Classic Rotary Phones Forum

Telephone Talk => Auction Talk => Topic started by: Bill Cahill on November 16, 2009, 12:36:13 PM

Title: Just arrived.. 1964 500 beige desk phone
Post by: Bill Cahill on November 16, 2009, 12:36:13 PM
My  latest ebay find just arrived.. This beige  1964 Bell Systems desk phone..  And, it has a soft dial!
Interestingly, the mike has a date of 3-56, and, the earphone 11-58.
Yet, it appears all original! Sorry for no pictures right now. Major computer problems are preventing this. It's a hard wire phone, has a 25' line cord, and, a 10' receiver cord.
All matching!
Outside of needing minor cleaning, it's in amazingly good shape. I'll have to go back to ebay tor remind myself what I paid, but, I'm certain it wasn't alot.
I'm just tickled pink! And, apparently, it was sold to the owner in 1983, as a sale label on bottom attests to.
Bill Cahill  ;D
Title: Re: Just arrived.. 1964 500 beige desk phone
Post by: ntophones on November 16, 2009, 01:09:33 PM
Congratulations! There's just nothing like a great phone--especially unexpectedly great ones!
Title: Re: Just arrived.. 1964 500 beige desk phone
Post by: Bill Cahill on November 16, 2009, 01:17:54 PM
And, here's the great news! I was able to get my photoshop to work. So, here goes!
Well, what do you think????
Bill Cahill
Title: Re: Just arrived.. 1964 500 beige desk phone
Post by: Bill Cahill on November 16, 2009, 01:23:40 PM
And, here's the auction link on it.  ;D

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350274780546&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

Bill Cahill
Title: Re: Just arrived.. 1964 500 beige desk phone
Post by: bwanna on November 16, 2009, 02:01:06 PM
$6.99.....sweet :)   congrats on a nice find, bill. happy that you got the computer issues straightened out, also ;D
Title: Re: Just arrived.. 1964 500 beige desk phone
Post by: Bill Cahill on November 16, 2009, 03:19:37 PM
Unfortunately, no, the computer isn't fixed. I was just able to get one aspect working.
The rest is still a mess.  :-[
Bill Cahhill
Title: Re: Just arrived.. 1964 500 beige desk phone
Post by: Greg G. on November 16, 2009, 03:35:54 PM
Quote from: Bill Cahill on November 16, 2009, 01:17:54 PM
And, here's the great news! I was able to get my photoshop to work. So, here goes!
Well, what do you think????
Bill Cahill

I hate you.
Title: Re: Just arrived.. 1964 500 beige desk phone
Post by: McHeath on November 16, 2009, 07:34:43 PM
Great deal!  Somebody certainly wanted to make this phone into the next best thing to a cordless eh?  25 feet of line cord and 10 of handset, so a 35 foot roaming distance. 
Title: Re: Just arrived.. 1964 500 beige desk phone
Post by: Craig T on November 16, 2009, 09:39:02 PM
Great addition Bill with enough line to bum the neighbor's a call  :D. Great find on the cords too!
Title: Re: Just arrived.. 1964 500 beige desk phone
Post by: foots on November 17, 2009, 03:30:02 AM
  Nice phone. I wish I could find such a long line cord for some of my phones.
Title: Re: Just arrived.. 1964 500 beige desk phone
Post by: Bill Cahill on November 17, 2009, 07:53:45 AM
Thanks, guys. It was especially a good deal that it had those long cords with it.
How do you carefully remove, and, re-install that soft dial center to put in a number card?
Bill Cahill
Title: Re: Just arrived.. 1964 500 beige desk phone
Post by: bingster on November 17, 2009, 09:08:04 AM
Here are the instructions, Bill.  If you don't have a paperclip handy, you can use a piece of solid core hookup wire, which is what I use.

http://telephonecollectors.org/library/weco/9remove.pdf
Title: Re: Just arrived.. 1964 500 beige desk phone
Post by: Bill Cahill on November 17, 2009, 01:42:44 PM
The phone turned me into a liar. My 25' cord was only a 10' cord. I found that out when I tried to run new phone to it's place in living room.

So, I had to change line cords. However, receiver cord is still 10'.
Anyway, phone works great.
Bill Cahill
Title: Re: Just arrived.. 1964 500 beige desk phone
Post by: Dan/Panther on November 17, 2009, 03:44:54 PM
Great deal on a great phone. it should clean up like new.
D/P
Title: Re: Just arrived.. 1964 500 beige desk phone
Post by: Bill Cahill on November 17, 2009, 06:38:53 PM
Actually, the phone's almost like new now. No corosion, slight dirt, and, glue from a sticker in cradle area are the only negatives.
Dial has a nice, loud gear sound, with the wonderful usual sound ofthe whinning coming back. Also, it is an older dial mechanism. Not sure of age, but,. it will also fit an old phone with the screw in front as well.
This phone was made with some older parts, but, looks to be all original.
Is this a WE 64' re furb?
The only writing on the black painted bottom is 500 CD.
The feet are 60's feet.
The mic, and, earphone, as said earlier, are from 50's.
The capacitor block says 64.
It has a soft center dial where number card goes.

Bill Cahill
OH, it appears bell s are only half brass?
It rings very loudly. Almost like an industrial phone.
Title: Re: Just arrived.. 1964 500 beige desk phone
Post by: Bill Cahill on November 18, 2009, 10:00:29 PM
Been using phone for a couple of days now. Nice loud dial, loud bells, a pleasure to use.
Volume is good. Dial is a 1956 date dial.
I'm really happy with this phone.....
Bill Cahill ;D ;D
Title: Re: Just arrived.. 1964 500 beige desk phone
Post by: McHeath on November 19, 2009, 12:11:02 AM
Glad to hear it.  It's a nice phone, has some good looks, glad that it works well. 
Title: Re: Just arrived.. 1964 500 beige desk phone
Post by: jsowers on November 19, 2009, 10:09:53 AM
Quote from: Bill Cahill on November 17, 2009, 06:38:53 PM
Is this a WE 64' re furb?
The only writing on the black painted bottom is 500 CD.
The feet are 60's feet.
The mic, and, earphone, as said earlier, are from 50's.
The capacitor block says 64.
It has a soft center dial where number card goes.

Bill, I think you're correct. It's a 60s refurb. The black paint over the date on the bottom and the paint on the areas that rub on the bottom usually indicate a refurb. It was done before the modular era of the mid-1970s because it's hard-wired and the soft center fingerwheel probably means 1964 or 65. I think later refurbs have the later solid fingerwheel, but nothing is etched in stone when it comes to refurbs. They used what they had on hand. Many times the dates on the plastics will reveal when it was refurbed.

About the color, I think it's ivory from the auction pictures. It has a little bit of fade except where the handset sat. But it's not that bad. Ivory is a great color. Enjoy your phone. I like the sound the older dials make too.
Title: Re: Just arrived.. 1964 500 beige desk phone
Post by: Bill Cahill on November 19, 2009, 11:08:53 AM
I don't think it's ivory.. My camera seems to change colors of things with the flash.
When looked at with the naked eye, it all looks one color.
I can't find dates on plastics.
Bill Cahill