Classic Rotary Phones Forum

Telephone Talk => ebaY Quirks, Complaints and Chatter => Auction Talk => Insanity! or Genius? => Topic started by: Babybearjs on February 22, 2016, 09:54:31 PM

Title: and the winning bid is.....$338.00!
Post by: Babybearjs on February 22, 2016, 09:54:31 PM
talk about crazy! a simple ringer and the collectors went crazy! so....who's the fool that spent this for that!
Title: Re: and the winning bid is.....$338.00!
Post by: HarrySmith on February 22, 2016, 09:59:04 PM
Got a link or an item number? Thanks!
Title: Re: and the winning bid is.....$338.00!
Post by: TelePlay on February 22, 2016, 10:06:59 PM
Seller description:  " YOU ARE BIDDING ON AN UNUSUAL WESTERN ELECTRIC 531A RINGER SUBSET. THERE IS ANOTHER NUMBER J-99237D . I HAVE NEVER SEEN ONE THESE BEFORE. THE TUBES LOOK TO BE NEON . THE RINGER WORKS. THERE IS NO CRACKS OR CHIPS.THERE IS A DATE 3/1954"

http://www.ebay.com/itm/UNUSUAL-VINTAGE-WESTERN-ELECTRIC-TELEPHONE-RINGER-SUBSET-/131728020879
Title: Re: and the winning bid is.....$338.00!
Post by: unbeldi on February 22, 2016, 10:12:01 PM
I don't think this is an ordinary ringer and I can see where some people would fight over it.

I think it is part of a central office alarm system, yes it is a ringer, but it has illumination of four conditions.  Those are neon lamps that light up for their respective condition and ring the bell.

Title: Re: and the winning bid is.....$338.00!
Post by: HarrySmith on February 22, 2016, 10:13:35 PM
Yes, it is unusual, I have never seen one like it. Someone must know more than we do to pay that price!
Title: Re: and the winning bid is.....$338.00!
Post by: poplar1 on February 22, 2016, 10:31:52 PM
There is a similar model for Civil Defense
Title: Re: and the winning bid is.....$338.00!
Post by: unbeldi on February 22, 2016, 10:34:11 PM
Quote from: poplar1 on February 22, 2016, 10:31:52 PM
There is a similar model for Civil Defense

That was one of my thoughts too.   Does anyone have BSP 801-606-150 ?
It should be the BSP for the J-99237 series of specs.
Title: Re: and the winning bid is.....$338.00!
Post by: Babybearjs on February 23, 2016, 02:35:48 AM
this was originally a CD subset.... (C15.930) I did some reading and started to wonder.... what ever happened to all this platform? in todays world... civil defense is still strong, but our warning system seems to be gone....I remember as a kid doing Air raid drills in school..... what would happen if a war were to come to the US.... would we be ready.... or would we be caught with our pants down? do we even have air raid shelters anymore????  how many people still remember this system....
Title: Re: and the winning bid is.....$338.00!
Post by: paul-f on February 23, 2016, 12:43:10 PM
Search for Civil Defense in the TCI Library and you'll get lots of reading material. (A Google site search works best. Use the one in the drop down menu under "Search.")

Here's a good starter - BSP 981-281-100:

  http://www.telephonecollectors.info/index.php/document-repository/doc_view/9959-981-281-100-i1-civil-defense-warning-system-cdws-bell-and-lights-system-general-description (http://www.telephonecollectors.info/index.php/document-repository/doc_view/9959-981-281-100-i1-civil-defense-warning-system-cdws-bell-and-lights-system-general-description)
          --  ( Reported bad/dead link, Jan 28, 2019, equivalent good link below )

   bsps-bell-system/bsp-categories-by-later-division-number-by-doc/660-984-vehicles-supplies-gen-l/981-division-equip-on-customers-premises/9959-981-281-100-i1-civil-defense-warning-system-cdws-bell-and-lights-system-general-description (https://www.telephonecollectors.info/index.php/browse/bsps-bell-system/bsp-categories-by-later-division-number-by-doc/660-984-vehicles-supplies-gen-l/981-division-equip-on-customers-premises/9959-981-281-100-i1-civil-defense-warning-system-cdws-bell-and-lights-system-general-description?highlight=WyI5ODEtMjgxLTEwMCJd)

