Mint Green 500

[Bingles]

I was wondering how collectable 1970s model phones are.. I came across a mint green 500 (not sure if it was WE or not) while searching for a moss green soft plastic 500 (which seem to be pretty scarce these days.. in nice condition).  Anyway.. I found a really neat mint green set from the 70s.. and while I prefer the old phones from the 50s, I LOVE the color.

The price was $125.. that seems pretty steep for a 70s phone.  Is that color rare?

[poplar1]

Not a rare color and probably not worth over $25 unless new in the box. $125? No way!

[Dan/Panther]

Been looking for one Mint green 500 for about 5 years. Always get outbid. Usually go for $100.00 plus.
D/P

[LarryInMichigan]

I think that the green color to which people are referring here is the bright green which was made in the 1970s.  It is much bolder and brighter than the moss green which was made from the 1950s.  Another color from that period which tends to sell for alot is bright orange.

Larry

[Russ Kirk]

Here's a photo of my ITT mint green.  I picked it up in a Los Angeles Antique store about 10 years ago for about $25.     Still looking for the ITT orange version.   

[Bingles]

Those are some sharp phones, Russ!

That color is (what I would call) Lime Green.  The one I saw is actually a mint color.  Oldphoneworks.com has photos of one, but they are sold out.. again, it went well past $100.

[Bingles]

This is the phone:

[paul-f]

That doesn't look like a Western Electric color.  Could it be Kellogg color 16 - Sea Green?

[LarryInMichigan]

Is the color in question here the one discussed in this thread?  The turquoise Kellogg 500 is the most interesting color I have.  It looks much better now than it did in the listing picture in that post.
 
Larry

[Bingles]

I'm not quite sure, Larry.  The phone I saw on one website was Kellogg.. I've also seen ITT and even a Western Electric (currently selling on ebay for $175).

I looked up a color chart, and next to moss green there is a "light green" listed which is separate from the blue and aqua category.

Makes for interesting research!

[LarryInMichigan]

I am not aware of a light green WE color.  Kellogg and ITT are the same thing.  My turquoise phone is a Kellogg ITT.  ITT owned Kellogg at the time.

Larry

[LarryInMichigan]

I just looked at the one on ebay.  My guess is that it is a discolored aqua.  Aqua turns greenish after years of exposure to sunlight.

Larry

[McHeath]

If it's discolored, and I suspect it is, it has certainly done so nicely and looks good.

[poplar1]

WE refurbished Princess phones in the 1990s for lease (and possibly for sale)  in colors included cameo green along with slate blue, peach, white and ivory. As far as I know, they didn't offer 500s in cameo green.

During that period, refurbished 500s were bright red, ultra light gray, country blue among others.
Refurb 2554s included the mocha brown color.

Refurb Trimlines included Sun Yellow, Forest Green  and bright red.

Refurb 554s included country blue and sun yellow.

Does anyone know what other colors were offered on refurb sets during that time?

These models were called the "Big Ten" (500, 554, 702, 223, 224, 2500, 2554, 2702, 2223, 2224).

[Dan/Panther]

Like they say, MY BAD, I meant LIME green.
Dan