Classic Rotary Phones Forum

Telephone Talk => Auction Talk => Topic started by: LarryInMichigan on February 22, 2012, 05:41:58 PM

Title: Turquoise Soft Plastic Kellogg ITT 591
Post by: LarryInMichigan on February 22, 2012, 05:41:58 PM
ebay link (http://www.ebay.com/itm/180826910821)

This appeared this afternoon, and I couldn't help myself.  I think that this is the first one of these in turquoise that I have seen.  I am hoping that it is soft plastic.  I have a few spare ringers.

Larry

Title: Re: Turquoise Soft Plastic(?) Kellogg ITT 591
Post by: Vern P on February 22, 2012, 07:49:48 PM
Based on the info I know. This would not be "soft".  Kellogg didn't start makeing the "500" clone until some time in the '60's. The WE Turquoise didn't come out until "64 or so.
Still a nice looking phone.

Vern P
Title: Re: Turquoise Soft Plastic(?) Kellogg ITT 591
Post by: LarryInMichigan on February 22, 2012, 07:53:04 PM
The date stamped on the bottom of this phone is 5/59.

Larry
Title: Re: Turquoise Soft Plastic(?) Kellogg ITT 591
Post by: canuckphoneguy on February 22, 2012, 08:33:32 PM
That's a great looking phone. The colour reminds me of our first house's master bedroom. We painted over that really quick!
Title: Re: Turquoise Soft Plastic(?) Kellogg ITT 591
Post by: Dennis Markham on February 22, 2012, 08:34:23 PM
Vern, here is a Turquoise Kellogg/ITT 554 I purchased recently.  It is dated from 1958.  It looks like the same color as the 500 Larry just bought.  Larry's housing looks the same.  There appears to be some discoloration on the handset and dial bezel.  I thought Kellogg made an entire rainbow of soft 500's in the late 50's.

It might be Aqua as opposed to Turquoise.
Title: Re: Turquoise Soft Plastic(?) Kellogg ITT 591
Post by: LarryInMichigan on February 22, 2012, 09:48:48 PM
Dennis,

Your 554 looks really great.  I hope that my 591 can look half as good.

This phone can go with my soft plastic turquoise AE80 (which was considerably cheaper).

Larry
Title: Re: Turquoise Soft Plastic(?) Kellogg ITT 591
Post by: LM Ericsson on February 22, 2012, 10:49:14 PM
Haha, I saw that this afternoon too, I had a feeling it looked like a aqua green or turquoise!!!
Title: Re: Turquoise Soft Plastic(?) Kellogg ITT 591
Post by: Vern P on February 23, 2012, 12:23:31 AM
Thanks for the info guy's, I guess I was off on my info.  I collect Kellogg, but not the Kellogg 500 & 554's, so I am not up on all the info.

I do have a Dk. Gray Kellogg 554,  I need to look it over again some time.  I have this one to fill the gab, until I find a Dk. Gray WE. and maybe the 172B to go with it.

Vern P
Title: Re: Turquoise Soft Plastic(?) Kellogg ITT 591
Post by: Vern P on February 23, 2012, 12:25:30 AM
PS: Great looking 554 Dennis.
Vern P
Title: Re: Turquoise Soft Plastic(?) Kellogg ITT 591
Post by: jsowers on February 23, 2012, 08:17:21 AM
Larry, I think you're going to like that Kellogg. You're lucky the cords are in good shape because finding cords that color is not easy. It definitely is soft plastic and that particular color has a translucence to it that I've seen in no other color. Similar to the early faceplates on the WE 1500 and 2500 phones. Maybe it's my imagination, but it has depth to it, like the deep blue sea.

I have a turquoise 591 like yours I got several years ago and it has a crack in the front. >:( Cracks really show on these turquoise phones. Mine is from 12-57 and pictured below.

Dennis, your 554 is very rare. I don't remember seeing another one in that color.
Title: Re: Turquoise Soft Plastic(?) Kellogg ITT 591
Post by: Dennis Markham on February 24, 2012, 06:28:58 AM
Jonathan, your 500 looks very nice.  Great color.  I'm sure Larry will have his looking like that before he's done with it.

I posted the photos of mine simply to show that the soft plastic Kelloggs did exist.  I would be fun to try and collect those early Kellogg 500 in all of the colors that were made.  We don't see them too often.
Title: Re: Turquoise Soft Plastic(?) Kellogg ITT 591
Post by: jsowers on February 24, 2012, 09:12:19 AM
Dennis, I noticed after I posted mine that they almost seem to be three different colors. Digital photography has trouble capturing blues and turquoises sometimes. I use natural light when I take pictures because it seems to correct that problem. Also, it looks like Larry's and my 591s have faded some over the years, especially at the handset and the dial face seems to be a bit lighter. I don't think this color was very stable as far as fading was concerned.

Since you spoke of colors, here's a picture I saved from an auction for an ITT-Kellogg brochure, showing the available colors. Turquoise isn't among the selections. I'm sure they changed over the years, just like WE did. I think this may be from the early 1960s. Hard to believe they actually made pink and aqua blue keysets at Kellogg.
Title: Re: Turquoise Soft Plastic(?) Kellogg ITT 591
Post by: Dennis Markham on February 24, 2012, 02:34:27 PM
Nice picture, Jonathan.  Thanks.  Wish it was larger in size to see more detail.
Title: Re: Turquoise Soft Plastic(?) Kellogg ITT 591
Post by: LarryInMichigan on February 25, 2012, 09:26:19 PM
The phone arrived today, and it is soft plastic :).  It will need some cleaning and polishing.  Probably a bit of sanding too.

The color is radically different than the turquoise AE80 from the same period.  The Kellogg is much darker.  The inside of the shell appears to be the same color as the outside, so the color appears to be original.


Larry
Title: Re: Turquoise Soft Plastic(?) Kellogg ITT 591
Post by: Jester on February 26, 2012, 04:02:58 PM
That's a very striking color-- much richer than the WE-64 color.  I seem to remember reading some old Kellogg lit. stating that the DK-500 "banjo" was available in the first eight "WE" colors.  Wouldn't it be cool to find one in turquoise, too.
Title: Re: Turquoise Soft Plastic Kellogg ITT 591
Post by: LarryInMichigan on January 07, 2022, 01:55:01 PM
A friend is begging me to sell this phone to him.  Would anyone here happen to have a phone this color for sale?

Larry
Title: Re: Turquoise Soft Plastic Kellogg ITT 591
Post by: MMikeJBenN27 on January 07, 2022, 03:20:21 PM
Kellogg started making WE clones in 1954, as far as the base plate, dial assembly, and receiver capsules are concerned, and about 57 as far as the shell is concerned, the same year Aqua replaced Mediterranean Blue, so it is soft plastic if those are the original plastics.  Note, blue colors usually start yellowing, so aqua often looks like turquoise.   If your handset caps have 7 and 37 holes, respectively, they are hard plastic, but if they have 6 and 36 holes, they might be soft plastic.

Mike 
Title: Re: Turquoise Soft Plastic Kellogg ITT 591
Post by: LarryInMichigan on January 07, 2022, 03:21:38 PM
Quote from: MMikeJBenN27 on January 07, 2022, 03:20:21 PM
Kellogg started making WE clones in 57, the same year Aqua replaced Mediterranean Blue, so it is soft plastic if those are the original plastics.  Note, blue colors usually start yellowing, so aqua often looks like turquoise.   If your handset caps have 7 and 37 holes, respectively, they are hard plastic, but if they have 6 and 36 holes, they might be soft plastic.

Mike 

This phone is all soft plastic and all the original color.

Larry