Re: Flea Market WE 511C/D Interphone - I Can't believe It!!!

[LarryInMichigan]

I just returned from the flea market with an extremely dirty blue WE 511.  I paid $20 for the phone, and the seller let me take the extra large ringer also.  I know little about these things.  The box connected to the line cord is marked 759A.  The phone base is dated 5-64 (which makes it one month older than I).  I don't know if I want to keep this thing or sell it.

Larry

[paul-f]

You did really well, Larry.

These 511s were used in the Home Interphone and Farm Interphone.  You can read about them in the TCI Library and here:

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=5391.0

[LarryInMichigan]

I do recall reading about the Interphone here a while back.  I had no idea that this was one when I saw it at the flea market.  After I clean it, I will probably want to sell it.  Does anyone have any idea what it might be worth?

I am gradually dismantling and cleaning the thing and finding out more things about it.  The dial is marked "7H-62", and it has two pairs of shunting contacts instead of one.  Strangely though, one of the wires from the extra shunting pair was connected the the network, and the other was taped off.  There are many additional wires connected to the terminals on the network.  Unfortunately, the phone appears to have spent years buried in someone's garden (or more likely under the rubble of an abandoned Detroit house), so things (like the dial) are very dirty and corroded.

The plastics are mostly ABS, but I think that the cover from the 759A box might be soft plastic.


Larry

[jsowers]

Larry, you may have a "find of the month" there. I just looked in my bookmarks and the last 759A Interphone speaker that sold on eBay in May went for (gulp) $108.49! That's not including the phone.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/370510399080

If I were you, I'd clean them up on the outside and sell them together, since you have them still connected together. Don't worry about getting the phone working because whoever buys this will likely be able to do that part. Be sure to post lots of pictures of the insides of both pieces.

Your Bell Chime looks great too. I saw the auction and it cleaned up nicely and you did a good job with the listing. Just do the same with this phone and you should see lots of profit. Good luck!

[LarryInMichigan]

Wow,

I wouldn't have expected a box with a speaker in it to go for so much.  Unfortunately, The speaker in mine is bad.  I tried to measure the resistance between the two leads, and it is open.  I expect that the speaker should be easy to replace with a standard 2" diameter round speaker,  unless this one has a non-standard impedance.

Larry

[GG]

Larry, you scored a good one there, and that's definitely "Find of the Month" material.

Depending on your degree of experience reconditioning old phone equipment, you might want to just give it a wipe down with a clean rag and some Windex, vacuum out the dust & dirt inside with a gentle setting on your vacuum cleaner and a dusting brush, and sell it as is.  OTOH if you've done high-quality reconditioning before (apologies for my bad memory on this count), then go for it, put it back to like-new condition. 

In any case, for any technical information on this and how to approach the task, there are high-level experts here who can advise in detail.

[LarryInMichigan]

I am sanding and polishing the plastics to make them look nice.  There are some scratches which require heavier sanding, but I will leave that for the next owner.  I soaked the handset cord in Oxiclean for several hours, so now the cord looks pretty good with a few small stains.

Larry

[LarryInMichigan]

I finally managed to list this phone on ebay: ebay link.  I hope that this does better than most of the things I have sold.

Larry

[jsowers]

Larry, your 511 is gorgeous! You did a great job restoring it and you already have one bid, so you're on your way. I didn't even know the mounting cord was aqua blue in the "before" picture, it was so dirty. These Interphone phones are quite rare and don't come up often. Yours still has all its pieces, which is rarer still. Good luck selling yours. I think your hard work on the phone will be rewarded.

[Doug Rose]

Beautiful refurb and eBay likes your listing!!!

[LarryInMichigan]

Thank you.  The listing already has 100 views and 12 watchers.

Larry

[LarryInMichigan]

$1,525.00!

It sat at the opening bid until the final moments.  I was out for an hour and returned to get the news.

Larry

[pbghmike77]

$1,525.00!

It sat at the opening bid until the final moments.  I was out for an hour and returned to get the news.

Larry

That is awesome Larry congrats. The ebay home runs are few and far between but when you find one it makes it very fun. Now to just throw it in a box with no pa cking and off it goes!!

[RotarDad]

Wow Larry - that is awesome!  Sounds like the forum needs a new category - Flip of the month!   You would win for sure!!!   Very nicely done.....

[Dennis Markham]

Congratulations, Larry!  That is awesome.  Nice work.  You really did make that phone look great!  I'm sure the new owner will be  happy.