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What was the Worst Telephone "Bargain" You've Ever Gotten?

Started by WEBellSystemChristian, December 28, 2013, 07:50:12 PM

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WEBellSystemChristian

Mine was $45 for an aqua 500 that I thought (or should I say guessed) was an all-dates-matching 1957, but turned out to have 1968 plastics. :'(
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

Dan

#1
Early in my phone collecting , I came across a CLEAR ericophone for $75. I had just bought a garden variety for $20 and the guy showed me through the clear plastic where to put a jumper to make the beige one ring. This was pre- smart phone so I could not look up this gem for value.

Went home feeling regret for not buying it. Next show the following month, of course it was gone.

Hated my self but almost a year later I was able to get my avatar pohone for less than the clear ericophone.

I know it wasn't a purchase, but it was a nice "one that got away" story.
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

WesternElectricBen

#2
I don't think it is called a bargain, when you didn't do very well. :)

Ben

twocvbloke

#3
My beige NE500 with ITT plastics, heavily painted, plastics cracked all over, dial was shot (the riveted together sort, completely worn out) and the handset cable no good, still have what's left (pretty much just the base & handset, shell's still on it just for protection), wouldn't mind getting an NOS shell kit to rebuild it, but there's currently no rush, but yeah, wasn't the bargain it appeared to be...  :-\

WEBellSystemChristian

#4
Quote from: WesternElectricBen on December 28, 2013, 08:08:42 PM
I don't think it is called a bargain, when you didn't do very well. :)

Ben

I was about to change it just now, but I have no idea what else to call it.
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

Kenton K

#5
I once purchased a completely burnt 302 on ebay. It was *cheap* for ebay and buy it now so I jumped. The thermoplastic was blistered and the handset was holey like swiss cheese. The ebay description also had the classic phrase "good condition for its age".

Very early in my stages of telephonitis, i missed an opportunity to buy a lot of 40 telephones for some $30. I still hit myself thinking about it. That was the best bargain i missed.

-K

Matilo Telephones

#6
Quote from: WEBellSystemChristian on December 28, 2013, 09:56:57 PM

I was about to change it just now, but I have no idea what else to call it.

I think the title correctly describes it. Deals that you thought were a bargain but turned out te be the opposite.
Groeten,

Arwin

Check out my telephone website: http://www.matilo.eu/?lang=en

And I am on facebook too: www.facebook.com/matilosvintagetelephones

Doug Rose

#7
When I first started collecting, you went to the flea markets and there were telephones everywhere. LOOOOOOOOOOOONG before eBay was thought of. I was a newly employed Telephone Man and loved getting the old guys and making them work. I was poor. I set a limit, I would not spend more than $20 on a telephone. Usually a 302 was around $5 to $10. 202s around $20, but there were deals to be had.

Some of the phones I passed on still haunt me. I remember seeing this purple phone sitting next to a blue phone. I thought they looked like toys. Strange design I had never seen before. They were perfect. The were AE 40s in Orchid and Blue. They were $50 each. I was poor. I passed on those toys! It doesn't get much worse than that!...Doug
Kidphone

Contempra

#8
Mine was an old white Princess bought at a garage sale for $1. I have it in my small collection.

WEBellSystemChristian

#9
Quote from: Matilo Telephones on December 29, 2013, 03:03:02 AM
Quote from: WEBellSystemChristian on December 28, 2013, 09:56:57 PM

I was about to change it just now, but I have no idea what else to call it.

I think the title correctly describes it. Deals that you thought were a bargain but turned out te be the opposite.

I just put quotations around bargain, best I can think of for now.
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

WesternElectricBen


Matilo Telephones

This thread had me wondering what was my greatest phone disappointment. Of course I had my fair share of bad packaging incidents. And people not being truthfull about the condition a phone was in.

I was never really disappointed when something wasn't what I thought it was, when I bought it. That's the risc of buying 2nd hand stuff on line, without going to actually inspect it before buying.

But earlier this year this guy really left me with a nasty after taste. I bought this phone from him a little on the high side. A common Heemaf 55 for 25 euros plus 6,75 shipping. As I said, a little on the high side. I can get them for 15 here.

I bought this phone because it had a small round bakelite wall connection box. Not very common, not very rare. I thought I'd restore the phone and sell it and keep the connection box.

When the phone arrived, it had a large chip out of the front right corner.  It looked like an old chip too, as there was dirt on the fractured surface. Of course the chip itself was nowhere to be found in the box. The packaging was a very untidy and unprofessional job of a makeshift box and a lot of newspaper wads.

I mailed the guy about this and he immediately started making accusations to the delivery company and me. They dropped it, I dropped it, it was fine when he sent it.

I explained again, sending pics: old chip, dirt, no debris in box.

He sent me pics of the phone, that didn't show the damaged corner. I told him that and that I wanted my money back. More accusations, this time that I changed the housing just to cheat him out of his money, as I was collector. And on and on.

I never did get my money back. The phone is unsellable. I can repair it, sort of. But that is a lot of work and not worth the effort.

As he has a webshop, I left a very negetive review about it about his packaging, custumer relations and attitude to other human beings in general with a couple of quotes from his emails.
Groeten,

Arwin

Check out my telephone website: http://www.matilo.eu/?lang=en

And I am on facebook too: www.facebook.com/matilosvintagetelephones

Dan/Panther

WEC;
Telephone Screwing, comes to mind.
Just saying...
D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

wds

I've had sellers tell me the same story - I broke it, and I'm trying to rip him (the seller) off.  That kind of response always gets the seller a negative feedback.  Reminds me of an accident I had a few years ago - I was sitting at a red light (in my car, not a phone accident) and an older lady backed right into the side of my car.  My car was new, not a scratch on it.  After a short conversation with the lady, she had the nerve to tell me that the dent was already there, and she didn't hit me.  It went downhill from there.  It never ceases to amaze me how despicable people can be.  And a little old lady to boot!
Dave

twocvbloke

And the moral of the story - Invest in a driving camera, for those days when little ol' ladies who can't drive turn into despicable old cows when they drive into you... ;D