Bell Blake receiver phone , Gray pay station and other finds.

[sebbel]

I'm not sure what is going on this month but I have found a fair amount  neat stuff.

First I found a nice porcelain telephone sign. I had been looking for a while to get sign for a reasonable. Its basic but I like it.

Next I found a vintage brand new in box NBTel Thermometer, a telegraph key, a gray payphone, a switchboard and last both not least, an early Bell Canada wall phone with a Blake transmitter & thee double red bar receiver (not on picture).

Due to limited space and family situation I usually sell most of the stuff I find. But I decided to keep all but the telegraph key. The fact is I'm totally in love with the bell phone and I really want a 2 piece payphone so I'm going to retrofit that one.

[Sargeguy]

Wow!  How much did you pay for the Bell Canada three (minus 1) boxer?  This should be a find of the month. 

[sebbel]

It was $650 but I had $500 in my back pocket so I offered that and walked away a happy man!  I'll take better pictures of it later. Just the double red stripe long pole receiver that came with it sometimes sells for about  twice what I paid for the phone.  Its missing the lower box and the ringer inside the ringer box but even then, that was still a great deal.

The gray pay phone was also a great find. I paid $20 it.

[Sargeguy]

Bell Canada Blake transmitters do not sell for nearly as much as the American versions do.  I think they are more common and less well marked, and there are more American collectors looking for American phones  There was a Bell Canada Blake that sold ion eBay for about $700-800 about a year and a half ago.  I would say that the phone as is is worth at least $2000 if not more.  Possibly much more.

[sebbel]

The last 2 canadian long pole went went for  US $898.89 &     $1,061.89  which is a fair bit.
http://tinyurl.com/pntn37s
http://tinyurl.com/ojsa9yf

But yes the american version fetch more. A broken one went for US $1,194.00
http://tinyurl.com/lb2x68q

As for the phone itself I listed it for way more than it was worth to see what offers I would get. (Poor Man's appraisal) and I was offered $1800

So its in the $2000-3000 ball park.  Again, yes, an American version would fetch considerably more. Specially if well marked.

In any case I'm very happy and it will look very nice on my wall.  Hell even my wife likes it!

[Sargeguy]

Those bottom boxes come up fairly often.  And of course you need a glass battery.

[sebbel]

more pictures

[sebbel]

more of the payphone

[sebbel]

The blake has been nailed to the wall and now has a lower box. I need to complete the finish on it but its a start.

[Sargeguy]

is that a repro box?

[sebbel]

Yes the lower box is a repro.  I don't think Ill find an original easily or soon so I wanted something for now.

[Sargeguy]

Don't despair they do occasionally show up, usually cost around $75-100

[TelePlay]

To the casual eye, that repro box looks original, matches well, at least in the photos. A good "temporary" fix until you find the genuine item. Very nice piece of woodcraft.