Antique Store Finds

[WEBellSystemChristian]

Today I visited the largest antique store in Wisconsin, in hope of finding some phones! As I walked past  a $230 WE 202 Imperial (ouch!), I noticed a metal WE 302 sitting in a corner booth. I forgot to bring a screwdriver today, and I couldn't look at any inside dates. Since it was only $25, I was pretty much committed to buying it!  My dad suggested to finish looking around the store for more phones, and I could come back to it when we were ready to leave.

I later spotted a beautiful manual WE B1 with near perfect paint. The only paint loss on the entire phone was around the very tips of the cradle ears. The price was $60. SOLD!

Everything else there wasn't worth buying, so we decided to check out. When I came back for the 302, I decided to check it over, to make sure I truely wanted it. I looked at the back of the housing, and I felt really, really excited when I saw the tiny 'H1' stamping just above the line cord moushole. As I practically ran back to the front desk, I felt like shouting "Booya! I finally have an early 302!" (I'm pretty sure everyone in that antique store would think I was certifiably nuts if I did that.)

I was so impacient to get home that night that I used a small key to get the screws off the base. The base, network, and housing were all from April, 1938. The handset is solid, so I'm assuming that it's '38 as well. The dial, handset elements, and ringer are all different dates, but I have a '37 #5 dial and a '38 transmitter element that I will be using on this phone.

So there you have it; a near-perfect B1 and a pretty early 302. I think I did good today!

[WesternElectricBen]

Nice finds, man. I would say they those phones (1) or both would qualify for Find of the Month.


Ben

[Doug Rose]

Christian....HOME RUN!!! Two fantastic phones at a great price. You done real good!! ...Doug

[Dennis Markham]

Nice finds, Christian.  The B1 looks great.  Really like the dial card.

~Dennis

[WesternElectricBen]

I'm probably missing this somewhere, but does H1 over the mouse hole mean it's a vented model 302?

Ben

[poplar1]

I'm probably missing this somewhere, but does H1 over the mouse hole mean it's a vented model 302?

Ben

Not necessarily.
H1 outside means it's 7-38 or older.
If it has vents, it's 10-37 or older.

[WEBellSystemChristian]

I got both phones restored today, and they look really good!!!

The B1 didn't need much attention at all. There was only a thin layer of rough paint on the surface, and it was polished to a mirror finish in a matter of minutes.

The 302 wasn't nearly as easy to restore as the B1, but it was well worth it. I replaced the 1953 #6 dial with a 1950 #5 with a 1937 celluloid dial plate. I also replaced the coiled cord with an OPW brown cloth cord, along with swapping the 1949 transmitter element for a 1-38 element.

[WesternElectricBen]

They look really nice..


Have you tried re-touching the handset cradles with black paint? I'm okay with the worn, used look but I'd like to see somebody actually eradicate the issue with out repainting the whole phone.


Ben

[WEBellSystemChristian]

They look really nice..


Have you tried re-touching the handset cradles with black paint? I'm okay with the worn, used look but I'd like to see somebody actually eradicate the issue with out repainting the whole phone.


Ben

I have tried with a touch-up paint marker on another phone, but the one that I used (Sharpie paint marker, never use one, they're terrible) was watery and drippy, even after I followed all directions carefully. I tried another brand, but it was very obvious that I touched it up. I prefer to preserve the paint if it looks decent when polished, and I'd rather leave the bare metal exposed than try to cover it up unsucessfully. Besides, this way it's easier to tell plastic apart from metal 302s .

[LarryInMichigan]

I have used a Testors brand black paint marker to touch up chips with success.  To me, the phones look much better after the touch-up.  Others may disagree.  Sharpie brand paint markers are not so good.

Larry

[WesternElectricBen]

Some people may think of the chipped paint being "patina."

Ben

[WEBellSystemChristian]

Some people may think of the chipped paint being "patina."

Ben

If I wanted patina, I would have left the phone the way it was. But, what can I say, I love shiny phones!

[WesternElectricBen]

Some people may think of the chipped paint being "patina."

Ben

If I wanted patina, I would have left the phone the way it was. But, what can I say, I love shiny phones!

Well, yes, but I think of it as leaving patina when you shine it up beautifully, but show the usage.


Ben