Soft Plastic Pink WE 532

[WEBellSystemChristian]

I found these two on ebay today. I had to get a closer look when I saw the little dot in the left front corner of one of the phones, I noticed it had the volume control knob instead of a two line switch, like I expected. I saw the fat handset cord, and pale discoloration instead of browning, so I pounced on it!

It also came with a nice mid sixties Pink 500 that I could sell pretty easily.

I paid $25 plus shipping for both.

www.ebay.com/itm/182495215181

[Holtzer-Cabot]

I found these two on ebay today. I had to get a closer look when I saw the little dot in the left front corner of one of the phones, I noticed it had the volume control knob instead of a two line switch, like I expected. I saw the fat handset cord, and pale discoloration instead of browning, so I pounced on it!

It also came with a nice mid sixties Pink 500 that I could sell pretty easily.

I paid $25 plus shipping for both.

www.ebay.com/itm/182495215181

Wow! You got a good deal there! Good finds Christian!!  I want that pink 500! 

[AL_as_needed]

Nice job grabbing those two! Yes the one does look a bit needy in its current faded state, but hey...open center finger wheel....nice. 

[WEBellSystemChristian]

Thanks guys!

Yes, the 532 is pretty faded. It looks like this is a job for Denatured Alcohol! I'd better stock up...

I will probably be selling the 500 on the left on eBay after I clean it up. It's not collectible enough for me to keep it, but it looks far too nice to even consider parting out.

Well, I might keep that pink plug before I sell it...

[AL_as_needed]

If you offer the 500 on the forum, let me know what you'd want for it. Had an identical set i worked on as a gift for someone else this last xmas and wouldnt mind one of my own.

[WEBellSystemChristian]

They came today!

The eBay pictures didn't lie, the 532 is very faded!

On top of that, the phone was refurbed at one point. The base was built in 1955, presumably as a black phone. The dial, bezel, fingerwheel, handset, housing, and cords are all 1958 replacements.

Whoever refurbed this one was most likely drunk. The bracket that the knob is mounted to has been bent downward at a 20 degree angle, enough that the rivet holding the foot on underneath it was damaged. Whether the customer accidentally dropped the phone (causing it to be sent to a refurb shop, where it got new plastics), or the refurbisher dropped it with the housing off (probably while reaching for another Budweiser... ) I don't know, but the 'new' Pink housing had the hole drilled at an angle to accommodate the strange angle the knob now sits at.
Fortunately, the refurbisher forgot to add a refurb stamp, so I can salvage the base.

I'm thinking about returning this one back into a black 532. I have plenty of black 500 parts (I need a few more '50s handset cords though), so why not save the Pink parts for a future project, and use black parts that I will never have another use for?

[Jim Stettler]

They came today!

The eBay pictures didn't lie, the 532 is very faded!

On top of that, the phone was refurbed at one point. The base was built in 1955, presumably as a black phone. The dial, bezel, fingerwheel, handset, housing, and cords are all 1958 replacements.

Whoever refurbed this one was most likely drunk. The bracket that the knob is mounted to has been bent downward at a 20 degree angle, enough that the rivet holding the foot on underneath it was damaged. Whether the customer accidentally dropped the phone (causing it to be sent to a refurb shop, where it got new plastics), or the refurbisher dropped it with the case off (probably while reaching for another Budweiser... ) I don't know, but the 'new' Pink housing had the hole drilled at an angle to accommodate the strange angle the knob now sits at.
Fortunately, the refurbisher forgot to add a refurb stamp, so I can salvage the base.

I'm thinking about returning this one back into a black 532. I have plenty of black 500 parts (I need a few more '50s handset cords though), so why not save the Pink parts for a future project, and use black parts that I will never have another use for?

My opinion: Rebuild it to the original configuration, Match or after on the black plastics.
JMO,
Jim S.

PS  toss it into find of the month. You got a great deal. List full cost as the 532 but mention the other set as the postage offset.