This is the highest priced Black 302 I've seen....
I have studied the photos in detail, this phone is absolutely flawless. And it's not a fluke....
D/P
http://tinyurl.com/yzer6qt (dead link, no images)
http://tinyurl.com/yhgtt3q (dead link, no images)
http://tinyurl.com/yfkskzj (dead link, no images)
http://tinyurl.com/y8g3wp4 (dead link, no images)
Wow! That's one beautiful 302. The mirror-like finish on the base is just incredible.
I posted an active auction without thin king about it, I was just so amazed at the details the seller puts into the phones.
Sorry about that.
D/P
Inside and out that is one shiny and damage free phone. A picture perfect 302!
Quote from: Dan/Panther on February 10, 2010, 07:09:39 PM
I posted an active auction without thin king about it, I was just so amazed at the details the seller puts into the phones.
Sorry about that.
D/P
I don't understand this statement. Did you do something taboo?
Dougpav
Some forum members may like to bid on an active phone. Visitors to the site may notice the active auction , hence driving up the price.a
It looked like all 4 auctions have been over for quite some time.
But now I see that D/P has edited it, so that must be where the live one was.
Dougpav
I perhaps have been the foremost outspoken member, to request that if you see an active auction don't post it. A member may be lurking, hoping for a last minute bargain. So What do I do, Post an active auction. BTW, I didn't remove the link to the live auction, someone else did.
D/P
I agree with NOT posting live auctions.
I just wanted to make sure that I understood the unwritten rule correctly.
Dougpav
It wasn't edited by me.
Early on in Forum history I posted a link to an active auction for a soft plastic set, or some other set that I was pointing out to the new members that were interested in differences in phones. Someone (I don't remember who) jumped on me for that and that is when the "unwritten rule" began.
Wasn't me either. This is the first time I've looked at this thread. Beutiful phones. Wish I could own one....
Bill Cahill
I'm confused...yet again. If any member posts on the Forum an auction that is LIVE on eBay; doesn't that make a forum member(s) aware of the auction and maybe win it. Getting a phone he/she is looking for. That's bad? Isn't that why we are here, to let someone know there might be a good phone for them out there? BUT...we should not post it, JUST IN CASE a forum member is lurking to win it with a low bid??? If..... I was the forum member "lurking for the low bid" and I am outbid, that's life baby. I should have bid higher. I have been guilty of posting what I thought were good phones on eBay that were not over. I missed the "unwritten rule." I know I am a newbie here, but If its a rule, no matter how foolish, its should be know by the entire forum. I do disagree with the "unwritten rule," but will abide by it.....Doug
This is just a thought, but doesn't the contest where we guess the outcome violate that unwritten rule too? All those phones are posted when still active. I've seen several phones I'd like to bid on featured there. They all went too high for my budget, so I would never have won them, so it's not a sore point with me. So please don't eliminate the contest or anything like that.
To get back to the black 302, the one in the first link, is it supposed to have the word Operator above the 0 or am I thinking of a later dial face? I saw some for bids yesterday that were dated very late and they had it spelled out. This one just has "O" in that space. I'm not that familiar with 302s and all of mine have the 0 and Z there. This one looks different. Is it because it was a military phone? I don't think I've ever seen one of those before.
Jonathan, I have not seen a dial plate like that before either. It almost looks like there was space for the word "operator" that would appear curved over the "0".
With regard to the "unwritten rule" thing. You're absolutely right Jonathan that contest does violate the alleged unwritten rule. Even though I referred to it in my earlier posting, it is not officially a "rule" written or otherwise. When I was called out for making the reference posting I suppose I should have addressed it then. Perhaps it was prior to when the forum was turned over to me---I don't remember.
I also agree with Doug. If one wants to win an auction one has to bid enough to cover that auction. Ebay is open to the world. The fact that it is mentioned here, even if all 200+ members are interested probably won't affect the sale price.
At any given time I am watching many eBay auctions. I am not under the impression that I am the only person watching those listings.
I will create a new topic to continue this discussion, so that we don't continue to deviate from this original topic.
The topic I created to discuss the "unwritten" rule is here:
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=2160.
Quote from: jsowers on February 11, 2010, 11:55:16 AM
To get back to the black 302, the one in the first link, is it supposed to have the word Operator above the 0 or am I thinking of a later dial face? I saw some for bids yesterday that were dated very late and they had it spelled out. This one just has "O" in that space. I'm not that familiar with 302s and all of mine have the 0 and Z there. This one looks different.
I'm afraid the pictures are poor, but here's a link to the thread I posted detail shots of my '53 WE 251 on.
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=641.15 (http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=641.15)
The number plate on this phone is the same as the one in the auction. The only explanation I have for mine is that the dial is a Northern Electric 5H, and perhaps the plate was used in the French speaking provinces. They aren't very common.
.
I dont' want to take us back off topic, but I do have one brief comment on the subject of editing posts that I'd like to make and then we can return to the subject of this rather spectacular phone. The only other person who could edit a post in the auctions forum is me, and I didn't make an edit, either. Edits create a tag at the bottom of the post showing who made the edit and when. For example, I just made a minor edit to the post directly above mine, and it shows that I did. Don't worry, Stephen, I only added a period below the paragraph.
Quote from: Jester on February 11, 2010, 01:16:02 PM
The number plate on this phone is the same as the one in the auction. The only explanation I have for mine is that the dial is a Northern Electric 5H, and perhaps the plate was used in the French speaking provinces. They aren't very common.
Stephen, that makes perfect sense to me. Same as the Canadian NE 500s I have. And who knew what country a military phone would end up in? Thanks for clearing that up.
This is odd. I went to visit the ebay page of this 302 and I was 302nd visitor to the page!
:o :o :o
Must be fate Jorge. That means you should buy one!
I have two already.
htt p://picasaweb.google.com/Amelyenator/1948WesternElectricModel302Phone# (dead link)
1948 Western Electric Model 302 Phone # (https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipO-yc9RYpmepz4hzBch_kzwHMELxqWmyzvaVGziCsp90pAdnBIx2UCS2wVBc-c7rw?key=b1BvMWluTU1wNGJhVC1YQUtOdS1PbTNZRVUtQXpB)
As far a numbers are concerned, 302's are my most plentiful, I currently have 25 of the beautiful ,little gems. 5 restored, 2 I've sold and the rest are in different stages of restoration, or original in great shape
I've been kicking around the idea of taking ten of the 302's I have and having them professionally painted different colors.
D/P
Quote from: Dan/Panther on February 11, 2010, 07:21:29 PM
As far a numbers are concerned, 302's are my most plentiful, I currently have 25 of the beautiful ,little gems. 5 restored, 2 I've sold and the rest are in different stages of restoration, or original in great shape
I've been kicking around the idea of taking ten of the 302's I have and having them professionally painted different colors.
D/P
Isn't that cheating? Granted, they look nice, But do they really count.
Just my thoughts.
Jim
BTW, I have tried having many phones painted in clear. The result just wasn't the same.
Jim
d/p would not be cheating, they are his phones to do what he wants. only would be dishonest if he were to sell them & mis-represent as original colored sets. & dan would not do that.
jmho :)
Quote from: bwanna on February 11, 2010, 08:07:24 PM
d/p would not be cheating, they are his phones to do what he wants. only would be dishonest if he were to sell them & mis-represent as original colored sets. & dan would not do that.
jmho :)
bwanna,
I didn't mean to suggest that he would. My point is that painting them only fools yourself.
My thought is a painted Med. blue or oxford gray is only a placeholder, and doen't really count.
Specially created sets are "fantasy sets", I have created a few for my own amusement. (WE Clear 1554 comes to mind). I only consider it a placeholder and not the real thing.
There is nothing wrong with creating your own phones. I know an old collector, that has many "created" phones like Remco's skeletal posting. He has a very good machinest that modifies old phones into really rare examples, for his own enjoyment.
D/P is young enough to find the real stuff eventually. Why ruin a good phone, when affordable "real" phones will show up. All you have to do is attend phone shows.
Just my thoughts,
Jim
To paint or not to paint, that is the question. Whether tis nobler to have pure plastic that is fully pigmented, or only tinted at thy surface. :)
Painting phones is one of those hot button issues eh? Preferably I would have only phones that the color goes all the way through. However, Ma Bell certainly did not hesitate to paint and most of us have phones that the Mothership created out of a multitude of multicolor parts. Ironically they are "authentic", as they are as officially issued, but...
Most collectors seem to want their plastics to be solid color with no paint, yet a 500 that was spray painted med blue by Ma Bell is also their handiwork and to me just as collectable, though not as valuable in my mind as one that is not painted. And then what about the folks and companies that paint them today, companies like OldPhoneWorks do a superb job and it's hard to tell that it's not phone company work. (and in a hundred years their painted plastic phones will be passed off as phone company paint jobs)
The other odd problem that we face as collectors is that it's totally possible to assemble a rare phone from match dated parts and no one will know. The phone would be a fabrication of sorts, but not even the best collector would be able to tell, unless the wear was dramatically different.
Quote from: McHeath on February 11, 2010, 10:48:18 PM
To paint or not to paint, that is the question. Whether tis nobler to have pure plastic that is fully pigmented, or only tinted at thy surface. :)
Painting phones is one of those hot button issues eh? Preferably I would have only phones that the color goes all the way through. However, Ma Bell certainly did not hesitate to paint and most of us have phones that the Mothership created out of a multitude of multicolor parts. Ironically they are "authentic", as they are as officially issued, but...
Most collectors seem to want their plastics to be solid color with no paint, yet a 500 that was spray painted med blue by Ma Bell is also their handiwork and to me just as collectable, though not as valuable in my mind as one that is not painted. And then what about the folks and companies that paint them today, companies like OldPhoneWorks do a superb job and it's hard to tell that it's not phone company work. (and in a hundred years their painted plastic phones will be passed off as phone company paint jobs)
The other odd problem that we face as collectors is that it's totally possible to assemble a rare phone from match dated parts and no one will know. The phone would be a fabrication of sorts, but not even the best collector would be able to tell, unless the wear was dramatically different.
An interesting point regarding phone company painting is that the painted phones were "B" and "C" stock. B stock was typically a matching color to the plastic, C stock the paint didn't match the base color.
These were supplied to underpreforming companies, it was considered a warning to the employees to shape up or get new management.
I have some "B" stock HW converted to mod handsets and B stock "painted" cords. The cords have smoke tint mod ends and are dipped in Polane paint.
A phone company painted real set is still preferable over a created "fantasy" set.
I have an oddball factory painted 500 from 1957. It appears to be painted @ original issue. It is painted green over Blue, and the dial date matches the other dates. I call it greenish-blue. I will try to post photos soon.
Jim