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Princesses in Color!

Started by compubit, April 15, 2015, 08:53:35 PM

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compubit

I finally completed (at least what I have been able to find) of Princess Phone in color.  Ironically, the last one into my collection is probably the color most associated with the Princess Phone: Pink. (It was an eBay "combo" - "blue" 702 shell - but really turquoise when I took off the shell to verify - on a 701 base, with a pink 701 shell, cables & handset). The pink cable (attached to the phone with the blue shell) was pinched, as the 702 she'll is notched differently in the back for the cable egress. After replacing the correct date-matching (4/60) parts on the 701 base, I finished my collection (save for ever finding a Cameo Green, Chocolate Brown or Peach 702/2702...).

My favorite (at least now) is the Light Gray 702 I caught as a BIN right after it was posted. Light Gray (-61) seems to be a hard color (for me) to find, save the 2503 Data phones which pop up frequently.  Slate Blue is a close second.

Here below is the current collection:
(Left to Right, Top to Bottom)

Black (-3)  Slate Blue (-293)   Teal Blue (-145)
     Cherry Red (-53)      Moss Green (-51)
Light Gray (-61)    Rose Pink (-59)   Aqua Blue (-62)
     Light Beige (-60)     Pastel Yellow (-56)
White (-58)      Ivory (-50)       Turquoise (-64)

Now on to Trimlines... (And their brethren from the other manufacturers - pre mid-80s).

Jim
A phone phanatic since I was less than 2 (thanks to Fisher Price); collector since a teenager; now able to afford to play!
Favorite Phone: Western Electric Trimline - it just feels right holding it up to my face!

WEBellSystemChristian

Wow, incredible collection! :o 8) ;)

My favorite of those is also the Gray. Is that WE? I've mainly seen them only from ITT.

I should get my Princesses together tonight and post a picture. Not much (the best one of them is my 1702B in white), but it's something!
Christian Petterson

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

compubit

Yup - it's a WE Gray. Caught it off eBay recently. (Missing a small piece along the left edge, but works for me!)

Jim
A phone phanatic since I was less than 2 (thanks to Fisher Price); collector since a teenager; now able to afford to play!
Favorite Phone: Western Electric Trimline - it just feels right holding it up to my face!

WesternElectricBen


jsowers

You're correct about light gray being hard to find. It was never very popular in Princesses. Ivory is also not easy to find in a 702B (hard-wired). It's hard to tell faded white from ivory in an auction ad sometimes. Cameo Green is hard to find, as you said, but it shows up now and then.

You have a great collection there. You don't have to stop with one of every color. You can try for one of every color of 702, 701, 2702 and 1702 (good luck on that last one).

Light gray is also rare in Trimlines. You also have different colors like Teaberry, Rust and Brown. They're not so rare and came along later in production.
Jonathan

savageje

Nice collection!  I don't know if they were very common, but I don't see very many black Princesses in my travels.  I seem to see light beige ones everywhere.

compubit

#6
Quote from: jsowers on April 16, 2015, 12:20:36 AM
Cameo Green is hard to find, as you said, but it shows up now and then.

You have a great collection there. You don't have to stop with one of every color. You can try for one of every color of 702, 701, 2702 and 1702 (good luck on that last one).

Light gray is also rare in Trimlines. You also have different colors like Teaberry, Rust and Brown. They're not so rare and came along later in production.
I just have to keep my eyes open for Cameo Green (and the others...)

I'll work on the other models, but not as aggressively (and also not as aggressive on the bank account...).

I haven't seen Teaberry in a "traditional" trimline - just in the newer all electronic versions which fall outside my scope (for now...)

Ivory seems to be the overpopulated color - I've picked up 3 separate lots of 4 Ivory Princesses at <$10 a piece after shipping (mostly for parts).   One will be used to test painting the base into Purple for a Baltimore Ravens phone for a co-worker. (Have the gold modular cord and a black handset)..

Jim
A phone phanatic since I was less than 2 (thanks to Fisher Price); collector since a teenager; now able to afford to play!
Favorite Phone: Western Electric Trimline - it just feels right holding it up to my face!

unbeldi

Quote from: jsowers on April 16, 2015, 12:20:36 AM
You're correct about light gray being hard to find. It was never very popular in Princesses.

I am not sure that one can equate it to non-popularity.  Gray and black were non-promoted colors in the case of the Princesses.  People order what they can see.

WEBellSystemChristian

Quote from: unbeldi on April 16, 2015, 07:44:24 AM
Quote from: jsowers on April 16, 2015, 12:20:36 AM
You're correct about light gray being hard to find. It was never very popular in Princesses.

I am not sure that one can equate it to non-popularity.  Gray and black were non-promoted colors in the case of the Princesses.  People order what they can see.
It's probable that someone ordered a bunch of phones in bulk for an office or their home, including a variety of models, and ordered them all in Gray. This was less common than ordering each individual phone in a completely separate color from eachother (which was probably the more common way of ordering phones), and the Princess was most likely never ordered in Gray by itself.
Christian Petterson

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

Dan/Panther

Nice collection, you need a Black dial set, and NOW I NEED A DARN gray one.
D/P

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

unbeldi

Quote from: Dan/Panther on April 16, 2015, 12:19:28 PM
Nice collection, you need a Black dial set, and NOW I NEED A DARN gray one.
D/P


Yes, one like this:   :)

702B,  dated 12/62, first batch of 702 production.

The story of black Princesses is colorful.




Russ Kirk

- Russ Kirk
ATCA & TCI

jsowers

Quote from: compubit on April 16, 2015, 07:28:14 AM
I haven't seen Teaberry in a "traditional" trimline - just in the newer all electronic versions which fall outside my scope (for now...)

Here's a Teaberry Trimline I found at a thrift store a long time ago. It's a refurbished model with the metal faceplate and should fall inside your scope. I don't collect the newer electronic versions either.
Jonathan

HarrySmith

Nice collection!

Unbeldi's - I need that Black one for my collection😃
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"

Dan/Panther

The black ones are hard to find.
I got mine here on the forum.

D/P

Here's mine..



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