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Is this a real or spray painted phone?

Started by Dan, February 25, 2011, 05:58:49 AM

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Dan

I didn't know WE made gold 554's, unlesss it was for special occasions (phone worker anniversary, etc.) Is this legit?

http://tinyurl.com/4psbwp7
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

jsowers

#1
It's hard to fake a gold dial face. They're usually clear and reverse painted. I'd say it was legit, and whoever bid that much must think so too. Metallic gold phones were often given as retirement gifts to higher-ups in the phone company. Maybe this was a woman retiree and she needed a kitchen phone? It looks sparsely used and the gold coil cord looks decent, but could be painted. The housing and handset do have a dull look to the finish, like spray paint. There were several different finishes on these phones. All the way from shiny to dull, evidently, depending on who did the work and when.

Here are two of the auction pics, so they'll be there later for reference...
Jonathan

JimH

These were factory painted.  The dial face is painted with a clear cover that has the numbers printed on it.   I have a princess and a 500 version of this color.  Even the handset cord is painted, I believe with a paint that is meant to stretch.
Jim H.

Jim Stettler

You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

gpo706

Can anyone advise a thread or suggestions as to painting a GPO "Trimphone" (722) in this lusterous gold colour, I have a scrappy body and I'm trying to recreate a Trimphone used on a very popular UK gameshow called "The Golden Shot" which featured one of these.

Obviously I'm not just going down to the auto-repair shop for a tin of gold spray paint, because I don't some reaction with the plastics, and want the right sheened look.
"now this should take five minutes, where's me screwdriver went now..?"

liteamorn

Rather than start another thread I thought I'd just post it here, I just won a 500 in this color, new, still in the box dated 1971. Interesting phone. I would love to know the entire story behind these!
http://tinyurl.com/74lvqkt The pictures I saved from the listing are incredibly small, I'll post pics when I get it.

paul-f

Congratulations!

Getting the box is a great plus.

Here are some of the auction photos...
Visit: paul-f.com         WE  500  Design_Line

.

bingster

That's a beaut of a set, especially with the original, correctly marked box.  Very nice!
= DARRIN =



liteamorn

Thanks guys and thanks for blowing up the pics Paul!

liteamorn

#9
Interesting follow up, upon opening this phone I was quite amazed at the dates found inside. While the base and everything mounted on the base (ringer and network) were dated '71 . The dial is dated '56 and the color code is 55 (biege), the dial bezel has been replaced with the gold and a clear plastic over it, it also has an interesting groove on the front of the bezel about 1/32" deep and 1/16" wide around the entire bezel, between the target dots and the letters, this is covered with the plastic cover also.

The receiver is a U3 dated 59, and the mic is a t1 dated 68.

The handset and base were originally white painted gold as was the dateless hard plastic shell.

I thought it was interesting that even on their own "special phones" recycling old parts was rampant. I kind of figured I would recieve a 1971 through and through.

All in all a nice addition, I'm just trying to figure out if I should display it without the box and store the box or pack them all away as I got them.

Dan/Panther

Definitely display it in an (?) covered glass fronted display. Out of sunlight.
The only thing that throws me is the unmatched dates. I would think a special phone like that would have been new production. Are there a lot of these specialty phones without matched numbers ? For example the Imperials ?
D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson