Auction 12 - Playphone toy candlestick telephone

[bingster]

Let's join the kiddies for out next auction contest, shall we?  

For something a little different, this week we have an antique Plaphone toy candlestick telephone.  It was made by the Gong Bell Mfg. Co. of Connecticut, whoever they were.  Several different candlestick models were made by this company, one with double bells mounted to the shaft, one with a bicycle-type bell on the hookswitch, etc.  This one is the first I've seen with some sort of dial.  

The company went on to make many more Plaphone models, keeping up with current phone designs at least into the 1960s.

Where do we think it will end?  Let us know before the action's last day.

> Playphone toy candlestick telephone <

S C O R E B O A R D
$37.50 - HobieSport (-13.76)
$45.00 - Mark Stevens (-6.26)
Sold for $51.26
$62.50 - Dan/Panther (Over)
$82.95 - Dennis Markham (Over)
$95.00 - bingster (Over)
$108.85 - Dan² (Over)
$125.00 - Sargeguy (Over)
$150.79 - Bill Cahill (Over)
$830.00 - McHeath (Over by just a tad)

[Sargeguy]

$125

[Bill Cahill]

150.79
Bill Cahill

[Dan]

$108.85. Nice toy

[Dennis Markham]

I'll go to the lower end............$82.95

[Dan/Panther]

My guess $62.50.

D/P

[Mark Stevens]

I say $45.
If y'all want to read more about the maker of that toy phone,
here's something I wrote a while back:
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/2008/05/27/speedphone-toy-bank/

[bingster]

Great little article, Mark.  Very interesting reading.

[McHeath]

Well what do I know about E-bay?  I won this once because of my ESP powers, or, uh, I got lucky, one of the two.  I'm guessing that since it's up to 25 clams already, and we have 3+ days to go, there is interest in this phone, and at the last second 34 people will get into a madcap bid war, so my bid is:

$830

[bingster]

I'm pulling for you McHeath. 

[McHeath]

Just you people wait, any minute now the bids for this toy phone are going to come flying in and the price will sail up to unheard of levels.  Why we might even have another 17k phone on our hands here people.

You just wait.   

[HobieSport]

Okay, here's my guess: $37.50.
-Matt

[mienaichizu]

oh the auction just ended, forgot to bid on it, I was out of town last 2 days ago

[McHeath]

Ooo, it went for 51 bucks.  Okay so it was a little under my high bid...

[bingster]

Even though I was hoping for a final price of $830, the winner of this auction will pay just over $51, which makes the winner of our little contest one Mark Stevens.  I think I've heard of him.  Congratulations, Mark!

Stay tuned for our next auction to be posted shortly.