Auction 338: WE 1960 "Contour" Telephone, Trial Model # F-53751 - Ended 7-22-18

[TelePlay]

All forum members are welcome and encouraged to guess.There are no wrong guesses, just one lucky guess. No one knows the winning guess on any auction until it ends.

Date Listed:  15 Jul 2018
Auction Duration:  7 Days
List Price:  $9.99
Current Bidders:  3
Current Price:  $100.00
Watchers:  18
Contest Tip from:  Duffy & Pourme

eBay Link:  http://www.ebay.com/itm/163148031353


GAP RULE:  At least $5 between guesses to prevent crowding.


Seller Listing Title:  "RARE WESTERN ELECTRIC SHMOO TELEPHONE FIELD TRIAL SET F-53751 DATED 10-60 WOW!"
Condition:  "Used"
Condition Qualifier:  "Rare Western Electric Shmoo telephone in like-new condition. Dial turns and returns but returns slower than normal. Mounting cord has the older four prongs plug on the end. Dial has the later-style moveable fingerstop as used in the later Trimline sets"

Listing Description:  "Up for bid is a rare WESTERN ELECTRIC SHMOO Field Trial telephone.  This particular phone looks almost New Old Stock it is so pristine.  Both the handset and base housings are still a brilliant white color.  The handset and line cord are in very nice shape. The phone is clearly marked "F-53751 10-60 SER 526" on the bottom.  The bottom is a brushed gold color.  It is perfectly clean inside and is marked with the field trial info "F-53856 10-60" on the network block.  The dial turns and returns as it should, but the return is much slower than normal.  The dial has the moving fingerstop as used on the Trimline sets. I believe the dial is lighted, as there are four conductors in the mounting cord and there is a sliding on-off switch mounted on the base. There is also a little bulb under the plastic screw in the area where a number card would go.  The ringer is square-shaped with rounded corners and the coil and clapper appear to be internally mounted. -- THIS PHONE WAS TESTED – DRAWS DIALTONE WHEN OFFHOOK, DIALS OUT WITH MANUAL ASSIST (BECAUSE OF SLOW DIAL RETURN) TO NUMBER DIALED, GOOD 2-WAY CONVERSATION AND RINGS ON INCOMING CALLS.  --  DON'T MISS OUT ON YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO BID ON THIS RARE WESTERN ELECTRIC SHMOO FIELD TRIAL TELEPHONE!"


Another chance to move up or to get onto the CRPF Contest Standings List

Past Contest Phones:  http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=17437.msg180238#msg180238



Guess Deadline:   All guesses and a single allowed revised guess, if needed,
                      MUST be submitted at least 24 hours BEFORE the auction ENDS.


S C O R E B O A R D   ( Starting with Contest 328, this contest's topic will be locked with 24 hours left to go )     Players: 15 

$    265.00 - FabPhones  ( 15 )
$    425.00 - Dan F  ( 11 )
$    725.00 - poplar1  ( 5 )  -> WINNER - Final Selling Price $1,009.99
$ 1,300.00 - wds  ( 14 )
$ 1,450.00 - compubit  ( 7 )
$ 1,500.00 - Pourme  ( 9 )
$ 1,600.00 - Jim S.  ( 1 )
$ 1,675.00 - TelePlay  ( 13 )
$ 1,750.00 - Sargeguy  ( 8 )
$ 1,818.00 - skyrider  ( 2 )
$ 1,958.00 - tallguy58  ( 12 )
$ 2,100.00 - 19and41  ( 6 )
$ 2,227.00 - Fabius  ( 4 )
$ 2,500.00 - HarrySmith  ( 3 )
$ 3,000.00 - WEBellSystemChristian  ( 10 )


Early Morning Auction Status

07-15-18      Listed     $       9.99
07-16-18      7 bids     $   102.50   ( 4 bidders & 26 - #15 )
07-17-18      7 bids     $   102.50   ( 4 bidders & 34 - #10 )
07-18-18      8 bids     $   107.50   ( 5 bidders & 43 - #7 )
07-19-18      8 bids     $   107.50   ( 5 bidders & 46 - #4 )
07-20-18      8 bids     $   107.50   ( 5 bidders & 51 - #3 )
07-21-18    13 bids     $   257.00   ( 6 bidders & 57 - #2 )
07-22-18    14 bids     $   275.00   ( 7 bidders & 66 - #1 )
07-22-18    11 bidders, 27 bids  Ended at 5:00:34PM PDT

[jsowers]

That's not a Shmoo. It's a Contour. Shmoos, from 1959, had a larger fingerwheel and the Contour, from 1960, had a Trimline fingerwheel. Also, this phone was bought for (gulp) $80 on eBay as a BIN on July 5th.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/292630465310

Forgive me for posting comments in an auction contest but I couldn't resist since I thought people should know. If you want to split this off, please do so.

[TelePlay]

Forgive me for posting comments in an auction contest but I couldn't resist since I thought people should know. If you want to split this off, please do so.

No problem with that reply. Comments such as those that improve the contest are fine. I changed the title from Shmoo to Contour.

If a long discussion of the phone were to begin in the contest topic, then it would be split off to a new topic. If anyone wants to start a discussion topic of this phone, they are encouraged to do so and I will add the link of that topic to the contest initial post.

[Jim Stettler]

$1600

[skyrider]

$1818.00.   Thanks

[HarrySmith]

$2500.00

[Fabius]

$2227

[poplar1]

$725

[19and41]

$2100.00  Please.

[compubit]

$1450.

Jim

[Sargeguy]

$1750

[Pourme]

$1,500.00

[WEBellSystemChristian]

Wow, $80 sure was a nice initial steal!

As usual, I'll go absurdly high with $3000.

[Dan F]

$425

[tallguy58]

$1958