Interesting Phone

[beetle]

Hi all;
I am brand new to this site, and know next to nothing about old phones.  I came across this at a junk store a while ago, and bought it for the princely sum of $2.00.  I would love to restore it someday.  Someone suggested that this type of phone was commonly used at automobile dealer parts counters.  Any suggestions as to good websites on beginning phone restoration?

John

[bingster]

What you've got there is known as a G-mount hanging handset.  The little square body should say "G1" on the back toward the top.  The handset is an E1, and is not usually found with this mount, but rather with the older, boxier C-mount.  No matter though, the E1 is a far more valuable handset than the more common F1 normally found with this set.  You'll learn more about it as time goes on, and you do more research, but suffice it to say you did VERY well for your two bucks.

These were used for a variety of purposes, as a small counter mounted phone at bars, supermarkets, shops, etc., but also in home kitchens, in barns on farms, basically anywhere you didn't have space to put a desk telephone. They're neat phones.

[benhutcherson]

Hello and welcome,

I'm not sure of the exact model of telephone you have, but it's definitely made by Western Electric. This particular model of phone seems to turn up relatively often.

In any case, you have an E-1 handset, which is pretty pricey by itself(definitely worth more than the $2 you paid). Given the E-1 handset, I'd guess that you also have a #4 dial, which, also by itself, brings a pretty penny.

Normally, in order for this type of phone to work, it needs a subset. The subset is an external box which contains the ringer and the network.

Normally, the other metal plate you have would be the subset, but it doesn't appear that this is the case with yours. It almost looks to me like the one you have is set up for local battery service, which makes no sense since I don't think that local battery was ever used with dial service.

As it is now, it doesn't look to me as though you have enough parts to make it work.

[BDM]

Looks like you have the older, and generally more rare seamless E1 handset.

[Mark Stevens]

I am brand new to this site, and know next to nothing about old phones.  I came across this at a junk store a while ago, and bought it for the princely sum of $2.00.  I would love to restore it someday.  Someone suggested that this type of phone was commonly used at automobile dealer parts counters.  Any suggestions as to good websites on beginning phone restoration?

Welcome, John!  Restoration of your phone may seem a daunting task, but it can certainly be done.  As far as websites go, it pays to explore lots of them.  No one site has all the information you need, and I would recommend that you study to get an over-all knowledge of vintage phones and their restoration.  When you come across a specific problem, you could ask it right here in the forum. It's only been active for a couple of weeks, but the forum already has members with about 3-million years of combined experience! (give-or-take a few years)   

[Bill]

Whoa! Nice phone. I want it! Two bucks??? Wow! Enjoy it.

Bill