard 1554, this one never had any guts. This was one from the Phone Store, were you would go to order your phone and other stuff.  (remember these stores?)

Here is the info on the 1554. Number strip (311) 555-2368,  Area code 311 was never used,  555 was never public number, it may have been used for "inside" phone Co. uses.  Base has no dates or markings. Never hand any guts, (no marks). TT pad is not a real pad, the buttons move, but has a steel plate on the back, stamped IV-65, marked F55934 on front.  Shell dated 4-65, HS back 1-64, rec cap 10-62, trans cap 9-64, no units, trans back cup in both the rec and trans end. HS cord '65. Ringer wheel on top, but does not move.  Has hook switch, but not working.  The White color is dirty, have not tried to clean it.

The best part, this was given to me for FREE !

Vern

PS:  I don't know what I am going to do with this, as the rest of my 1554's are real phones.

Sounds like a nice find, Vern!

Maybe you could create a separate display for it, making it look like an original "display only" phone!

Quote from: Vern P on June 17, 2017, 02:29:51 PM
My find this month.  Sorry no photos, maybe someone can post one.

A White WE 1554, but this is not the stander 1554, this one never had any guts. This was one from the Phone Store, were you would go to order your phone and other stuff.  (remember these stores?)

Hear is the info on the 1554. Number strip (311) 555-2368,  Area code 311 was never used,  555 was never publip number, it may have been used for "inside" phone Co. uses.  Base has no dates or markings. Never hand any guts, (no marks). TT pad is not a real pad, the buttons move, but has a steel plate on the back, stamped IV-65, marked F55934 on front.  Shell dated 4-65, HS back 1-64, rec cap 10-62, trans cap 9-64, no units, trans back cup in both the rec and trans end. HS cord '65. Ringer wheel on top, but does not move.  Has hook switch, but not working.  The White color is dirty, have not tried to clean it.

The best part, this was given to me for FREE !
Vern
PS:  I don't know what I am going to do with this, as the rest of my 1554's are real phones.

Well, according to the rules: "- The item can be acquired for free but it can not be a gift or present from anyone."  We'll have to poll the jury to see whether they are willing to make an exception.

What to do with it?  Keep it as is!  It's a rare item: few were made relative to real 1554s and even fewer probably survived closing of the stores.  And it's "fully functional" in the sense of serving the intended purpose: displaying the appearance of a 1554!

BTW, I have a 2702 (IIRC) Princess like this.  NOS.  But a purchase, not a find.

OK, This was not a gift, it was more like take it or into the trash type of deal.  Yes I will leave it "as is"  no plans to make it a working phone.
Vern

Quote from: Alex G. Bell on June 17, 2017, 03:16:39 PM
Well, according to the rules: "- The item can be acquired for free but it can not be a gift or present from anyone."  We'll have to poll the jury to see whether they are willing to make an exception.

What to do with it?  Keep it as is!  It's a rare item: few were made relative to real 1554s and even fewer probably survived closing of the stores.  And it's "fully functional" in the sense of serving the intended purpose: displaying the appearance of a 1554!

BTW, I have a 2702 (IIRC) Princess like this.  NOS.  But a purchase, not a find.

It may have been a situation where the guy just gave it to him, not so much as a formal gift. Paul Fassbender won 'Find of the Year' with a clear AE34 given to him for free as an informal gift. I would guess this just barely squeaks by with our rules.

Crossing the line would be, say, entering a really rare 3-or 4-figure phone given as a Christmas or Birthday present.

I nominate my Blue Bell paperweight. It is marked THE BELL TELEPHONE SYSTEM on one side and the other side is marked LOCAL AND LONG DISTANCE. It is in excellent condition. From eBay with a total cost of $74.99

I would like to nominate my WE 20-F with *A.B.T.* transmitter with celluloid Chicago Telephone Co. cover and OST receiver bought on ebay for $275.00 buy it now with free shipping.

https://tinyurl.com/yd4ftejy

Quote from: magicbrain on June 29, 2017, 04:10:27 PM
I would like to nominate my WE 20-F with *A.B.T.* transmitter with celluloid Chicago Telephone Co. cover and OST receiver bought on ebay for $275.00 buy it now with free shipping.

https://tinyurl.com/yd4ftejy

You have my vote.....love the ABT transmitter (still looking) and the Chicago Celluloid! Beauty!.....Doug

Very nice. The 20-F had a coin collector attached, which explains the scratches.

Time to vote for June's Find of the Month! Six contestants this time so two votes each. Good luck to all of the contestants!

Terry

A reminder to vote for your TWO favourite Finds from June.

Terry

Okay, June 2017 is in the books! Another good turn out with everyone getting votes but there is a decisive winner this month.

magicbrain's WE 20-F with *A.B.T.* transmitter, celluloid Chicago TelCo cover & OST receiver ypthat he snagged on ebay for $275.00 grabbed the Find if the Month WIN. There was a time in these contests that a phone for free or maybe just $10 or $20 was the best attribute to snag a win here so it is always encouraging to see a decisive win of a phone that was significantly more expensive than free!

Vern P's 1554 Phone Store Sample was a strong runner up as well.

So congratulations to magicbrain on your Find of the Month win and special mention to Vern P as well.

As always, thanks to everyone who entered their "Find" and to everyone who voted as well.

To check out a list of all past winners including the Find of the YEAR winners, click here:  --> Winner's List <-- (http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=12971.msg67140#msg67140)

TelePlay has grabbed pictures of all of the "Find of the Month" winners since we started this back in 2010 and he has put them into albums on forum. Thanks John.  To check them out, click here:   --> Photo Album <-- (http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=12971.msg180376#msg180376)

Terry