Just won a 'phone on Ebay.

[Stephen Furley]

I've just won an orange Contempra on Ebay for 11.50 (pounds, about 17 dollars) plus seven pounds postage.

It looks like it's in good condition, and they're rare over here.  There's another one on Buy it Now for 59.99 (pounds), and I've seen them go for more than that.  As long as there's nothing seriously wrong with it, I think I may have got a bargain.  I'm now totally out of money, and it's two weeks until pay-day, so I won't be buying anything else for a while.

[Dennis Markham]

If pounds were money here I'd be rich!  Stephen you'll have to post a photo or two when it gets there.

[AET]

If pounds were money here I'd be rich!  Stephen you'll have to post a photo or two when it gets there.

Tell me about it!  I'd have a whopping 250 LOL!

Stephen, can't wait to see the new treasure!

[Dan/Panther]

If pounds were money here I'd be rich!  Stephen you'll have to post a photo or two when it gets there.

If wishes were horses, beggers would ride.
D/P

[Stephen Furley]

Here are a couple of pictures, it's in good working order.  The markings indicate it was made in the UK by GEC, but the style of both the base and the handset cord looks very American.  The model number indicates a model without a recall function, but it does in fact have a working earth recall button.

[bingster]

I believe (and I could be wrong about this) that this is a Northern Electric set.  I know that many of Northern's sets were exported to Britain in the 1970s, and I'm sure this one would have been one of them.  Whether GEC produced a version themselves under license, or if the sets were rebranded prior to export I don't know.  I wouldn't be surprised if you found markings inside indicating "Northern Telecom" or "Nortelco."

Northern Electric was the Bell System's Canadian manufacturing supplier to Canadian Bell, and was equivalent to Western Electric, which supplied the American Bell System.

[phoneguy06]

Bingster,

Northern Electric changed its name to Northern Telecom (not Nortelco) in 1976, I believe, and finally to Nortel, which as you may or may not know, sadly is now breathing its final breaths. Sigh, another of our great Canadian employers down the drain.

[Stephen Furley]

I think You're correct about the origins of the design; the question being whether it was made here under licence, or imported.  The markings indicate that it was made at Newton Aycliff in County Durham, in the North East of England, but I'm doubtful, I think it looks like an imported set.  I haven't opened it to look inside yet.

The moving finger stop dial is a cleaver idea, but to be honest I think I'd rather have a full-sized dial in the base; it's an interesting design though.  Re-reading this thread I notice that the price I paid for it was slightly more than I thought when I mentioned it in the 'bargain' thread last night.  It was still a very good price though; they don't often come up, and when they do they often sell for over fifty pounds.  The handset cord is a bit dirty, and there are some minor marks where the handset sits on the base, but these will easily polish out.

[bingster]

Northern Electric changed its name to Northern Telecom (not Nortelco) in 1976, I believe, and finally to Nortel,

I was probably mixing up Nortel and Norelco in my mind.

I did mention Northern Telecom, though.

[Steve]

That's a sharp looking phone Stephen. reminds me of the Western Electric Trimline series. do you get Trimlines on your side of the pond?

[Stephen Furley]

I don't think so, but there were several quite similar designs here.

[AET]

 Very nice find!  love the color!

[McHeath]

Yeah a really great color!  I like this phone style, and it looks familiar like maybe I've seen one in my travels.

Oh and I'll use "colour" for our phone phriends on the other side of the pond. 

Speaking of Brits, one of the teachers at my school here in California is from England.  She cracks up the little hispanic kids with her thick British accent, but what's even more ironic is that she speaks really good Spanish as well. 

[AET]

Yeah a really great color!  I like this phone style, and it looks familiar like maybe I've seen one in my travels.

Oh and I'll use "colour" for our phone phriends on the other side of the pond. 

Speaking of Brits, one of the teachers at my school here in California is from England.  She cracks up the little hispanic kids with her thick British accent, but what's even more ironic is that she speaks really good Spanish as well. 

Very evident proof that the world is shrinking...

[Tonyrotary]

That is a nice looking phone Stephen and I want one in my collection one day.