Ivory 302 & 354 pics?

[deedubya3800]

302s or 354s?

[HarrySmith]

Both! Of course

[Dennis Markham]

I have purchased stuff with slight damage just to get one for my collection.  I figure I will never afford to pay the big bucks to get one, so I'll buy one with a corner crack or break and then do my best to fix it up and make it presentable.  I call it a "poor man's" version.  Until a nicer one comes along.

I have a decent Ivory 354 that had some corner damage on the bottom.  With the assistance of Mark Scola the breaks were repaired.  It's not a bad looking phone now.  Here are a couple photos.  I've never even cleaned it or polished it.  I'm going to get to it.....   I'd like to replace the coiled cord with a nice straight cord.

[HarrySmith]

Sounds like a plan

[deedubya3800]

What kinds of numbers are we talking about here? $100? $250? $500?  $6.1 million?

[bingster]

I haven't paid attention to what they've gone for lately, but I paid $149 for mine at the end of 2005.  It's perfect, though. 

[HarrySmith]

I did not save it but if I recall correctly the last one I bid on went for over $500.00

[deedubya3800]

Are we talking 302s or 354s? Seems like the 354 would be rarer, but I wouldn't know for sure.

[HarrySmith]

Yes, 354. I am not sure if they are rarer but I have seen more 302's than 354's. Also if I recall correctly the one that went for over $500.00 was NOS in box

[Dennis Markham]

That one I posted yesterday...with the break at the bottom I bought along with a black one.  The pair sold for $90 plus shipping from a member of the phone club.  I'm sure I refurbished and re-sold the black one so I got it for nothing, except my time.

[deedubya3800]

Do they all have clear dials, or are there other colors as well?

[bingster]

The 354 was available only in black and ivory.  Black had a black painted dial, while ivory had a clear plastic dial.

[deedubya3800]

That's what I thought, but I have seen pics of a couple different plastic, not painted, ivory 302s with silver dials. Any thoughts about those?

[bingster]

The 302's 5J dial was supposedly only issued with clear plastic fingerwheels.  Even the rare prewar plastic 302 had a clear fingerwheel.  However, like you said, several have been found with bright metal dials, as have some 5J equipped Continental 202s.  The vast majority have clear fingerwheels, though.

[deedubya3800]

Seems like every new answer brings a new question. I read somewhere that the ivory handset for the 354 is molded of thermoplastic and is considerably lighter than its Bakelite counterpart. Does the 302 use the same handset?

And also, I can't seem to find a picture of an ivory 302 with the handset off the hook. Are the plungers made in ivory too, or are they clear too?