News:

"The phone is a remarkably complex, simple device,
and very rarely ever needs repairs, once you fix them." - Dan/Panther

Main Menu

Yellow WE 500 Display Set Or Just Parts?

Started by magicbrain, September 24, 2020, 12:12:04 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

magicbrain

For-Decoration-only-Non-Working-Vintage-Western-Electric-Phone-Yellow/274505927273

Bought what appears to be just a WE 500 yellow shell, bezel & handset with a fat type cord - I hoping that it is all soft plastic parts which could, at least, be made into a working phone - As far as I know if it were a factory display set it would have a standard metal base plate minus the internal parts stamped with an F number - And why the skinny modular line cord? - We shall see once I receive it.


Bruce

Key2871

Wow, thats cool, if the parts alone nice find!
KEN

magicbrain

Something else I noticed on this - Aren't these the same cork pads you find on some of the Imperials/Continentals?

Bruce

.....

A good clean up along with a donor phone you and should be good to go.

Jim Stettler

the display phones were empty, with fake parts, a metal baseplate and a F #.
the cork feet were made to put on 500 feet. Many times you see them on the imperials/continentals.
As a guess,this set may of been used as a stage prop.
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

SUnset2

When I was a child, I had a pair of these that I used as toy telephones.  Mine didn't have bases at all.  The handsets had cords, but no elements inside.  The phone company had thrown them out as being obsolete.  One was dark blue and the other was dark gray.  Eventually, my mother threw them out, though I wish now that she hadn't.

Attached is a picture of me at the age of 4 with one of them.

.....

Cool picture, I resized the picture of the phone for you.

magicbrain

It is just parts, but nice parts - All bright yellow soft plastic (not faded like it appeared in the auction pictures) with a H4CJ cord dated IV 56
I think what I will do give it a clean & polish, add a base & display as is - whatever glue they used to attach the bezel it is there to stay, plus the finger wheel has several cracks in it & would not survive removal.





Bruce

Key2871

Great find! Congrats.
I had my picture taken with a red phone when i was a kid this reminds me of that. It had a botton very much on yours I don't remember if the finger wheel moved or was fixed. But that was eairly sixtys.
But you got a great find.
KEN

Doug Rose

Quote from: magicbrain on October 08, 2020, 01:09:36 PM
It is just parts, but nice parts - All bright yellow soft plastic (not faded like it appeared in the auction pictures) with a H4CJ cord dated IV 56
I think what I will do give it a clean & polish, add a base & display as is - whatever glue they used to attach the bezel it is there to stay, plus the finger wheel has several cracks in it & would not survive removal.






Very Nice Find Bruce....Yellow is a toughie to find in Soft Plastic. you should be able to find a donor phone with close dates....Doug
Kidphone

HarrySmith

If it has the Western Electric F# it is a real display model from the factory. I would leave the base it came with for display. The display models are definitely harder to find, very few made.
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"