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Lamp Phone Atrocities!

Started by Greg G., May 06, 2009, 12:43:09 AM

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compubit

Quote from: Duffy on May 24, 2020, 05:53:19 PM
Another eBay auction with another payphone converted!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Illinois-Bell-Pay-Phone-Converted-to-Steampunk-21-Table-Lamp-Bob-Steinmetz/223923427026

Illinois Bell Pay Phone Converted to Steampunk 21" Table Lamp Bob Steinmetz

Sellers description:
This listing features a vintage and original Illinois Bell Public Push Button Pay Phone professionally Converted to Steampunk Table Lamp by Got a Light Custom Steampunk Lighting, Bob Steinmetz. Tested and lamp is in excellent working condition. Dimmer knob switch on back. Measures approximately 21" x 12" x 9". Made in USA.  Shows some wear from age, rare vintage piece.

At least on this one, it appears that they just used the existing lock hole for the lamp.

BTW, probably the only thing truly "Illinois Bell" about this phone is the vault cover... (Not a WE keypad, probably not a WE handset, or even the innards...), at which point I call fair game...

J
A phone phanatic since I was less than 2 (thanks to Fisher Price); collector since a teenager; now able to afford to play!
Favorite Phone: Western Electric Trimline - it just feels right holding it up to my face!

Key2871

Here's an idea, take those cheap China plastic knockoffs and make a lamp out of those.
Leave the good old real phones alone.
KEN

FABphones

#827
As a phone in it's original condition I would have looked more closely at this, but as a lamp....  :(
A collector of  'Monochrome Phones with Sepia Tones'   ...and a Duck!
***********
Vintage Phones - 10% man made, 90% Tribble
*************

countryman

#828
Auction link ( dead link 05-15-21 )

The seller wants about 4 times the the going rate of a good, nice and fairly clean W48. A person must be in dire need of a lamp to consider this eyesore...

I have an ivory W48 if you were interested.

19and41

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
— Arthur C. Clarke

MMikeJBenN27

Just bought a black 302 of off E-Bay that had been destroyed by turning it into a lamp.  Fortunately, they drilled the hole in the shell and not through the still shiny handset.  The same day it came, I turned to back into a working phone.  I can fix the shell with JB weld, so that is not a problem.  This phone has an aluminum, instead of steel, base plate, which is great.  It will never rust.  The 5H dial was missing the flat spring and the cloth/paper that go under the dial face, and a finger stop screw, a screw for the metal cover that goes over the gear train, and a screw for the gear train itself.   The handset was missing both capsules and the contacts and mounting screws.  Fortunately, I had all of the necessary parts in my piles of spares, including good cords, except for the bracket for the condenser, which I can fabricate, and the metal part that provides and anchor point for the cords, which I can't find.  When it I finish it, it will be on E-Bay as a PHONE, as it now works great and looks very good.

magicbrain

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Western-Electric-Nickel-Plated-Candlestick-Telephone-spring-loaded-candle-stick/264845448439?hash=item3daa04d4f7:g:q2QAAOSwmKdfRq7l



Better hurry, only 10 available @ $95.00 each or BO :o

It appears at least they only sacrificed WE bases to make these - Overall very crudely done.
Bruce

19and41

They could've made that out of a paper towel holder.
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
— Arthur C. Clarke

FABphones

As pointless projects go, that end product is up there with the best worst.

Quote from: 19and41 on August 27, 2020, 01:15:45 PM
They could've made that out of a paper towel holder.
;D
A collector of  'Monochrome Phones with Sepia Tones'   ...and a Duck!
***********
Vintage Phones - 10% man made, 90% Tribble
*************

phonium

Read the description, I dont think this is a modern modification. It seems this was done by bell system in the 20s.
George Amores
ATCA#4857

magicbrain

Quote from: phonium on August 27, 2020, 02:28:19 PM
Read the description, I dont think this is a modern modification. It seems this was done by bell system in the 20s.
Despite what the seller states, anyone working for Bell Telephone/Western Electric back in the day would never have turned out work like this - I doubt any professional would have.

Bruce

.....

Found on Facebook Marketplace.

FABphones

And another nice candlestick becomes a 'talking point', this one has 'sympathetic brass', Awwww  ::).

Second screenshot below is the sellers description. Spot the inaccuracies.
A collector of  'Monochrome Phones with Sepia Tones'   ...and a Duck!
***********
Vintage Phones - 10% man made, 90% Tribble
*************

19and41

I've seen finger hooks for door handles made from bactericidal brass, but no sympathetic brass.
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
— Arthur C. Clarke

FABphones

#839
A few more, these become progressively 'creative'.

That first one has the base back to front.
Anyone quick to spot the location of the on/off switch on that Cobra?

Actually, the third one is growing on me....   :o
A collector of  'Monochrome Phones with Sepia Tones'   ...and a Duck!
***********
Vintage Phones - 10% man made, 90% Tribble
*************