this makes me totally mad.... Greed, Total Greed! anyone stupid enough to list this and want the posted price is just wasting their time.... would you pay $995.00 for this??
No, I wouldn't! I will admit the dial plate is unusual, but at $995 it is still overpriced. I suspect someone with more money than sense will buy it at that price, however.
Where is the auction?
That dial number plate turns up sometimes - "the German number plate".
I don't know what it was made for but I don't think it was made by WE and not by the normal process. Perhaps it was made for a "designer" phone.
The last one sold for US$202.00
Jack
Jack, here's the auction:
EDIT:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ultra-Rare-Vintage-Western-Electric-Telephone-NOS-Dial-/301867475322
( dead link 02-26-22 )
http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-BELL-SYSTEM-WESTERN-ELECTRIC-ROTARY-DESK-TELEPHONE-WORKS-HARD-WIRED-500-/141898148590?
Still has "6A-3" and "164B-1", but also on the dust cover it's marked what looks like "OA 222719-3 SPL".
wrong auction?
The green background makes me think it might be the guy I know in Portland OR. If so, it's got to be genuine, but not $995 worth.
Thanks for the auction link.
The pictures on the green rag (sorry, display cloth) are from the last auction. Something is a bit strange here!
Bill, "it's got to be genuine" - genuine what? I don't think that number plate has come from a normal WE production line. It looks (to me) like a low price production from a contractor.
Jack
Never mind.... Now that I see the auction, I know it is not the one I was thinking of. The guy I was thinking of knows his phones, but would not try to pull something like selling a dial for so much. His auction photos always seem to have that color of a green background.
I guess I was having a brain-fart.
special or not, its not worth the asking price.... now if he had started out at a descent level..... there might be cause for a bidding war.... but only if someone really wanted it....
Quote from: Babybearjs on February 09, 2016, 06:29:46 PM
special or not, its not worth the asking price.... now if he had started out at a descent level..... there might be cause for a bidding war.... but only if someone really wanted it....
Be careful. As I noted before, some of the pictures are from a different (past) auction. So not only is the starting price very high, the pictures are suspect.
Also, I don't think it is special - infamous would be a better description.
Jack
so you're saying its a fraudulent posting?
Quote from: Babybearjs on February 10, 2016, 12:53:43 AM
so you're saying its a fraudulent posting?
I don't know if it is but some of the pictures are from a previous auction for the same type of dial/number plate - that makes me very cautious.
Jack
Well, here's the description (doubles as future reference):
"ULTRA RARE. This is what I believe to be a 1 of a kind dial made by Western Electric. It is marked SPECIAL so we at least know that. I have searched long and hard to come up with no information on this very unique dial. If anyone out there knows something about it, or has one, please send me a message. It is in NEW condition and was found in the box you see. THANK YOU & GOOD LUCK"
...so I would guess the non-matching pictures are from a former auction selling the same dial.
Quote from: WEBellSystemChristian on February 10, 2016, 09:10:59 AM
Well, here's the description (doubles as future reference):
"ULTRA RARE. This is what I believe to be a 1 of a kind dial made by Western Electric. It is marked SPECIAL so we at least know that. I have searched long and hard to come up with no information on this very unique dial. If anyone out there knows something about it, or has one, please send me a message. It is in NEW condition and was found in the box you see. THANK YOU & GOOD LUCK"
...so I would guess the non-matching pictures are from a former auction selling the same dial.
Well, it's not ultra rare - there are a few about, I seriously doubt that WE made it and people have been talking about it for a decade or so ever since one turned up on a D handset mounting.
Jack
It may be a tad high but keep in mind it comes with the clear plastic stand it is pictured on.