Gray Payphone

[Doug Rose]

Long before the Internet, or eBay if you wanted to  get phones it was Flea markets, Yard sales or Antique stores.

I used to travel to find the best antique stores around, I loved the Armory in Newport RI.  Booth for a guy that sold telephones. Joel was his name. Really nice guy. Made a day out of it.

Remember, before the Internet; I bought a Gray Payphone that is exactly like the one pictured for $400. This was a weeks Pay back then!

I later found Phoneco and also found my Payphone. More than $400, but I quickly figured out Phoneco "built" phones. I bought some phones with "upgraded" dials before I finally caught on. Dope 

History is over.....Now I will get to the question, Payphone guys....how close is this to a real Gray Pay Phone. No daisy, did the have a daisy around the dial?  It's not leaving my phone room, just want to know what you think. Worth the Money? or Not    ...Doug

[rdelius]

The dial shroud came later.You have an older cast coin gauge. instruction card holder is newer,Guts and coin chute wrong.
AE coin vault  door,No chrome at this time.

[Haf]

The coin return looks AE to me too.

Haf

[poplar1]

Doug, do you see bars welded on each side inside the upper housing? These were the original mountings for the 5¢ and 25¢ gongs.

Also, I don't think anyone ever made repro lower housings that say

                 The Gray Telephone Pay Station Company
                 and Western Electric Company Inc. Makers

Phonecoinc's repro lower housings say "Western Electric Company" like the 1934-1940 160-series that WE made after they dumped Gray as a supplier.

[Doug Rose]

Thanks David..just curios. It was about 30 ago and just wondering if I got fooled. Wouldn't't be the first time....Doug

[kleenax]

Remember, before the Internet; I bought a Gray Payphone that is exactly like the one pictured for $400. This was a weeks Pay back then!

History is over.....Now I will get to the question, Payphone guys....how close is this to a real Gray Pay Phone. No daisy, did the have a daisy around the dial?  It's not leaving my phone room, just want to know what you think. Worth the Money? or Not    ...Doug

Doug;

Although your phone may look like this one, if you bought it 30 years ago, it "may" have a few more original parts on/in it; you will just have to check. I'd like to see some pics of yours. Rdelius is right on with his observation. The cast coin gauge on the top is the most valuable part on this phone shown. These are rather difficult to come by if you don't have one.

I remember myself looking at these Phoneco phones back then, and they DID have "some" that were MORE original than others, and Ron used to price them accordingly. As time went on, he (Ron @ Phoneco) began running out of good/original parts and then began fabricating/kludging phones more and more until they are what you see today.

[Doug Rose]

thanks Ray.....I'll get it down and take some pics when I can lift something that heavy.....Doug