7-61 WE 500

[bigdaddylove]

Found one today for $25.00. It has the G1 handset and is in good condition. All dates match and it has not been refurbed. I have never really been that keen on 500s, but they are iconic to say the least. If it were colored, I'd jump on it but it's black. Should I get it? That means $25.00 less for the big antique flea market tomorrow.

Thanks,
BDL

[Dennis Markham]

I don't know where you are but in this area it is not uncommon to find older black 500's...from the 50's for that amount or less at flea markets and the like.  Often Black sets were made of soft plastic into the early 60's...perhaps that one from '61 is soft plastic.  If it were me, I'd check out the big antique flea market tomorrow first.  You might do better.

[bigdaddylove]

Well, I had nothing to do this afternoon and considering I have spent much more than $25.00 on phones that haven't lasted two years, I went ahead and bought the phone.

The guy said he had a phone collection and worked at the local WE facility in San Leandro from 1969 to the day it closed. I figured I get to see the collection and hear some great stories -- I did not.

So, I went home and dismantled phone. I was surprised by how clean it was inside and even more surprised when I saw that the cover seemed to have a date of 9-8-51. The base and the components are all 1961.

[GG]

Excellent find there! 

The '51 housing is rare (2nd year of full-scale production), and is made of the soft plastic.  Be Careful about that housing: the soft plastic ones are sensitive to heat, they warp easily.  Avoid heat: hot water and direct sunlight.  Clean with plain room-temperature soap & water, a dedicated toothbrush to get into the corners, and a damp rag. 

Sooner or later you'll find an early '50s base with an early '60s housing on it.  At which point you can swap parts to get them to match up more closely. 

Many people thought of 500s as "plain" and "not interesting" because they were so common.  Back in the 70s and 80s, there was the same attitude about 302s and their cousins from AE, SC, Kellogg, etc.  Over time all of these are recognized as classics and icons of their era. 

But the 500 set is also an icon for "sustainable design": the "four Rs", robust, reliable, repairable, recyclable.  It was one of the best-engineered products that ever found its way into the average household, and it was a demonstration of American manufacturing at its absolute peak.   So for all those reasons, it has value as an example for both historical reasons and ecological reasons, even to those who aren't interested in telephones as such. 

500 sets are still cheap enough at flea markets, that it's easy to accumulate them by the bushel.  They also make great gifts, when cleaned up and put in good working order, with some kind of modular adaptor.