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AE 40 in Mahogany, Walnut or Just Plain Old Black?

Started by AE_Collector, February 22, 2011, 11:10:39 PM

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AE_Collector

I looked at this over and over and couldn't decide if it might be a Walnut or Mahogany AE40 rather than a plain old black one. It obviously has the Gold Trim (not just stripped to brass trim) but Gold Trim was available on black AE's too.

The red background makes it even harder to tell and frequently black bakelite will have a brown hue, especially in flash pictures. I couldn't see any conclusive evidence of it being other than a black set.

It has a big crack in the froint so I figured it would go for the gold trim parts only. With 12 hours to go there appeared to be a fair bit of interest in it although it was still only around $35. I forgot about it and then saw it today after the auctrion had ended. $610!

I am still wondering if it went for the gold trim only OR if I am the only one who can't see that it is really a brown 40 OR if several bidders were gambling on finding that it is a brown AE when it arrives in the mail. The seller was posting questions/answers to the listing so no one had the guts to ask the seller about the color. $610 for a cracked black 40 even with Gold Trim just doesn't seem possible to me.

I don't know who the winner is. He is Phoneman56 from California but is on the ebaY handles "Wanted" list. If anyone knows who that is, let me know.

What do others think this 40 is? Brown or Black? In hindsight I'm thinking it probably is Brown but the price is partly responsible for me coming to this conclusion.

Terry

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rt=nc&nma=true&item=380316256162&si=w3leAH1ODkVTy7EFnLlp4gUGMpk%253D&viewitem=

Dennis Markham

It looks Black from here...with a reflection of the red material making the handset appear Brown.

JorgeAmely

Jorge

AE_Collector

Usually if there are several pictures, at least one of the pictures will provide the proof such as in this AE 1A that has been on ebaY for months now with a $1742 US$ Start price.

http://cgi.ebay.com/AUTOMATIC-ELECTRIC-MONOPHONE-BROWN-BAKELITE-TELEPHONE-/290529278670

Terry

Dennis Markham

Looking at that AE40 again today the handset does look Brown, especially in the second photo.  The photo up close of the body does look black.  The buyer must have contacted the seller to make sure.  As you said Terry, that's a lot of money to spend on a black AE40.

LarryInMichigan

QuoteAs you said Terry, that's a lot of money to spend on a black AE40

The big crack in the shell probably adds at least $600 to the value ;)

Larry

Doug Rose

Quote from: LarryInMichigan on February 23, 2011, 09:14:08 AM
QuoteAs you said Terry, that's a lot of money to spend on a black AE40

The big crack in the shell probably adds at least $600 to the value ;)

Larry
$600 for a maybe Brown phone? Whoa! In my opinion it is brown, but I have guessed WRONG before. For $600 there is no guess work, no bid for that matter. This is insane!....Doug
Kidphone

JorgeAmely

Doug:

Don't forget the gold trimmed parts. That by itself is worth a nice pile of cash.
Jorge

Dennis Markham

Quote from: JorgeAmely on February 23, 2011, 11:05:04 AM
Don't forget the gold trimmed parts. That by itself is worth a nice pile of cash.

............and don't forget the extensicord.

Doug Rose

Quote from: JorgeAmely on February 23, 2011, 11:05:04 AM
Doug:

Don't forget the gold trimmed parts. That by itself is worth a nice pile of cash.
Jorge...Not even  if they are 24K SOLID gold parts. Some of the prices on eBay continue to amaze me. There is a lot of disposable money out there. I can only imagine opening the box and showing it to Janet. There would be a matching crack in my head.....Doug
Kidphone

AE_Collector

Quote from: Dennis Markham on February 23, 2011, 11:07:36 AM
............and don't forget the extensicord.

Looks like a plaited cord (did I spell that correctly?) rather than an Extensicord. Not in great shape either

Doug: Look at the bright side, with the new "crack" in your head you'd have to stay home and rest while playing with your phones and Janet would feel she has to hit twice as many flea markets to find more phone deals to make up for your purchase!

Terry

JorgeAmely

Quote from: Kidphone on February 23, 2011, 11:09:25 AM
Quote from: JorgeAmely on February 23, 2011, 11:05:04 AM
Doug:

Don't forget the gold trimmed parts. That by itself is worth a nice pile of cash.
Jorge...Not even  if they are 24K SOLID gold parts. Some of the prices on eBay continue to amaze me. There is a lot of disposable money out there. I can only imagine opening the box and showing it to Janet. There would be a matching crack in my head.....Doug

Doug: They are not solid gold.  But all AE gold trimmed parts were plated with 24k gold with a satin finish. The thickness of the plating is beyond what you normally see these days.   
Jorge

NorthernMan

Real 24k gold on a phone ? WOW ... how much weight in gold is there .

If there was no crack how much is that phone worth, double, triple ?

Dan

I looked brown to me, all the way. Do you guys think that was a shrinkage crack or a nasty fall crack? I don't know my bakelite AE too well.
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

AE_Collector

Quote from: Dan on February 24, 2011, 10:01:22 AM
I looked brown to me, all the way. Do you guys think that was a shrinkage crack or a nasty fall crack? I don't know my bakelite AE too well.

Nasty Fall. The brown AE's ARE bakelite, not thermoplastic so they don't shrink but they can crack if dropped.

Terry