These are quite collectible and hard to find in good condition.
Title: Re: and the winning bid is.....$338.00!
Post by: Babybearjs on February 23, 2016, 03:51:19 PM
Yeh, I was reading this BSP last night... interesting stuff. wonder what the system looks like today.....
Title: Re: and the winning bid is.....$338.00!
Post by: Dan/Panther on April 15, 2017, 09:38:40 PM
I might not be reading this correctly. but how did the bidding go from $30.98 to $333.33, with nothing in between ? It must be a printing error or glitch in eBay system. Bidding is in small dollar increments. I think it was suppose to be $33.33, then $38.33.

D/P
Title: Re: and the winning bid is.....$338.00!
Post by: TelePlay on April 15, 2017, 10:04:12 PM
The problem with sniping  high. Two snipes at the end. n***a went in with a very high bid about 9 seconds before the auction ended. Then, c***n went in with a $333.33 with 5 seconds to go. c***n's bid was not high enough to out bid n***a but it made n***a pay $5 more, the minimum eBay increment at that level, to take the phone home. I suspect c***n is happy not to have over paid and n***a is shocked at having to pay that for that phone thanks to c***n's overly high bid.

For a few seconds, n***a thought he had the phone for about $30 but then that last second high bid by c***n bumped the price up.
Title: Re: and the winning bid is.....$338.00!
Post by: Dan/Panther on April 15, 2017, 10:09:32 PM
That's right, had c**n not bid, n**a, would have won at $35.98.
If n**a withdraws his winning bid as an error, c**n will then win at $35.98.

D/P
Title: Re: and the winning bid is.....$338.00!
Post by: Fabius on April 16, 2017, 12:28:18 PM
Quote from: Babybearjs on February 23, 2016, 02:35:48 AM
civil defense is still strong, but our warning system seems to be gone....I remember as a kid doing Air raid drills in school..... what would happen if a war were to come to the US.... would we be ready.... or would we be caught with our pants down? do we even have air raid shelters anymore????  how many people still remember this system....

As a kid in the 1950s & 60s I remember the drills and in the large apartment complex where we lived there was a Civil Defense shelter. I remember the large sealed 55 gal barrels of water marked CD Today civil defense is emergency management.

Back at the height of the cold war the US had anti aircraft Nike Hercules missile (which could have a nuclear warhead) batteries around the major US cites. The Royal Canadian Air Force had deployed the Bomarc air defense missile system in eastern Canada.
Title: Re: and the winning bid is.....$338.00!
Post by: paul-f on January 28, 2019, 01:31:57 PM
Quote from: paul-f on February 23, 2016, 12:43:10 PM
Search for Civil Defense in the TCI Library and you'll get lots of reading material. (A Google site search works best. Use the one in the drop down menu under "Search.")

Here's a good starter - BSP 981-281-100:

  http://www.telephonecollectors.info/index.php/document-repository/doc_view/9959-981-281-100-i1-civil-defense-warning-system-cdws-bell-and-lights-system-general-description (http://www.telephonecollectors.info/index.php/document-repository/doc_view/9959-981-281-100-i1-civil-defense-warning-system-cdws-bell-and-lights-system-general-description)

These are quite collectible and hard to find in good condition.

The link above is no longer functioning. Search for 981-281-100 or try this link:

   https://www.telephonecollectors.info/index.php/browse/bsps-bell-system/bsp-categories-by-later-division-number-by-doc/660-984-vehicles-supplies-gen-l/981-division-equip-on-customers-premises/9959-981-281-100-i1-civil-defense-warning-system-cdws-bell-and-lights-system-general-description?highlight=WyI5ODEtMjgxLTEwMCJd (https://www.telephonecollectors.info/index.php/browse/bsps-bell-system/bsp-categories-by-later-division-number-by-doc/660-984-vehicles-supplies-gen-l/981-division-equip-on-customers-premises/9959-981-281-100-i1-civil-defense-warning-system-cdws-bell-and-lights-system-general-description?highlight=WyI5ODEtMjgxLTEwMCJd)